Lady Kassandra the Cyber-Knight chapters 15-16
Chapter 15 THE TRAP!
By morning not only had I healed up completely, not even a scar to brag about, but the storm had ended and the sun shined brightly promising a long and warm day for our travel.
We ride on for near half the day before riding up on a mild ranch, a few hound dogs lay out in what remains of the sun. The wood sign reads Hoffman Ranch and Doc rides up ahead of Alex and I who are both on his cycle while Kara rides my horse.
A woman comes out of the house to scold the dogs who had begun to fuss as we ride on, her red hair pulled back in a loose looking bun and I hear some man yell at her.
"Gwen what the hell do you think you're doing woman, don't you think no more?"
Than the man appears in the door way, a big looking guy with dark hair and a graying beard that makes me think of stories I have read about my father. He looks our way as Doc get off the horse.
"That anyway too welcome a friend," Doc teased.
"Doc," the man says, "you came, my god you came."
"You telling me you had doubt," Doc says, "I do believe I'm hurt, truly my feelings are."
As we ride up and climb off horses and the cycle, Doc is hugging the woman the way you would a friend you haven't seen in a long time.
Doc looks my way with a small smile, "see what I meant," he says and I smile back. I would have easily done this for Doc, my friend, and I hope he too would have done so for me.
"Ok guys this here is my friend Paul Hoffman and his wife the lovely Miss Gwen. Paul, Gwen, this is my new friend Lady Kassandra, her friend Sir Alexander, and Kara we found along the way."
Luke looks at him in confusion.
"Oh yeah and Luke," Doc says with little enthusiasm at all.
"You're running with two cyber-knights now," Paul says.
"Three," Luke says.
I just look over at him.
"Such as he is," Doc says.
"Well, welcome," Gwen said, "please come in and sit down, I know it's been a long trip, let me fix up something for you to eat."
We follow in the house, though I don't think Kara was quite comfortable doing so, and we sit around a large round table in the kitchen.
"Relax Kara," I say looking at her, "if you were in any danger I would protect you in the name of Athena."
"You really believe," she says and I smiled.
"Say Gwen it's been a few days sense we been to a town and all, I'm sure Kassie would rather have a shower and but on a clean set of clothes," Doc says and Alex cracks a smile as he tried to hold in the laugh. "My friend here, for a traveler and adventurer and all, she don't like being dirty much, and it is a rather dusty road."
I just looked at him.
"Oh of course," Gwen says, "it will be an hour until food is ready anyhow, Paul do show a little hospitality and show the Lady to the guest room so she can freshen up."
"Yes dear," Paul says, he stands and puts his hand out for me to go ahead of him. I went outside for a moment to grab my bag and then I was shown the way to the two guest rooms and bath room.
Like with most men I feel eyes linger a little longer than they should and the cursed beauty I still feel every now and then will turn me into the Medusa.
"Thank you," I say and I wait for him to leave before I go through my bag and pull out a pair of clean pants, the ones I bought for the drinking contest, and a clean tank top. Oh the feeling of warm water running over my skin after all the damage of the t-rex finally healed up, it was a luxury I felt as if a hundred years had passed sense I had felt last. I still had some of my sweet smelling soaps and lotions to use and I actually started feeling more like the woman I should have been the demi-goddess if you will.
What was it about clean clothes and pretty smells that made me feel I belonged in my pantheon after all?
Back in the kitchen Paul and Gwen were talking with my party about the attack that had accrued and confirmed it were Vampires.
"we have been rather lucky with the rain these last few nights," Paul said, "not only did the soul need it but there haven't been any attacks, the children somehow been able to sleep."
"Usually Jenna is afraid of storms and such, that child hears thunder and it affects her in a bad way, but she seemed at peace with it."
"The gods have been kind in their help," Kara said as I walked in.
"That you may be right about," I say.
"You definitely were in no shape for fighting off Vampires, "Alex says," I wouldn't put it passes them to help out a favorite and all, to look after you that way. Hell didn't Zeus once stretch a day to last over thirty hours?"
"I think so, though I wouldn't go as far as a favorite," I say, "I don't remember what book but from my understanding it aint passed him, I also don't think they would want to scare children with protection."
Gwen out did the meal she fixed up, stake, potatoes, bread, and ale, it was better than going home to the academy for a meal John created.
All while we eat Doc and Paul tell old stories from fights they had been in, while the four little girls sit with us listening with great interest to their father's past.
The sun has set now and Gwen has made comments of putting the children to bed more than once but they were so intent in listening to their father.
Luke had already gone to bed, not one for helping out anyone at all, and Kara still looked to me as rather uncomfortable.
"With Vampires and all maybe Kara would be more comfortable with the children," I suggested as I looked out over the front of the house. "I'm sure with her protection they will sleep better and she will too."
And so Kara went to lay on the floor of the girls room for the night though I doubt she were going to sleep a wink until the sun shinned awake and she knew the children were safe for now.
Me I still stand there looking out the door feeling something strange in me for this house looks so close to my mama's home, the structure the yard, everything and I can't explain what I'm thinking or feeling at this point.
I start to open the door and walk out without real thought only dreams I can't explain.
"Um Kass," Alex says looking over at me, "Kassandra Starr stop right now!"
I turn and look at him, Doc is there looking at me too, "what,"
"Where are you going, at night, alone, with Vampires?"
"Just going for a walk, around the perimeter," I say.
"How about some company," he asked?
I can't help but laugh, "You act as if I'm helpless,"
"I would never presumed that," Alex says, "however these are Vampires and you have never fought one before, it's not like any creature you fought, believe me it isn't."
"I know that," I say, and I walk out the door knowing good and well that Alex and Doc are going to right behind me, maybe even Paul too.
"Gwen put on some coffee please," Paul says.
"Of course," Gwen says.
I hear the door open and close a few times behind me and I smile.
I wonder about seeing nothing really. Than something catches my eye, just off the property, a small encampment, Indian tee pee's placed in a circle around a central point of a large fire.
"Angry Bear," I say feeling myself drawn over to the village more and more.
"Kass," I hear Alex call, "Kassandra," he is far from the only one who does though, I think they all have called to me in their own way, I hear nothing; ok I hear it I just pay no attention to it.
I leap the fence over to the encampment and I already smell it, the stench of death, old rancid blood permeates my senses.
"damn it Kassandra Starr," I hear Alex yell and I know good and well he is growing angry with me and the way I rush off into a combat situation this way.
Only I can't think of anything other than that dream. Angry Bear and the tee pee, more importantly what or who was in the tee pee. I see it, the tee pee, the same markings on it and everything; it's off in the distance.
"Kassandra if you don't stop I will stop you," Alex yells at me, yet still I go off and into the tee pee alone.
There it was, the cradle, with the small baby laying in it all swaddled up in a plain looking blanket.
I pick it up into my arms and it makes a small weak cry that reaches into my heart, even if the baby's face looked differently than the one from the dream had, it searches for the one thing I can't give it and my heart goes out to this starving child once more.
Alex walks into the tee pee after me and sees what I hold him my arms.
"Kass," he says.
"Why would they kill everyone and leave one baby living to die of starvation?"
I wrap the baby tightly and hold it to me.
"You know very well this could be a trap," Alex says.
I follow Alex out of the tee pee, still holding the baby in my arms.
"Now why would Angry Bear do that to me," I asked him?
"Who is Angry Bear," Paul asked and Doc shrugged a little.
"How does Angry Bear calculate into this," Alex asked.
"the dreams I have been having," I say, "all the death and all, last night Angry Bear was there, he said stuff about the war and my place in it, the baby was there too, a symbol of hope or something, the light at the end of a dark tunnel, good coming from bad."
"Maybe we should go back to the house," Paul says, "that baby looks rather week, it could have been days sense it ate, I'm sure Gwen has something for it."
"Yeah," I say.
As we walk Alex gives a strange look, "Kass look out," he says as he summons both psi-swords and a vampire pops out of nowhere.
"Oh holly hell," I say and I arrange the baby better in my left arm so I can summon my sword too my defense.
"Kass stay close to me you hear me," Alex tells me as two more pop up out of nowhere, maybe he knew my concern was more for the baby than for myself.
Paul pulls out two guns as Alex slashed one of the vampires with deadly accuracy and its head falls to the ground and Doc shoots another one. It's rather obvious that the swords are doing better than the guns though Doc seems to have some techno thing that works pretty well at holding them off.
One of the vamps attacks me and I slash with my sword only for Alex to kill it too, the last Vamp gets shot by Doc and falls my way as my sword goes through it and Alex cuts off its head too.
"Trap taken care of," Doc says.
I disburse my sword and hold the baby closer to me again as I lightly kiss its small head.
Alex looks at me as I do and I have to wonder what he is thinking I'm thinking.
"Doc get them back to the house I'll make sure these don't get back up," Alex says.
"What do you mean get back up," I asked.
"We'll talk about it in the morning," Alex says and I go back to the house with Doc and Paul.
Gwen sees us walking up and she walks out of the house and sees the baby in my arms.
"My goodness," she says.
"What do you have left from Jenna's babyhood," Paul asked?
"Everything mostly, it's all packed up in the basement in a couple crates marked baby." She said.
Both Doc and Paul went to gather the supplies as I sat down holding the small bundle who had started to whimper again.
"Yes that's right, cry, make your voice be heard threw out the land," I say as I opened the blanket to see just how sunken in her belly really was. Oh how I wished my healing could affect the hunger she must be feeling.
"She is starved," Gwen says than she hurried into the kitchen to prepare some milk for the baby. When the bottle is ready I don't hand her over to anyone, just hold her myself and feed her, looking down into her face, caressing over it gently.
That is where I still sit when Alex gets back looking a mess from whatever it was he had to do with the blood suckers.
"Kass," he says the moment he walked in and saw the way I looked at her.
"Don't ask," I say, "I myself don't quite understand the significance of this or really of all Angry Bear said, some sounded almost like some prophetic warning, all I do know is this is."
"Ok," he said, but I don't think he understands really, I mean just how confusing these dreams and their messages can be, it's not like the dream or those in the dream are good at explaining things to come.
"I think I'll go clean myself up some," Alex says before he wonders off to the guest rooms.
After she finished the bottle down I took her in and cleaned her up too, putting a diaper on her and a little baby shirt too.
I suppose it appeared to Alex as if I were still in the same spot when he returned.
"What is your name sweat heart," I asked the little one in my arms, knowing good and well she can't answer me at all.
"You're taken with her," Gwen says.
"How can I not be, she is pure innocents," I say?
She had just begun to finally drop off and I feared in a way putting her down and something happening to her, just what I don't know but I was partly afraid of it.
I see Alex standing by the wall looking my way and he had been there for a while.
"Are you just going to stand there or is there something you want to say," I asked him?
"Alright," he says, "what exactly was in this dream, start to finish everything I want to know."
"You think I owe you that," I asked?
"In some ways yes," he says, "because I care about you and because I think this will affect you more than you think it will and I want to know just what to expect."
"it started the same as it had been, destruction all around me, then I started wondering about, calling to the gods for some answer," I said, "nearly half the night had gone and I still had nothing, than I see this encampment, tee pee's around a small fire that still burned and I ran to it, to find him sitting there as if he still lives on. I knew there was something or someone in the tee pee only I didn't know who and he asked me about it, he knew I wanted to know. He said that the dreams I had been having weren't my fault and that being what I am I will outlive a lot of people I care about and part of the dreams were just trying to get me to see that. In the tee pee I found a baby in a cradle, she looked at me and I felt drawn to hold her. He said she symbolized to me that yes everyone eventually dies but new life emerges still, from darkness there is a light and it will get dark still once more. He reminded me that being who and what I am I get a choice in if or when I ever decide to have a family, unless of course the guy is like me, than he explained that my family had a long history of dishonesty in that practice."
"Was this the child or are there any differences," he asked me.
"Everything was the same," I say, "the way the encampment was set up, the look of the tee pee, the markings on them, everything, but no, she isn't the same child I held last night, the one last night had lighter skin, vibrantly blue eyes, a small tuft of blond hair."
"So than she looked more like you," he asked and I looked away.
"Yes," I say, "which was why I got nervous and asked him if it were mine or if I was you know and he said that holding her was the closest I would come for a long while still."
"So why don't you set her down and come get some rest this fight is far from over here and I don't need to worry about you not being able to keep up with us," Alex says
"I can't," I say.
"you're not her mother," he says, "you're a hero, her hero maybe because you saved her life but you need to finish this, Vampires, they are not easy to kill, and if they draw blood on you it's over for you."
Reluctantly I lay her in the cradle and lay down in bed with Alex, lying in his arms feeling a tension in him as we slept.
I wake alone, when Alex got up I don't know, I sit up and look around and its day light already, had been for quite a few hours even.
The cradle was gone, the baby too.
I go out looking for her with concern just to find her with Gwen in the kitchen.
"You woke," Gwen says, "the boys went into the fields to do some work."
"I can honestly say it's been a few years sense I have done that," I say.
"Did you grow up on a farm," she asked as I picked the baby back up again.
Kara came in with the youngest of Gwen's daughters Jenna who was easily five now.
"Yes, in CS, Missouri," I say, "the land had been in the family for generations, my Grandpa Dane's land."
"When I met Paul he was still with them," Gwen says.
"I don't understand," Kara says looking at me.
"what don't you understand, that my mother, the daughter of a CS general and all, was seduced by my natural father, while my pa was away fighting the good old fight to rid the world of creatures like me, imagine if you will living with him," I say.
It wasn't long before the men folk come back from their day of hard labor.
Alex walks in with a smile on his face.
"Honey we're home," he teased me.
"And in the need of a shower I see," I said, "it must have either been a very nice day out or you worked your ass off out there."
He sighed, "Telling me I need a shower again."
"Yes I am," I say but I kissed him still on the lips.
He went off to shower as did the others and Kara and I helped Gwen fix dinner. I felt a little nostalgic, like when I was a child helping mama, I almost expected someone to yell at me for being alive still.
We sit to eat laughing and joking about past adventures and Alex tells of our first fight together.
"I remember the first fight we were in really, the big one at least," Doc says
"So do I," I say.
"I don't know exactly what happened out there by that barn but I had a fight and a half there in the tavern myself, than the lady here, the one hates to be dirty or dusty comes in dripping in her own blood from a gunshot to the head and she thinks no one's supposed to be concerned."
"it was the same way when the missile launcher hit her," Alex says, "she just goes I'm fine what about the others and starts tearing through the rubble of the house, she was a bloody mess."
"She is all, I'll be fine I just need a shower and a shirt," Doc says. "On our way here she nearly got herself eaten by a t-rex."
"I never get used to it, I know now she will be fine, that she will heal, and that she knows what she is doing, but I still never get used to seeing her all bloodied and damaged," Alex says.
I just sat there and listened to them poke fun at me while I ate, when the baby fussed I picked her up and to me Alex looked a bit concerned.
"You know maybe you should leave that up to Gwen," Alex later told me as we were sitting in the main room waiting for the sun to fully set for the night. Once again I held the baby girl in my arms as I felt I was wrapping my mind around whatever it was Angry Bear was trying to tell me all along.
"I mean she does have more experience with a baby," he said.
I just looked at him.
"look Kass when it comes to fighting, heroics and all I know you can deal, I know you will handle it, I may worry sometimes but I know you will be ok," he says, "that being said, look, babe, she isn't your child."
"I know that," I said, "and truthfully being a mother isn't exactly something I have ever wanted before, I don't feel that need, it's just Angry Bear, the things he said, the picture he was trying so hard to paint and get me to see, I think I can see it."
"What,"
"I was afraid," I said, "I was scared of the dreams I was having, like I would cause something bad that would end the world, the end of all of you, my friends, the ones I love. He said I have control, he said it wasn't me but this damn world and that I had to learn to accept that everything eventually dies, but that good is always there still. That's what the baby was, it was hope, it was innocents, it was a symbol of a fresh beginning, it was a symbol of good."
"And,"
"And when this is over here with the vampires I'll walk away just as planned," I said.
"Are you sure about that," Alex asked me, he touched my chin and tilted my head up to look into his eyes, "really, are you sure you can do that?"
"Yeah," I said, "will I be ok, I don't know but I'll go, my life and destiny is far bigger. When I saw my father in that dream years back, I was being sentenced into a life I didn't want. I was being forced to get married to a guy who just joined the coalition, an officer. The marriage was just a way of pa riding himself of me. He figured all the trouble I got into would end if I had to settle down and have a family, he said a baby would make me stop acting out. Then there was my father, my real father, it was just a dream but it seemed so real, and he told me that my life was greater than wife and mother, I was more than that."
"Well a demi-god," he says.
"what I'm trying to say is I know I'm not leaving here with her," I said, "I am a hero, I am a traveler, and adventurer, a fighter, a warrior, whatever it is you want to call me. I know very well I can't quit, I know this is my life, just as I know you can't take a baby on a horse and jump into a fight the way I do with a child. It's not the life of a child, it's just too damn dangerous for her and it's my life."
"Alex," I said, "I also realized a long time ago that I care for you more than I thought I could. Remember I took that vow, the one you helped me break and all; I used to believe in it. Then I met you and I don't know what happened to me. It doesn't mean I'm ready to hang up my hat yet. I can't just retire, and I am not ready for that life, I know it's my choice and if you're thinking or worrying that I'm thinking of it, I'm not, it's not something I'm ready for now maybe ever. My life is too hectic for that, I feel a need to keep the promise I made my father, to obey and be that hero."
Softly he touched my face and kissed my lips.
After I lay the baby down and leave her with Gwen I stand in the living room with Alex and Doc who are lecturing me about Vampires.
"We have plenty of stakes," Doc says, "so do what you must, but get the damn piece of wood in the heart and move on to the next."
"It aint the stake that kills," Alex says, "It only gets them out for a while, if someone removes the stake he will pop back up quicker than you ever could."
"Then how do we kill them," I asked?
"The sun coming up would help," Alex says, "but the process is a little more in depth, usually you stake it, behead it, than keep the head and body far from each other as we burn in, the ashes from the body and the ashes from than head must not be together. Scattered far from each other, or in a river, moving water is great."
"Remember just cause you can't see them doesn't mean there not here," Alex says, "they never travel alone, they can turn to mist and other things too, these are magical and super natural creatures, stronger than anyone or anything you have ever faced before, stronger than even you."
"If you can't see them always how do you know they aren't already here," I asked.
Kara had joined us looking as if she were ready for a fight.
"I'll know," Alex says, "I'll sense them when they come and we will attack."
"So than last night you knew," I said.
"You asked me why kill everyone and leave the baby to die," he says, "Kass; she was bait, to get others over and distracted by her innocents, than attack them."
"And I fell for it," I said.
"You used your heart," Doc says, "it's not a bad thing, you are a good person, you got a good heart."
"Blame Angry Bear love," Alex says.
"Ok already who is Angry Bear," Doc asked?
"A paradox shaman," Alex says, "he was a friend of the cyber-knight, he trained as a knight too."
"Was," Luke asked looking at us.
"He's dead," I say, "Alex and I helped him finish his journey back to the academy where Lord Coake and he left, Coake took his friend to die, or don't you remember."
Luke looked away, "what's wrong," I asked, "What don't you ever talk to dead people in your sleep?"
He just looks at me.
"You know as a cyber-knight Luke you should know and accept that most of us die young and in a battle of some kind, hell there are creatures that will attack and kill us only cause we stand for something they want to end, we stand for something, for hope."
Night had come and we still wait, I feel we are ready; we have water pistols, stakes, crosses and other holy symbols, though they will only slow a Vampire.
When Gwen first handed me the cross I smiled at the gesture, but really what good is a cross to one who knows not the Christian god, wouldn't any holy symbol work, as long as you believe in it?
I see Alex looking off, a strange look on his face, "south yard," is all he says as he walks out the door and we begin to follow. There is now five of us, sense Kara has joined the fight, Luke, well what did I expect out of him, help, no certainly not Luke.
On our way out the door Doc catches my arm in his hand to stop me, "look I know you say your tough but this is real, stay close and watch your back."
Alex looks our way, "he's right, don't let them hit you, your fast so use it and whatever happens out there do not let them draw blood, or it will be over for you, this isn't a t-rex, you won't just heel it."
"Or any other demon you may have fought," Doc adds.
"Yes sir," I say for whatever reason reverting back to the student teacher role.
I see them and in a military like fashion they start to surround us.
"Athena be with us," I silently pray to myself, "help us and let us fight well."
I can only hope these creatures don't have a god to follow that maybe they said the same prayer too just as I am.
Doc has his pistols out and he is more than ready I think, it aint his normal guns, but some techno guns that are supposed to be for hunting Vamps. Paul has two techno swords and Alex has two psi-sword's just as I have my one, and Kara had some sharp looking disk with the symbol of Athena on it and a sword.
"There are only three of them and five of us," I say.
"There are plenty more you don't see Kass always remember that," Alex says, why do I get the feeling he knows already there are more and he just don't want to tell me it.
"Like cockroaches that scatter when the light comes on," Doc says and Alex laughs.
They come in and the fight starts, Doc is the first to attack them shooting off those guns of his and two of them fall for a moment, than Alex starts attacking with his swords and one head rolls, than I slice one of them just not good enough to count it as a good attack and I see before my own eyes just what it is they mean, I see the wound heal up.
Than Paul comes up behind it and cuts its head off, kicking the head aside and away from the body.
There had only been three and I saw two go down myself and yet there are still three fighting and I don't understand I just keep fighting as Alex cuts the head off another vamp and kicks the head aside much the same as Paul had done.
Somehow in the fight I got away from the group, despite the constant warnings to stay together and watch each other's backs, I have two of them around me. I sliced at one of them and the other tried to grab me so I smack it with all my strength with my free hand, I expected the gaunt little bastard to go flying back at the least, even to maybe knock its head off, it didn't even move.
"By the gods," I muttered more to myself than anyone else as I paused a moment too long and one of them tried to hit me again. Lucky for me I'm fast for I moved just in time and spin around to slice its head clean off.
I feel claws jab into my chest and it hurts, no really it hurts, than a gunshot comes from behind me and it knocks the vamp down long enough for me to regain myself some and Kara slices its head off.
Paul picks up the head and tosses it over with the other heads away from the bodies.
"Are you alright," she asked.
"I should be fine," I say than I look around at the eight bodies on the ground, "wait, where is Alex?"
"He took off," Kara said, "Doc ran off after him, back to toward the house."
"Gwen, my girls," Paul says.
"Alex is an Atlantean, they can sense Vampires," Kara says
I didn't wait a moment, I just ran off to the house and the children in it, with Kara and Paul behind me.
Apparently while we were distracted the house was attacked, but Alex sensed it and went running in and Doc followed him. Luckily Alex got there before anyone got hurt, there were three more Vampires down, their heads away from here bodies and a stake in the heart, much like the other ones.
"Where is Doc," I asked looking at Alex.
"He went to the east field to start a fire," Alex says, "I'll go to the south field, by the tee pee's and do the same, what I want from you Kass is for you to get the bodies and take them to Doc, Kara bring me the heads. Most important do not at all let the heads get near the bodies or remove the stakes or they may start to heal without a head."
"Wait you can heal a head," I said.
"Honey even you can heal that," Alex says, "at least I think you can, I'm not sure and I'm not willing to take that risk finding out."
"Damn," I say.
I go to do as told as does Kara while Paul takes care of his girls here, where Luke is right now I don't know but I'm sure that he is hiding right now.
The fire is big; he has poured so much fuel into it that you can feel the heat nearly twenty feet away.
I tossed the bodies down one by one helping Doc through them into the flames.
"You got hit," he says.
"You're observant," I say.
"Damn it Kassandra don't you ever listen to anything your told," he says, "don't you realize what could happen to you," he says.
I aint never seen Doc like this, not just angry at me but all dirty and sweaty, I can see the heat is getting to him and I take the body from him.
"Let me," I say.
"I'm fine."
"No you're not; you can't take the heat like I can,"
I think we sat there most the night as the fire burned, just Doc and me.
"Look I'm sorry I am the way I am," I tell him.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Rushing in without thought, moody, mellow dramatic," I say.
"No thought to your own safety," he adds.
"Yeah," I say.
"How much does Alex have to do with that?"
"Alex," I say looking at him, "no, look it's me, honestly it's me."
"What are you planning on doing now," he asked.
"Don't know Doc where to from here," I asked him, "other than pushing Luke off a cliff?"
He just laughed.
"No seriously," I say, "I'm leaving with you, just as planned before."
"And that little one in the house that aint got not mama no more," he asked.
"She aint my kid," I say, "I got no room in my life for a kid anyhow. I'm not saying I haven't, I mean part of me hasn't enjoyed holding her and such, but I can't quit my life all cause I found someone's kid like this."
"And as far as Alex," I say, "once upon a time I made this promise, I was just a little girl at the time, but I swore I would never love anyone, men, love, and all that is a part of it, it just wasn't for me. Then I met him and I broke that promise. Darius says it's in my blood or something like that but I don't know, I guess my father was or is prone to moods and such, they say I get it from him, maybe Alex has something to do with it, or the power to help take it away when he can, I don't know."
"This father of yours, is he an is or is he a was," he asked me and I laughed.
"I guess both," I say, "he was a great hero and he still is in a way, just not around here, out there with the stars, in other worlds, but yes he's been here, he was born here and trained and traveled and fought here, I believe at least."
"So what's this great hero's name, maybe I heard of him," Doc says.
"You know there are lots of things I don't say and reasons behind them," I say. "I don't want folk treating me different based on him, expecting more because of him, or anything like that, truth be told I seen him one time only."
"Was he what you expected?"
"Yes," I say as a tear came to my eye, talking about this man who was my father, "I heard nothing growing up, mama just wanted to pretend pa was my father she just wouldn't accept he wasn't. Then I saw him, he was this big man with all these muscles and he looked tough and mean but he talked softly to me, said kind words, touched my face, nothing about him was mean or harsh. I could see the love he had for me, a respect I aint never seen in my life."
"What about your step-father," Doc asked.
I felt my chin quiver some thinking about it and I looked away, "no," I said, "no, I can't, wont, I just, there is no point talking about him."
"Ok," he said.
"Doc please understand, I'm not keeping things from you, I just can't talk about it, it hurt sometimes to talk about it," I said.
"I understand," he says and I lay my head for a moment on his shoulder, as the sun begins to rise into the sky for the day.
That's where I was when Alex walked up.
"We got the ashes together from the heads," he says and I look up, I hadn't even heard him walk up. "So as soon as we can gather the ash from the bodies we can get rid of them and be done."
"What are we doing with them," I asked as I sat up more.
"well Doc and I had already talked about it and I'll take the heads one way while he takes the bodies the other way, than we will disperse them, scatter them into a river or two and come back to get you," Alex says.
"So you trust me alone with Luke," I say.
"You're a hero I do hope you cannot kill one wanna be cyber-knight," he says.
"Oh all right I'll let the little bug live for now," I say as I put my lip out in a fake pout.
"If this wasn't so serious I'd kiss you," he says.
"Wow I must be losing my touch," I say as I stand up, "serious or not wouldn't have stopped you before."
"Funny," he said, "yet I still spent my night watching heads burn, it don't mean I don't still, well you know."
I rolled my eyes and helped gather the ash up before we went back to the house where Gwen had breakfast waiting for us, with coffee too.
After they ate Doc got on his horse and rode off in one direction and Alex got on his hover cycle and went off another direction but not before I asked them if they were sure they wanted to go alone.
"We will be fine Kassie," Doc told me.
"Yeah," Alex said and I knew better, he was tired and trying to prove to me he was fine.
"So be it," I say as I watch them ride off in hope that they don't come up on anything alone and have to fight it.
I lay down for a while and sleep than I wake up and only a little over an hour had passed. I find myself sitting outside holding the baby and cooing at her.
"You still have no name," I tell her, "Hm, what should we name you, how about Evangelia."
"Sounds like something my gods would have come up with, I think they would approve," Kara says from behind me.
"It does doesn't it, I hope they do," I say. "May Athena watch over her all of her days?
"You know I don't meet much who know and worship my goddesses," she says.
"I like Athena," I say, "I don't care for Hera, than again it seems she don't care for me either, Hermes is cool too, a little flighty at times but still cool, the rest I haven't met really. Ok I guess I met Hercules once but it was only in a dream."
"Met," she says, "I know we have spoken before of the gods but met, I don't understand this."
I sigh, I know I haven't said anything, or I have but I just haven't been clear. "I guess there are those who have said I was blessed by them in a way."
"Blessed," she says, "I still don't understand."
I just laughed.
Alex and Doc come back rather late and take time to clean up before diner, they look exhausted to me. It aint long before they are wanting to get some rest and I go lay down with Alex, falling asleep in his arms.
Morning don't seem to be changing their attitude none and I get the impression neither are too keen on taking Luke home. This war is on their mind right now and I really don't want to ask either of them what they are thinking.
Kara decide to head home alone sense her sisters are gone and all, she says she will be fine with the gods watching her and all.
Evangelia she takes with her saying that her tribe will take her in and raise her as an Amazon, the way Athena and Artemis would have wanted us to and I smile at the idea of it.
Chapter 16 SURPRISE'S
Doc, Luke, Alex and I are packed up and ready to leave by late morning. Doc says his goodbyes and they give there thank you's, sending us off with a pack of sandwiches and skins of water.
A week and a half passes and I don't think there are many of my small party who haven't sickened with Luke and the whiny attitude he has. I have seen Alex, who is serious yet a true knight when it comes to diplomacy, give him a few looks. Partly I've been waiting for Alex to say something to him, I mean he is the experienced knight is he not, but he hasn't said anything to him, as if he is waiting for me too.
"Ok that's it I've had it," I say finally as we stopped to make camp and Luke complained about the place we stopped to camp, how the rocky ground would hurt his back, after he had been complaining about the food we were talking about sense the packed lunches were far gone by now. Alex had talked over with Doc about fishing.
I looked at Luke trying with everything in me to hold in my anger, "where did you get that armor?"
"I, I, I'm a Cyber-Knight," Luke said.
"Ok," I say, "fine we will play that game, so have you ever stopped to notice that Alex takes off the armor from time to time, in fact unless he is going into a fight, or on the road like this, he doesn't wear it, he wears normal clothes like a normal person? We usually don't want the attention of everyone knowing what or who we are. It's not that we don't want to help but some people give a little too freely to heroic type and we don't want to use people."
"Then again knights tend to care for others," I say, "we live by a code of ethics and I highly doubt that you could tell me even part of it, more than a knight having to help you when asked for help.
"When traveling we make camp and we help each other out, we take turns with choirs and duties, we care about each other and have each other's back in a fight, not cower and hide like a child. Then again a knight has a few years of training behind them that helps with a fight. Hell I have been just referring to a knight but Doc aint no knight and he knows more about it than you do, he helps out and has our backs too."
He just stood there staring at me looking all flustered.
"so here it is, I tested you back there, weeks ago when I asked you about Weston, I tested you talking about him as if he had been a good guy," I said, "I let you lay claim to that looser because I knew you would, well Alex is here so ask him about Weston, the truth about him, hell even Lord Coake himself knows what a worthless ass Weston was, an evil soul who lied his way into the academy, one of only three of Lady DeWhites students, no you couldn't have been in his class, his teacher was rather close to mine, her death impacted us all. He was expelled from the program after he and I got into a fight, he challenged me and I hurt him, knocked him out and we realized his true heart.
"He came back a few days before I left, we fought again and I broke his back, even if he were fixed, cybernetic even, he still wouldn't have been able to travel with you, he wouldn't have been able to for he would not have been healed in time."
"So you never were at the academy," I say, "I know you weren't, I knew just about everyone, maybe Weston had a point, I hated admitting it to him then, but I wasn't treated the same as the other students, favoritism at its best."
"You never were there or you would have trained with us, you definitely would have fought with us and not hid like a little girl," I say, "now I will give you one chance to be honest and come clean on this one or by the gods I will find out myself."
"How," he asked?
"She can touch you or the armor and see its history, and I will help her by holding you down for her, hell I'm pretty damn sure Doc here will help too," Alex said.
"Oh please let me," Doc says, "you have no idea how badly I want to hit him and I'm not a real physical type."
"I, I found it," Luke says looking at us, from one to another and back. "There was a fight and these guys, one killed the other, so I took the armor, he didn't need it anymore and I was scared, I put it on to protect myself while I was traveling. But you have no idea how nice people are, how well they treat you when you're wearing that stuff."
"Yes we do," I say, "You stole a dead man's armor, a dead knight's armor? So tell me Sir Luke, what did you do with the man's body after you disrobed him and put on his armor, did you leave him or bury him respectfully?"
"I, I," he says looking over at Alex again than he put his head down, "I left him, but come on I had no shovel or anything to bury him with anyhow."
I just looked at him, I don't think I could have hidden the hurt I felt for that act of disrespect to a Knight and I walked off in a huff alone. I spent a lot of time this way than I head back to the camp to find Luke sitting by the fire with Alex and Doc.
Darkness has already engulfed the land rest is likely.
I walk up to Luke, "I won't take the armor from you right now for it's a long and dangerous road. I made a promise to take you home and no matter how much I want to drop you on your ass right now I won't, I will hold my promise, I am a knight."
"However if you're going to ride about with us playing the part of a knight, liking the attention you gain, you will behave yourself like one, you will not whine and complain of anything, you will take the day as it is and except it. You will pull your weight by taking watch, setting up and taking down camp and such. You will before speaking or acting, whether in a town or on the road, you will think first and if unsure if it is appropriate or not, you will ask Doc, Sir Alex or me first before acting."
The emphasis on the Sir part was evident for he deserves the respect for a knight, a real knight, the things that he does for others without thought for himself.
Part of me expected Alex to say something to me about the way I went off on Luke, I know it went agents the concept of our code. Isn't a knight supposed to lead by example not by word or force and yet I just did that exactly.
Yet he didn't say anything. Maybe he agreed with me or maybe he didn't, maybe he just figured it wasn't his place, I don't know. My biggest fear in Alex, or anyone else knowing about me, was whether he likes me, or go along with things I say or do, because they agree or fear me.
For the first time Luke took watch and to be frank I was less than enthusiastic about it, after all he hadn't done it before ever that I ever seen. Let's face it Luke was helpless, pathetically helpless. What would happen to us all if something attacked during the night? Luke couldn't fight anything, hell thus far every time a fight came up at all Luke hid like a weak child.
For a while I just lay there on my bed role as everything that could possibly happen ran its way thru my head.
"You seem to have a sleeping problem," Alex says as he leaned up on one arm and looked over at me.
"And your feeling perfectly content in sleeping," I asked?
He lay there and pulled me closer to him, "maybe I have a cure for that."
"Oh you're really think that is a resolution for this," I asked him and he laughed.
"That is not what I meant," he says, "I meant let's get some sleep together, you know, like old times, at the academy when we couldn't sleep alone."
"Oh," I said.
Maybe he had a point for it wasn't long before I was asleep in his arms.
Somehow we lived through the night and were up early in the morning picking up camp together to get ready for the day's journey.
We knew very well with every step we took we were getting closer and closer to coalition territory and it was rather dangerous for some of us more than the rest. This war definitely wasn't helping either, the danger of a fight I would say had increased for tensions were heightened, more monsters it would seem had come out of the woods, people seemed more edgy altogether.
Truly I don't think Tolkien was much better, I mean I don't think fighting for control was a good idea for anyone really.
"I say we travel as long as we can without stopping," Alex says looking my way, I don't think I know what he was thinking or if he was thinking what I was thinking or not. "If that means that we travel through the night without stopping to make camp or sleep, let's just get through this."
"Sure," I say.
It seems that sometimes I look at Alex and I feel I know him, really know him, others I don't know really, I'm not real sure if he and I really know each other at all.
Over the next week we pass a caravan or two leaving the territory for safer land and I find myself wondering just how bad it could really have gotten if they feel they need safer land, than again is there any such thing really as safer land? Ok maybe there is one place but even in a pocket dimension we can't fit everyone, but yes the cyber-knight academy is safer.
More than once I lay awake after yet another nightmare plagues my sleep and I don't really understand it, I mean I had thought I had figured it out and I was ok, I guess I'm never really ok.
The death of those I love I don't think I will ever get over even when I eventually do see it for myself in the waking hour.
Does it mean anything at all really or not, if ever there was something I wished I understood it was this one thing.
"You know babe," Alex says as we are sitting out by the fire rather early one morning. I had taken the first watch and Alex took the second, than I woke after another dream to go sit out there by the fire. I know he was starting to get concerned about me. "Maybe it's nothing, maybe you're just getting overly stressed about this war or even about the dreams in general. You know stress really can affect your mind when you rest, for whatever reasons I don't think you're letting yourself rest fully."
"Maybe," I said, I just couldn't get my mind away from the idea that there was more to this than even I had realized just yet.
Then finally as we come across a rather large wall that surrounds a town larger than I would have expected. There are two psi-stalkers and a dog boy standing guard, though I get the impression right away that very close by there are stronger and more powerful men ready to fight if need be.
I looked over at Luke and could help but wonder how much audacity he really had.
"Wait a minute," I say, "this is home, the oh so small village you were heading home to?"
The way he had described it the farming community barely contained a tavern or inn, yet here before us stood a medium size town with armored guards and everything. Then again I suppose he was rather stuck up wasn't he, that wasn't something that usually came out of a small town.
"halt," one of the psi-stalkers said, I'm not real sure, I think it's a female only I'm not real sure, it maybe be just a really feminine man, "show me your weaponry."
Without a moment of hesitation Doc opens his jacket to show his guns, though by now I know that by far there not all of his guns. From the look on his face I also know that he is far from happy that she is showing those few gun's, or maybe he just wanted her, oh I hope it's a her, to think he wasn't happy about it.
You know diary maybe sometimes I over analyze things?
Easily Alex does the same thing, show what other weaponry he has, and she looks at me, all I carry really is my psi-sword.
"no fighting, no use of weaponry in town, no funny business at all," she says looking more my way than at the men, "the punishment for braking one or more of these here rules is in our jail cell and in our work train you hear me?"
"Yes ma'am," Doc says and now I really hope with everything in me he is right.
Luke's only family, his little sister, lives just on the other side of the town, just on what would be considered the out skirts. We ride on threw the town seeing a few adventuring type roaming about in the town from one tavern to another the way we done seen in every good sized town we ever been in before.
We ride up on the small farm, a single story dwelling that looks sweet and comfortable to me. Much like my mother's home there is a lush green lawn with two trees and a few bushes about making it look well cared for. Up by the porch I can see without looking hard, the porch swing, and off to the side clothes hang on the line.
Luke has barely climbed down from his horse when he starts calling, "Margret," he looks are way, a big smile on his face, and he speaks quieter yet animated still, "she's probably not expecting company, even me right now, not after all this time."
"Last I heard," he gushes to us, "my brother-in-law got caught in the cross fire of some fight and he died, he left her alone. The moment I got word I knew I had to come home, I knew we were all each other got anymore."
Alex, Doc and I all climbed off our horses and tide them up as we looked about not really knowing what we would be expecting.
"Margret," Luke called once more as a rather pretty woman with long strait dark hair, it was long enough to reach down her back, came around the side of the house holding a sheet she must have just pulled off a line. The red and white patterned dress she wore was shaped in a way that showed off her belly, the only real part of her that looked pregnant at all, though it was very obvious.
"Luke," she said with great surprise in her face.
"Margret," Luke said, he touches her belly, than holder her to him lovingly, there was an obvious love, a deep caring that my brothers and I had never shared.
"What are you doing here," she asked him. She didn't seem to be at all curious about the armor he wore or even us standing there with him, it was as if she expected it somehow. I had to stop and wonder just how long it had been that he has had the armor or what it was he had told his sister about it.
"Oh Margret, I'm so sorry about Joshua, I hurried home as soon as I heard."
She looked away a moment as her lips quivered and her eyes filled up with tears.
"Margret I'm so sorry," he said.
Alex, Doc, and I exchange a few glances, "so got any siblings," I asked?
"Once upon a time a long long time ago," Alex says, "I guess we got along fine, than again it has been a long time."
Doc looked away without a word and I had to wonder if he kept as much from me that as I kept from him.
"You," Alex asked and I looked at him, "ok yeah we had this conversation before huh,"
"Two brothers from my mother," I say, "I can honestly say we didn't get along at all, or they got along ok but I wasn't a part of it, then again they were actually convinced I was some orphan taken in or something just not their sister. As far as my father goes I really don't know I may have other siblings."
For whatever reason Luke looked our way, "I'm sorry I'm being rude."
I wanted to laugh in the worst way, the way he said it as if he hadn't been rude from the moment we met him.
"Margret," Luke says, "these nice people have been kind enough to help me home even with talk of this war and all."
"Well hello," she says turning our way more and smiling warmly.
"This is Doc, Sir Alex, and Lady Kassandra," Luke said, "guys my sister Margret. Like I said, for most of our lives we have been all each other has had, I guess with Joshua gone and all we are again."
"Well that was before my brother here went off to become a big hero," Margret says and once again I'm holding my tongue and my laughter.
The way she looked at him, to pride when she said it I had to wonder if it had to do with why he kept the armor in the first place, because seeing him in it, a big important cyber-knight and all, made her proud of him in a way. Then again maybe he was slightly jealous of this Joshua and the attention his sister gave him and seeing him as some hero, at least in Luke's eyes, made him feel more important to his sister. After all Luke himself just said that they had been all each other had right? I suppose another man coming into the picture and stealing the attentions of his sister must have been disconcerting to Luke in a way.
"He did," Alex said looking over at Luke for a moment.
"Oh please come and sit down," she says as she ushers us all into the house and into the living room. "I'm sure it was a long trip; let me get you some tea or lemonade or something."
The house was definitely lovely from the outside in. we sat on the couch, Alex, Doc and I, together, as Luke insisted that his sister sit too, in a chair, while he went off to get us all something to drink.
"Tell me everything," she asked when he came back.
"Oh there really isn't that much to tell," Luke says, "if you will excuse me I think I will go clean up a bit, put on some regular clothes for a change."
"Now Luke that isn't entirely true you know," I said and he looked at me expecting I was going to call him on everything in front of his sister. Truth be told I think Doc and Alex expected it also. "we just came from killing off a group of Vampires down south west, before that we fought a t-rex and Luke nearly saved my butt, before that, well we met up fighting off some creatures attacking a caravan."
Hay I'm not a heartless bitch, yes I am upset at Luke for the lies he told us and the things he did or didn't do, but he just wanted to make his sister see him as good. Hell in the last two weeks sense I confronted him he has been different, maybe he actually changed some.
Doc just looked at me, than again so did Alex, and Luke.
"You know I think we should be going," Alex says, "it has been a long trip and I think we could use some showers of our own and start planning out our next step."
"No I won't hear of it," Margret says, "its late in the day you can't seriously be thinking of heading out of town already. Stay the night at least, let me get you something to eat and some rest. It's the least I can do after bringing my brother back to me."
"That really isn't necessary," I said.
"Nonsense," Luke says, "we have two guest rooms, after everything you have done for me I can't just let you go off to the inn to stay."
Reluctantly we stayed and Luke showed us to the guest rooms before he went off to clean up the way he had said he was going to.
"That was unexpected of you," Alex said as I was getting out of the shower in the guest bath room and I jumped.
"Don't you ever make noise when you sneak up on a girl," I asked and he laughed.
"It kind of defies the idea of sneaking up on a person does it not," he says.
I wrapped a towel around myself and headed into the room I would be sharing with Alex so that Doc had his own room, than again let's face it, it's where he would have ended up anyhow.
"Whatever," I said, "now what was that about unexpected?"
"Well from the moment I showed up, with the t-rex and all, you have been angry at that man, now you lied saying he was helpful."
"Oh come on he is just trying to feel like he is something," I said, "haven't you ever in all of your life felt the need to prove yourself to someone, anyone, a parent or a girl or I don't know whoever trained you."
"Sounds like maybe you understand," he says.
"I can't help that all of my life all I wanted was for my mother and the tin man she married to see me, not what I am but who I am, so yes I understand in a way," I said.
"The Tin man," he says.
"He got cybernetics after some big fight," I said looking away from the one man I should have been the most honest with. Why was it that I could give him my body, my heart even, I could tell him who my father was, confess to him what I was yet I still kept so much from him, "like half of him I guess, part of his face, and arm, a leg, his humanity."
"You want to talk about it?"
I didn't even look his way as I thought about the man who made my life hell growing up. No I wasn't the same person as I had been than, or at least I tell myself that, I think I have told myself that same thing nearly every day sense I left home.
"Kass," Alex said, he lifted my chin and looked into my eyes.
"I'm fine," I said and I pull out of his touch and turn away again, "I just understand a little ok,"
"You know that nothing matters right," he tells me.
"Yeah," I say, "I have a family that love me, my father, Athena, Hermes, the people I have in my life, I know. Look it wasn't that ok, I'm alive right, I just get it."
"Ok," he said.
Seeing Luke out of armor was a sight, he was probably the scrawniest man I have ever seen, not a real muscle on his body. He was standing in the kitchen cooking some dinner as Margret sat at the table.
"I'm pregnant Luke not an invalid you know," she complained with a smile.
"There is no good reason why you have to cook I'm perfectly capable of doing it myself," he told her.
"Tell me was my big brother here as much of a pain on the road," she asked.
"You bet your ass," Doc says and Luke chuckled.
The meal he made was rather nice, a salad with fresh greens and tomato's, stakes, baked potatoes, bread, and some wine from the shelf of wines. I think the only one who didn't drink was Margret.
After diner we put the horses in the barn for some fresh hay and soon went to bed.
I don't think I had been asleep an hour when I woke to the sound of loud crying.
"What do you suppose that was," I say looking at Alex who was already up and pulling his pants on.
"I'll find out," he says.
I get up and pull my clothes back on too.
"Should I stay behind you," I tease and he laughed.
In the hall we meet Doc who looks as if he had been ripped from sleep also, and a nervous Luke comes rushing our way.
"I don't know what to do," Luke said our way, "its Margret, the baby is coming, I don't know what to do."
"Well Doc," I said with an emphasis on the Doctor part.
"Wrong type of Doctor Lady," he says looking at me.
"Oh it can't be that different," I say. "What about you Alex, in a hundred and whatever years you must have seen at least one birth."
"Alright everyone lets go have a baby together," Doc said, "I'm sure between Alex and I we can do this."
"What can I do," I asked
"Pray to the goddess of childbearing if you will," Alex says.
"Wait there is a goddess for that," I asked, "or is it one of those things that like most goddesses are for, will Athena work."
"You really need to learn your gods," Alex teased.
It took the rest of the night and into the next day but we somehow managed to bring Margret's baby boy into the world.
It would seem that both mother and baby were fine, Luke I'm not sure about. I found him outside sitting on the porch with his head in his hands.
"I would think you would be ecstatic," I say, "your home, your sister is pleased to see you, you have a new nephew you helped bring into the world."
"I don't know how to thank you for everything you have done," he says, "all I was was a pain to you and you made me out to be the hero to her, I don't think I have ever met anyone like you before."
"I don't need any thanks," I said, "just be good, ok, take care of that little boy in there and be a good uncle to him, maybe even come off your high horse enough to find yourself a woman and start your own family too."
"I take it you will be leaving soon," he says.
"Doc and Alex are ready to be going and so am I to be honest," I say, "besides you have your hands full here don't you think? I do believe that your sister will need you over the next few days or months, to help with the baby so she can rest up some too."
"I'll help her with whatever she will let me," he says.
Soon we were riding up to the tavern to stop and eat. To me both Doc and Alex are again acting strangely and I can't help but wonder just where their heads are right now.
"So are you going to tell me or make me guess," I asked?
"Kass," Alex says, "I have to do this, I'm sorry but this war, I know you feel you have no place in it, I know that Coake has given instruction to stay out and you need to obey that, but I have to go in, I have to try and help somehow."
"You're leaving," I said.
"I'm going too," Doc said, "Alex and I talked about it, I'll go in with him; see what good we can get done together."
"Oh," I said looking away from them both as Angry Bears words once again go through my head, knowing good and well that we will part many times over our lives and I had to understand that the wind is caring us in different directions right now. I know good and well I shouldn't be upset and I am trying very hard not to be.
"Kass," Alex says.
"No," I said, "its fine, besides there is something I need to do, something I have meant to do for a while now and it would be best if I did it alone anyhow."
"Are you sure," Doc asked knowing that he knew I was thinking of heading home alone after everything I had said or was told.
"Yeah," I said, "oh come on it won't be the first or last time I was alone, or that I have parted ways with Alex, I doubt it will be the last time I part ways with you either Doc."
We got rooms for the night and I lay there in bed with Alex feeling the strength in his arms, the softness of his touch, one last time before day takes over and we have to rise and shower before gathering our things and heading down to eat one last meal together.
"Now Kassie are you sure you don't want to go with us," Doc asked one last time as we were climbing up on the horses and leaving town.
"Yes I'm sure," I said, "I know I can't go in there is just no place in the war for me."
For a day we ride together until we have to go our separate ways than I travel alone to the one place I know I'll find the most trouble for myself, home.