Welladay! Isn't this fun? I just love writing this story, just love it…
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Chapter 6: Farrah
Only a fool could not see it. But they didn't. Oh, yes, you could see it in the way Rowan spent more time as a Diataur than in his natural form, the way he seemed to be reciting soppy love poetry over and over in his head. You could see it in the way Farrah acted like a proper and polite lady, in the way she laughed at his lame jokes. Jaunne thought it was disgusting.
"It's repulsive! And the most ironic thing is that the only people who don't know they're in love is themselves!" Jaunne recited her litany to Tekkiake one morning. "They spent more time mooning over each other than they do working! It's a disgusting waste of time!"
Tekkiake's face was emotionless. "Since when were you anti-love?"
"Since when were you pro for it!?! You're half stormsing, Tekk, you're supposed to not give a damn about how other people feel."
Tekkiake suddenly looked angry. "If I didn't care how other people felt, then why the hell would I be helping you? Why the hell wouldn't I seduce Rowan and every fucking male in this Palace before laughing my ass off at you all, and flying the hell out of here? Why wouldn't I just say, 'screw it all!' and not even give a shit about what happens to that slut of a mother of mine? Maybe you should care more, your Imperial Majesty!"
And with that odd display of temper, Tekkiake opened the window, changed into hawk and flew away. She usually didn't do that, she hated using her magic. Tekkiake had power over any animal that flew, including immortals. Her outstretched wings catching warm thermals, she tried to relax. But she couldn't help thinking about how Jaunne's words had hit home. Every minute was a struggle, trying to defy herself. Jaunne didn't, couldn't, know the cravings of her stormsing blood. She wanted to do exactly what she had described to Jaunne, just surrender to her nature and not give a damn. But she did care, that was the problem.
The only way to let it out was through fighting. Battle. But even then, her human nature balked, wanted to throw up all that damage she'd done. Tekk didn't understand Jaunne's bloodthirstiness, that passion for war. Trying to defy herself, every day, every hour, every minute, every second- it took half her energy. She would give all her powers, all her status, even flight… she'd give all of that up just to be human.
***
Narrated by Farrah
I don't know if he likes me. If he cares. He'd probably like me even less if he knew my past. My mother is a whore in deerskin. My father… well, to put it politely, he's a bit simple. More frankly, the village idiot and a blubbering dunderpot. All my life I've been hunted. They wanted me for some collection, like the Golden Fleece or something. I can't run as fast as other deer because my human torso is not only heavy, it isn't the best for aerodynamics. They also think it's a great (and only, I hope) opportunity to see a woman's chest bare. But come on, do you know how silly I look with clothing? I have no problem with going au naturel. Stormsings do it. Centaurs do it. I'm just another half man, half beast thing.
Back to the point. Jaunne's against me having any interest in Rowan, it's obvious, but that's just Jaunne. She's got quite a trail of men following her around, and some of them really like her, they don't just want to marry her and be Emperor. She acts like they don't exist. Sometimes I wonder if she realizes…
***
Normal Narration
"Okay, Aran, what you do is visualize it. You have to make a firm picture of it in your head, and believe it's going to happen. You have to want it to happen. Try seeing that pebble just crack down the middle. No explosions, nothing violent. Just crack it."
Tekkiake was teaching Arandiall the use of his Gift, while being overseen by Jaunne. Tekkiake didn't actually have any Gift, but she was better with children than Jaunne, so she was put to his teaching while Jaunne advised her.
A little boom, and the pebble spoken of was split in two, the pieces flying in two different directions.
"Good, Arandiall. Now-"
Tekkiake was cut off by a tired and bloody messenger running up to them at full speed.
"Your Imperial Majesty," he panted.
"Speak," she commanded.
"Yes ma'am. Soldiers- the enemy's, attacking. Treachery. They're attacking the secondary base."
"How many?" Jaunne snapped.
"About eight hundred, all told." He was nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
Jaunne pushed him out of the way, making a brisk pace towards the Palace.
"You there- Captain Kenderl- start plan 5A. Archers spread out- in bloody trees if you have to. Spearmen in the front ranks- wedge formation." Jaunne was jogging now, almost at a run.
She already had her normal battle gear on, all she had to do was don her chain mail tunic and helmet, as well as her yellow cape that marked her as the Hornet Queen. Buckling her sword belt on, she stuck two daggers in each of her sleeves. Going out to the insect corral area, she mounted her favourite, a massive black beetle almost the size of an elephant.
She went at a beetle's version of a gallop- arriving at the secondary base in less than an hour. Spotting her troops, she rode to she front yelling a blood-curdling war cry, causing her soldiers to attack with renewed vigor, cutting the enemy in two. She jumped off her beetle and waded into the fray, attacking all who dared strike her. A spiked mace swung over her head; she ducked and ran through the attacker. In the fight she lost one dagger to a horseman, giving him a stab when her sword was tied up with another. He staggered back, taking the dagger with him.
Then she saw one face; time seemed to freeze in place. She saw the brown tresses swaying in the breeze, escaped from under her helmet. The soft eyes, the cruel smile. The woman saw her.
"Mother?" she said weakly. "Why aren't you with the archers? You were really good at that, and couldn't fence if your life depended on it…" Jaunne realized that she was spouting nonsense.
Her mother pulled off the helmet, a figure of beauty. "So, we meet, daughter. It seems not long ago that I made love to Kaddar and produced a spiky, yellow-haired babe."
"I vowed to kill you."
"Who wouldn't? Since you obviously had my warrior spirit, and we both failed to kill our greatest enemies. I remember, so long ago, I found that odious uncle of Kaddar- Emperor Ozorne, as it were- guilty of a whole pile of shit- but I could never kill him. I was weak."
"Oh yes, weak enough to have affairs with a stormsing, a deer, and that bloody boyfriend of yours," Jaunne spat. "You fucking killed him- and sweet-talk him with your smooth words into believing that you love him."
"Numair was trusting," she said thoughtfully, "But not wrong. I do love him, you know that? I never wanted to marry Kaddar. It was a marriage of state."
"What about Tekkiake?" Jaunne demanded. "She's going to be hurt all her life because you screwed a fucking stormsing and then abandoned her."
Daine laughed. "Jaunne, my dear girl. Do you really think I could resist the seductive powers of a stormsing? No, I think not. I was half-mad at the time, and fully mad by the time I met that stag. I have so much more Wild Magic than you do, childling, far more than that repulsive thing you have with bugs. It invaded my self, I forgot I was human."
"Then what about me? Why did you abandon your child? And for crying out loud, why did you abandon Arandiall after taking care of him for five years?" Jaunne was breaking down.
"Girl, you know so much, and yet nothing at all. You were the heir, do you think I would risk you to Kaddar? He would use you, if he ever found me. I was young, Jaunne, I was yet a teenager. As for Arandiall… Do you know how dangerous his Wild Magic is, along with his Gift? Aran is… evil. He drives people insane, just on a whim. I would have killed him, except for that bloody sentimental Numair wouldn't let me. Maybe because Aran takes after him." She paused. "I did what was right, and you know it."
Jaunne was furious. "How could you, you bitch! He fucking loved you, he is your child, from the man you supposedly loved! I bet he cried himself to sleep every night, then built up a wall around himself, never letting anyone close, just so he would never be hurt like that again!"
Jaunne was shaking from rage, color mounting in her face. "Die, bitch! Die like the scum you are, the mother that abandoned me! I hate you! I have no mother!"
Jaunne lunged forward, catching Daine unawares. Her sword went straight through her stomach, and out the other end. Daine looked surprised, glancing down at the blade in her belly. Then she smiled. Only someone completely insane would smile. Daine dropped to the ground, and Jaunne stood up, holding her blood-covered blade. She barely even noticed when a spear stabbed her in the back.
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Ooh, isn't that nice! I think that is one of the best pieces of writing I have ever done… Remember, R/R!