Chapter Fifty-One: The Time To Stand Is Drawing Near

Toria, Marya, and Arlina had sequestered themselves in an unused
closet in the Calmagian castle, praying fervently to Orchida and the ancestors
to protect their people in battle. The other Astorians had left them food
outside of the closet, for them to eat at certain times of the day, but other
than taking those meals, and coming out to use the lavatories nearby, the three
Priestesses would not come out of the closet. The Astorians did not disturb
them, nor did they allow anyone else to either. They knew that the three holy
women would come out when they felt that they were ready to.

All of the Astorian men and women who had been trained to fight were
training and sparring to build up their skills in the short time that they had
before they would have to eventually face down Frieza's fighters. The Calmagian
men were training hard also to fight Frieza's forces. The Calmagian army and
police force trained separately from the Astorians, who had taken over the back
fields and several low mountains under the dome as their training grounds.

Rojal and Dedron were titillated that they were finally going to be
in their first real battle, and if they were afraid, they did not show it.
Rojal and Dedron trained intensively with each other for many hours on end,
hoping to eventually have their "Awakenings", so that they could increase their
strength fivefold. On a few days, they had stayed in one of the gravity rooms
from sundown to sunset, not even stopping to eat. Rojal was handsome now, an
attractive muscular version of his mother; he had her brown hair and his
father's green eyes. Many of the Clan of Chloe females and female servants
found him attractive, and they were all paying court to him, but Rojal
acknowledged none of them. His main focus was becoming the mightiest, strongest
warrior in the Clan of Chloe and Astoria.

Dedron was blond like his mother, but he had his father's dark blue
eyes, and he was heftier than Rojal, but the same height as him. Dedron had
shaved all of his blond hair off, deciding that his hair would get in his way.
Most of the Clan of Chloe females avoided him, fearing his monstrous temper and
nasty attitude. Tayka especially held him in fear after his throwing her off of
a bathhouse roof, and Tila empathized with her, so both sisters gave Dedron a
wide berth. Dedron loved to give the younger, smaller, weaker children a hard
time, particularly Tayla, Riccan, and Riccan's siblings. Well, he used to give
Tayla and Riccan a hard time, but lately even Riccan had been able to stand up
to Dedron and force him to leave him alone. And as for Tayla, Dedron despised
her, but he no longer dared to tangle with her until he was certain that he was
strong enough to do so. He was twice Tayla's size, but he only had a little
over half of her power. Dedron now reserved his bullying these days to the
other young children when the adults weren't around to keep him in line. Dedron
did as he pleased; the only things that he truly cared about was training and
becoming stronger.

He rarely acknowledged Petalia these days, but he never harassed
her, seeing that she was his sister and fellow hater of their adulteress mother,
Farla, who had abandoned them. Dedron was not only angry with Farla, for
abandoning them, but at Cletos for not seeming to care whether he and Petalia
lived or died.

Petalia was watching him and Rojal admiringly from a bench, as the
two young men fought fiercely. Dedron suspected that Petalia had come out to
watch Rojal more than him, but that was all right; perhaps if she and Rojal were
to ever marry, Dedron would have a more secure position in the governing of
Astoria. Dedron briefly and indifferently wondered if Rojal knew of Petalia's
interest in him, and then he shrugged it off. He had more important things to
worry about.

Like proving himself in battle.




The courtyard.

Tayla and Riccan had been sparring for a good two hours now, and
Tayla could see that Riccan's strength and stamina was almost catching up with
hers. Riccan, like Tayla, didn't tire easily, and he was a good match for her
as a sparring and training partner. Tayla taught Riccan a few new punches and
kicks she had learned while she was at Kami Orchida's, and Riccan was thrilled.
He envied Tayla, for surely she would be allowed to fight. He said as much to
Tayla, after successfully dodging one of her punches.

"That's up to Nama," Tayla told him, as she blocked one of his kicks
with her small hand. "She still hasn't made a decision yet, but Dirkan has been
training me anyway."

"Are you scared, Tayla?" Riccan asked sincerely.

"A little," Tayla admitted; she was still disturbed that Frieza
would still be after her. She was just a young girl, but Frieza already wanted
her as a fighter? The thought of being forced to leave her family and work for
Frieza had given her several nightmares. She could now pick up on the ki, the
strange strong ki of several of Frieza's minions. Tayla had been alarmed
yesterday, when she had detected Vegeta's ki; that meant Vegeta and his comrades
were after her as well. Tayla did not feel up to fighting Vegeta again, but she
would, if she had to. Vegeta and the others were still hundreds of miles away
from Magan, but that did not make Tayla and her family any less worried. They
could arrive in Magan in less than a week.

"I wish I was allowed to fight," Riccan declared fiercely. "It
seems that I'll never get old enough to fight! Why does Mamma have to treat me
like a baby?"

"She just wants you to be safe, and you are still considered to be
too young," Tayla told him gently, with the air of an older sister. "I'm sure
that you'll get your chance to fight in a few years. Until then, you should
just enjoy being a child."

"I'm tired of being a child," Riccan snapped, "I want to be a man
and fight and win over my enemies the way that you and the others have. I want
to be strong like you; you said that I could be as strong as you, and I hate
being only nine-years-old! I hate that Mamma and Pappa won't let me fight, and
I hate that Great-Nama won't make them change their minds!" Riccan took his
anger out on an ornamental tree, and he blasted it into splinters with a small
ki blast.

"Easy, Riccan," Tayla told him calmly.

"I want to fight!" Riccan cried at her in frustration, and Tayla
noticed the tears of aggravation forming in the corners of his eyes. Tayla
noticed how much he looked like his father, for Riccan had the same golden hair
and dark green eyes of his father. He looked at Tayla with despair in his eyes.

"Tayla, can't you talk to Great-Nama and get her to let me fight?"
Riccan pleaded. "I'm strong enough now; I know I am! I won't get in the way; I
just want to help! Nama will listen to you: I know that she will! She can make
Mamma and Pappa let me fight! How am I ever going to get to be a warrior, if no
one lets me fight?"

Tayla was quiet; she herself thought that Riccan was a fine fighter
already, but she also agreed with Gracina that he was too young to put himself
in danger. Frieza's minions that were coming to Calmag had already proven to be
stronger and more troublesome than even Vegeta and the other Saiyans.

"Please? Promise me Seven Moons Oath?"

Tayla sighed. She looked sadly at Riccan and said, "I can't promise
Seven Moons Oath on that Riccan, but I will mention it to Nama. I don't even
know if I will be allowed to fight them myself; Nama and Dirkan haven't decided
yet. Maybe you can demonstrate in front of her or something. No promises
though, Riccan, okay?"

Riccan nodded, grateful that someone would at least try to help him.
He tried to stand up tall and proud for his height; he was already as tall as
Tayla, and it would be likely that he would become taller and broader than her
someday. Riccan still had much growing to do. Tayla herself was still not very
tall; she was only four-feet, seven inches tall, and the healers said that she
probably would not grow any higher than five feet or so. Tayla and Riccan
didn't like that they were still short, especially since most of their peers
were already five-feet tall or more. Rojal and Dedron always taunted them about
their small sizes, even though Dirkan had assured both her and Riccan that size
didn't always matter. Tayla then wondered if her small size was the real reason
why Nama was debating about letting her fight.

She took Riccan's hand, and told him to follow her to Nama and
Dirkan's room, and Riccan reluctantly followed her, hoping that Tayla would have
some influence with his Great-Nama.


"Father, is Mamma going to be happy with you fighting again?" Kekron
asked his father, who had been practicing in the training room of the Roccon,
the Astorian ship that the Astorians had come to Calmag in. Raakon had not yet
told Natala that he was planning to fight with his family; he just hoped that
she would understand why he was once again going into battle. Raakon could not
practice on as high a gravity level as he would have liked, for Kekron was in
the gravity room with him. Kekron was relieved that he was not a warrior; he
was no coward, but he did not like fighting at all.

Raakon sighed, "I haven't exactly told her yet, son; I hope that she will
understand."

Kekron told him, "She's coming here now to bring you some lunch.
Don't worry, I didn't tell her that you were training yet."

Raakon nodded, noticing his stomach growl. "Thanks son. It will be alright;
your mother and I will work things out."

At that moment, Natala's silvery voice echoed throughout the ship.
"Raakon? Kekron?"

Raakon turned off the gravity, and he and Kekron left the room to meet with her.
Natala's happy expression grew solemn when she noticed that Raakon had on his
old uniform and armor. Then her lovely face grew resigned, and she smiled
sadly. "You're going to be fighting with the others, aren't you," she said as a
statement, not a question.

Raakon tried to look his wife that he had been married to for sixteen years, but
it was hard for him to. Finally he looked at her and nodded, shamefacedly.

Natala grew wistful. "I suspected as much," she told him quietly.

Raakon told her calmly, "I can't refuse to go, my dear. Our family
needs me, Tayla needs me, and they all need me to fight. Natala, you know that
we can't afford not to fight against Frieza's minions. We're fighting for our
lives, the Calmagian lives, Tayla's welfare and safety, and our right to live in
peace." He looked at her sadly, pleadingly. "Natala, I know that I swore to
you and Mamma Seven Moons Oath that I would live a life of peace, but I've
realized that because I value life so much, that I have to fight to protect it.
Almost twenty years ago, I didn't think that I could ever take lives or fight
again; I thought that I couldn't live with myself if I fought and took lives.
Now I don't think that I could live with myself, if I didn't fight for what I
thought was right. Our Clan is depending on every one with fighting abilities
to help them, and I can't abandon them."

He took Natala's hands in his, his eyes begging her to understand.
His next words were going to be difficult to say, but he knew that they would
have to be said. He had quietly made this decision, and he had already
discussed it with his grandmother and Dirkan, and they had been pleased. Nama
had asked him what Natala was going to think, and he told her and Dirkan that he
would definitely have to discuss it with Natala before he made a final decision.

"Natala," he told her quietly, "I went to Nama and Dirkan yesterday,
and I already talked about this with them, but I told them that I would talk to
you about what I was thinking before I made a final decision."

Natala was afraid of what Raakon was going to say next, but she had
vowed many years ago to support him, no matter what he chose to do. "What are
you about to do?"

Raakon said slowly, "Natala, I have to go fight with the others for
this battle, but this next decision you will have a say in. If you don't want
me to do this next thing, then I won't, but I hope that you will understand and
support me." He took a deep breath and said, "I want to become a healior again,
a warrior as well as a healer. I can't afford the luxury of sitting on the
sidelines any longer while my family fights."

Natala was quiet for several minutes, wrestling with Raakon's words.
She didn't like the idea of Raakon fighting and killing again and Raakon knew
it, but Natala also knew that her husband was a fine warrior. She didn't want
him to fight again, and she didn't want to lose him, but she couldn't ignore
what he was saying, or the voice of her conscience.

She threw her arms around him and wept into his neck.
"Raakon," she whispered, "I don't want to lose you." Raakon embraced her
tightly, holding her close.

"But," she said finally, "if you feel that you have to go back to
being a healior, a warrior as well as a healer, I will support you. If you feel
that you have to fight again, I will stand behind you. I just want you to come
back to me; I don't want to lose you."

Raakon smiled slowly at her. "You don't object?"

Natala said with a sob, "I still would rather not have you fight,
but I think that I knew deep down in my heart that you would one day have to
again. I still would rather you stay out of warring, but I will go along with
whatever you feel that you have to do. Just don't die, okay? Don't let me lose
you."

Raakon smiled wider then, as he drew her to him and kissed her.
"I'll do everything within my power to come home to you, my love." He then
whispered in her ear, "Thanken fro understanden," he said, telling her, "Thank
you for understanding," in Astorian.

"Welcomen," she told him softly, "Comen backi tomen." (Come back to
me.)

Raakon kissed her softly, gently, with a relieved Kekron standing
there watching them. He discreetly crept out of the ship and went outside.





Two hours later in the back fields behind the castle.

Cletos had been training with Bajal and Lektron for an hour now, as
the three men waited for Raakon to join them. They were pleased to learn that
Raakon would be joining them in fighting Frieza's minions. Cletos could not
seem to keep up with Bajal and Lektron today, for Tayla's harsh words to him on
the day that he and the others had caught her with Ridikar echoed in his mind:

Who is protecting and looking after your children? Dedron almost
hates you, and he's mean to everyone, and Petalia thinks that you don't love her
anymore! You are hurting them; it's not their fault Farla left! They think
that it's their fault, and you haven't convinced them otherwise!

Cletos could not fully focus on training for thoughts of his teenage
children kept popping in his mind. He thought of them when they had been small
children, of chubby little Dedron first practicing with a sword, of cute little
Petalia just learning to fly. Cletos at one time had a soft spot in his heart
for Petalia, for Petalia had resembled his beautiful Farla, and then Farla
had-had-no, he couldn't think of it. Why had Farla left him like this, all
alone with two nearly grown children that he barely acknowledged? Four or five
years from now they both would probably be married, well Petalia probably would
be anyway; Dedron was too acrimonious and nasty for any girl to come near right
now. Cletos wondered briefly why Dedron was the way he was towards everyone; he
had never been that nasty and cruel towards him, had he?

Cletos then noticed a handkerchief that fell out of his pocket, a
silken cloth embroidered with the Clan of Chloe rose crest. He then remembered
that Petalia had made it for him; she always seemed to look after him, even
though he had never really thanked her for her efforts. He then moved away
from Bajal and Lektron, who were too busy in their own sparring match to pay him
much notice, and leaned over to pick up the handkerchief. He noticed some
strange writing embroidered on the back of the cloth, words that he had never
read before now; when Petalia had given the handkerchief to him, he just nodded
a thank you and stuffed it in his pocket. He now read the words:

From your Petals, who will always love you.

Cletos smiled briefly, remembering that he had used to call his
daughter Petals when Petalia had been a little girl. Then Tayla's words once
again came back to haunt him…

They think they you don't love them anymore…

Cletos was near tears once again. Then, he brushed the forming
tears away and politely excused himself from Bajal and Lektron.

"What's the excuse?" Lektron asked.

Cletos sighed resignedly, "I have to do something important,
something that I should have done years ago."

Bajal was puzzled. "What's that?"

"Let my children know that I love them."




The dungeons of the Calmagian castle

"You're much cleverer than I gave you credit for."

"Why thank you, I appreciate compliments."

"I appreciate that we are going to escape from this sinkhole they
call a dungeon. I never thought that I, Alberm Dunlop of Rendor, would be
imprisoned here. Stupid Caline and Tayla; this is their entire fault! I'll get
both of them, if it's the last thing I do!"

"If I can't get us out of here, it may not be the last thing that
you do because you will have been executed," Reccor told him sharply. "If my
plan doesn't work, then we are both done for, but to tell you the truth, I'd
rather face that Calmagian firing squad than I would Lord Frieza. We have to
get out of here and warn him that the Astorians now know of his minions'
arrival."

"He will have our heads," Alberm pouted, as he stomped around the
dirty, web-encrusted cell that he and Reccor had been imprisoned in. Reccor had
discovered that several bars on their prison cell door were loose, and he and
Alberm had been working fervently for an hour to remove some of them, so that
they could escape. Unfortunately, the bars had held firmer than they thought,
so Reccor had come up with a backup plan.

He remembered Alberm telling him about the labyrinths below the
planet's surface, so he and Alberm had managed to dig a hole, using their dinner
spoons into the dirt floor of the prison cell. When one of the spoons hit
metal, Alberm rejoiced, for he knew that he had hit a roof above the labyrinths.
Reccor cleverly had managed to steal a laser gun from one of the guards who had
been standing near the cell. The Arlian spy had done it so quickly and subtlety
that the guard had not noticed his weapon missing until he went upstairs for
dinner.

When they were certain that they were alone in their cell, without the guards
around, Reccor blasted a hole in the bottom of the cell, using the laser gun.
The gun caused a small explosion, creating the giant hole that busted open the
labyrinth roof and dirt floor, a hole wide enough for Reccor and Alberm to
escape to. Both men were thankful that the current prison guards under the
King's employ weren't too bright. Reccor and Alberm jumped down into the hole,
and they would have to flee quickly before the guards came to investigate.

Alberm knew the labyrinths and catacombs under the castle well, so
Reccor followed him through the underground stone maze that would lead them to
freedom.




Caline's Bedroom, three hours later, 8PM (Calmagian Royal Northern Time)

Caline was looking for a clean nightgown to take to the room where
Tayla and her friends were staying. She either slept with Gracina these days,
or when Lektron would go to bed early, she would go share Tayla's bed with her.
Caline no longer felt safe in the bedroom that had once belonged to both her and
Alberm whenever they stayed with Caline's family. Caline was much happier
knowing that Alberm wouldn't harm her anymore.

Petalia was with her, waiting to walk with Caline to that same room.
Petalia was wearing an ivory caftan with a pale green sash, the green bringing
out the highlights in Petalia's golden hair. Petalia, who was becoming much
kinder these days, was talking quietly with Caline while they were gathering her
things.

Then suddenly, she noticed a creaking sound under her bed. Caline,
who was again wearing Tayla's purple caftan and lavender sash, peeked under the
bed, and then two hands grabbed both of her wrists, one Calmagian and one
Arlian.

"So my little traitorous wife still comes to this room, eh?" Alberm
purred. Caline tried to scream, but Alberm clapped his restraining hand over
her small mouth.

Reccor overturned the bed with his free hand, and Petalia when she
saw Alberm as well. Caline tried to run, but Alberm hit her in the back of her
head with the laser gun, knocking the poor little child wife unconscious.

"Somebody help us!" Petalia cried, grabbing a vase. She yelled at
Alberm and Reccor, who were now coming towards her. "You get out of here! Stay
away from us!"

Reccor grinned slyly, as Alberm threw Caline into his arms. Alberm
then quickly threw himself onto Petalia before Petalia had a chance to run, and
he paralyzed her. Petalia emitted a final shriek before her body stiffened.
The vase that Petalia was going to use as a weapon crashed to the floor and
shattered into a thousand fragments. Alberm picked up a terrified Petalia, and
he and Reccor both carried their captives down under the bed with them, into the
labyrinths.




An empty field behind the courtyard

Shalila and Dirkan felt the ki signatures of Tayla and Riccan, as
they trained with each other. The two rulers had been training intensively for
hours on end, and perhaps now it was time for them to test Tayla's skills again.
Dirkan cleared his throat and quietly asked Shalila a crucial question, as he
took her hand in his.

Shalila bit her lower lip, and she and Dirkan had discussed this
matter for several days, and with fear, hope, and pride mixed in her heart,
Shalila finally gave Dirkan an answer, one that she would eventually give Tayla:

"Yes, I will allow Tayla to fight with us."