Chapter 16 - The Revenger
Chitai now glanced as a rag-tag mob of her Sisters approached from her right. Some were running, some limping, one crawling without her legs. Each of them kept shooting fearful looks over their shoulders, ignoring the mass of Cygnans and Amazons drawing near them. Queen Zazen'lda and her retinue joined the Royalty of Themiscyra, along with the two former captives, and all withdrew behind the safety of a nearby outcrop of rocks.
"Ensign, keep those pulse rifles trained on our foes. Great Mother Cybele, what do they mean by distracting me at a moment like this?" Borna Chitai gritted her teeth and continued her silent survey of this new development.
"They're – running – away?" she murmured in a barely-audible growl. "This is unheard of!" She spied a young colonel approaching, her crossed-fist insignia of rank scarred by carbon burns. Her face was wet with tears, eyes bulging with dread.
"Doom is approaching, my Admiral," she said, her bleeding right arm shredded to the bone. "Avernus shall all receive us this day. And unending pain will be our lot. Woe unto us of the Blood-Red Armor! Woe and lamentation!"
"What is wrong with you fools?" the Admiral yelled. "Would-be-prophetess, Shakanar never retreat!"
"W - w - we do with th - th - that one," the colonel sputtered.
The Admiral clutched the dying woman's throat, squeezed it tight. "Liar! Defeatist! Even the worst of the Xram cringe before us. We flee before no one, not even E-ko. Much less these Amazon whatever-they-are. Or have you renounced your heritage? Have you turned raldash on me, or what? Answer me, coward – which one?"
"Her."
Chitai gasped. "You're lying."
"No, ma'am. Her. Herself! Prepare - for - death -as -we - all -must - now!"
Releasing her grip, Chitai followed the colonel's good arm toward an approaching figure. "Get out of my sight, slugs. She is mine alone."
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She walked through the thick smoke, calm and quiet and serene, from the rear of the horde of dirtied and bloodied Amazons and Cygnans.
The noise of battle slowly diminished, as heads turned toward her one by one. Her head crowned with half-gold, half-white hair almost gleamed in the tropical sun. Twin swords of shining crystal glowed in her hands. Her trademark armored bodysuit of checkerboard yellow-and-white looked almost brand new. Her black cape flowed behind her, the edges having entwined double helices of silver and gold.
"Who is she?" an Amazon whispered to Zoey Valcuria as both watched the Grand Admiral pass by them.
"Victory for us - and revenge for the dead," the young Amazon replied.
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The crowds of weary women soldiers parted before her, as if waves before the prow of a warship. The Amazons felt the presence of deep wisdom and might that followed this Sister from space. A few of them who could see a person's aura turned away, dazzled by the brilliance of the light they saw. Some others caught their breath, overwhelmed by one who, they guessed, combined attributes of Athena - their goddess of wisdom - with Nemesis, goddess of justice and vengeance. Yet she held something deeper within her for which they had no words.
The Cygnans either gave the tiger-claw salute or bowed in respect. The more devout Pathfollowers among them genuflected when she passed by. Those even more faithful whispered an old chant from the days of their martyred king, Kir Azenath the Cherished One:
Reign Thou on high, O Truth Eternal
Reign Thou in spite of foes infernal
Crush Thou the servants of the Lie
O Truth Eternal, reign on high!
The Shakanar before her trembled, their weapons shaking in their hands. They backed away, gulping down air with fear. One or two even broke out in a loud sobbing, which none of them ever did in public, if ever.
E-ko - whose Kollya Stragaesh troops had just arrived on the scene – turned to see what the crowd was looking at. Her jaw dropped. She crossed her arms over her armored bosom, genuflected, and bowed low as Sempra Vigilantia - known as the Cygnan Empire's famed Revenger - approached her.
The Revenger's appearance had come as a surprise to E-ko, though not for her mother, who stood by watching her. Both women then nodded at one another.
Chitai spat in disgust, slinging her backpack off her shoulders. She quickly dug out a tarnished bronze goblet and sauntered over to the body of a freshly slain Amazon. The Admiral slit the corpse's jugular vein and filled the goblet with blood.
"Please rise, Princess," Vigilantia said to E-ko. "Would you accompany me?" She put one of her swords back into one of the twin scabbards lashed behind her back.
"A - a - as you w - w - wish, Your Clemency. Sisters, p - p - prepare to strike at my command."
The two marched through the muddy ground to face Admiral Borna Chitai, who was walking to meet them, filled goblet in hand. They stopped in midfield. A gust of wind howled out of the east, passing between them, fluttering capes and hair alike.
"Yes?" Chitai said, face drenched in sweat and boredom.
"In the name of Zazen'lda, first of the name," the Revenger began. "Fifth Queen of the Lepton Kingdom of Alpha Cygni, invoking her titles of both Lady High Justice of the Realm and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Host, I hereby place you, Borna Chitai, under arrest for the crimes of – "
Chitai held up her hand and calmly sipped the goblet of hot blood before her. E-ko snarled at the affront.
"For the crimes," Sempra Vigilantia went on, "of treason against the Crown, subversion of the government, and armed rebellion against the Topaz Throne. You are ordered, by Her Royal Command, to lay down your arms and surrender."
Chitai emptied her goblet, smiling, cheeks bulging with blood. She tossed it over her shoulder, hands now on both hips. Vigilantia held her unsheathed sword in her other hand.
"What is your formal answer to my Sovereign Lady?" the Revenger asked.
The Admiral grinned. She spat all the blood into Sempra's face, forcing her back a step.
Both crowds let out a dreadful gasp. A-ko and both her parents (for the Man of Steel had joined them here on this battlefield) felt outrage over this blasphemy and the two women simultaneously stepped forward. As if hearing some inner voice of his own, however, Clark Kent raised his hand, motioning for them to pause.
E-ko roared and raised her sword, "Dragon Fang", and then felt the Revenger's hand on her head, squeezing it hard until the Princess lowered her weapon. "Y - y - your Clemency, p - p - please!" she sputtered. She felt the Revenger caress her cheek, patting it softly.
Sempra's face was splattered with blood, as was her hair. She opened her eyes, glowing with holy rage. She held her sword now in her right hand. "I – take – that – to – mean – you – say – no."
Chitai's face grew dark. "Beneshandran, you're as dense as a dwarf star!" She smirked. "Oh, forgive me. I'm being redundant, aren't I?"
"I - care - not - what - you - think of me," the Revenger whispered hoarsely. "Or - of - my Homeworld - either. We - both - have - been - called - worse. But you - and yours - swore an oath - to serve - our Queen - "
Chitai bent down a bit, her eyes meeting those of the Council Mother's, her voice taking on a mocking singsong. "Let me tell you in a way that a silly little va'akensplootz like you can understand. I - will - NOT - serve!"
Sempra's eyes widened with fury.
"But then, the pretender on the Throne was one also to begin with. A bubblehead, I mean, like all you twerps from 'Planet Goofball'. Now, her mother Caesariu – now she was a Queen! Even a "Queen of Queens" if Alpha Cygni ever had one. Like the Great Mother Herself, strong and brave and terrifying to all flesh." She straightened up again. "But her daughter – alas – is a joke. In fact, she's a very stupid joke told by a moron, understood only by morons like you Beneshandrans. The Mother Herself must have been drunk when she made you all, I guess. But then, we all have a purpose in the scheme of things, eh? And yours is to be laughed to scorn for the dreck that you are." She threw back her head, bellowing a derisive laugh.
Sempra spun around once, a flash of light gleaming in her wake. Chitai's laugh grew softer to a chortle – a giggle – and then a snicker. The grin shrunk to a smile, her movements slowing to a stop.
Then silence.
Sempra Vigilantia slid her other sword back in its scabbard. She wiped her face with the hem of her cape. E-ko looked at her, then Chitai, then her again.
"Hey, what – "
"A moment, My Princess," the Revenger said. She finished cleaning her face with her cape.
She drew in a deep breath, puffed it out in one blow at the Admiral's face.
Her head fell off her body, neatly cut off at the neck. Both fell backwards into the mud.
The Shakanar screamed in terror as one, dropping their weapons.
"Now?" E-ko asked.
"Now," Sempra said.
"KIIIIIIILLLLLL!" E-ko screeched, broadsword raised high, rushing toward the sociopaths.
Amazons and Cygnans followed her, flying toward the invaders with a banshee's roar in their throats. They flowed around the Council Mother like water around a rock in midstream.
All held swords, axes, spears, and daggers. None wanted pulse rifles or grenades for what they would have to do. Just hard metal – and fists – and the fires of rage.
Sempra stood still, face calm, hands folded.