When KurukVile woke up to find all of his servants waiting for him outside of the ship, a dead quiet all over the palace that he had decided to take up temporary residence in, he knew something was wrong. He took a head count and found that everyone, all fifty servants were there, that made him nervous. He crossed his arms, lowered an eyelid, and asked what was wrong and why no one was working as they should be. It took a long time before someone came up, the servant was a young girl with long jet black hair and lizard-like eyes, she shivered when she came up to her master. She didn't look him in the eye, it was forbidden for any servant to do so without warranting a punishment. Her voice quivered with fear as she told him what had happened then she backed away quickly. It took a full thirty seconds before KurukVile exploded, he stomped off, throwing fire all over the place, cursing words that made his servants swallow hard their gasps and then he grabbed the servant girl by the shoulder of her black servant uniform and brought her in close, she didn't fight him but she started shaking and crying, begging him for mercy. He dropped her then stomped off inside of his ship.
While KurukVile was exploding in rage over finding out that his granddaughter had captured his wife, Master Vile's personal physician near had to sedate his master to calm him down. Dara Dara was hysterical, great dig tears fell down her cheeks and she shook violently after she found out. Rita and Rito were shocked to find out what had happened. Lunch and supper went unmade, the family only toyed with their breakfast the next day, KurukVile on the other hand did not eat for two full days. His concern for his wife, and the anger towards his own granddaughter, was great inside him.
"We need to get rid of her and we need to do it now!" General Faulk exclaimed. "That Triskull guy is upping his attempts outside of the shield, there are more monsters around us and I feel that a fearsome storm is brewing and will reach us soon."
"Why exactly did we capture her anyway?" Lieutenant Rollins asked.
"Insurance." Angel answered. "Despite my father and grandfather's anger, which I am sure they have a lot of it by now, they will think twice before attacking us."
"Do those monsters outside of the shield look like they are thinking twice?" General Faulk grabbed her hard by the shoulders and yanked her over to were she could see the shield. "They now! They're trying to get in! They are pissed, Angel! Pissed at us for taking her!"
Irka had woke up a few hours after Angel had fallen asleep, Angel had found herself being torn from a good sleep by her grandmother who had screamed from the top of her lungs to be let loose. She had forgotten all about removing Irka's wrist gauntlet, she had near had her hands free from the ropes when she had woke up but Angel had been quick, despite her sore body, and had removed the weapon and had new ropes tied on. Angel had lain awake for hours afterwards, every sound she had heard would make her sit upright quickly and look at her grandmother. Her grandmother never shouted for help or say anything, but she did keep Angel in her sights. Angel had studied a book of spells that Dione had given her as a present and did a spell that would prevent her grandmother from teleporting away, and from doing magic.
"Not to mention having her in my camp gives me the creeps!" General Faulk added. "I can't even enter your tent without feeling her icy cold stare."
"I'm afraid to go anywhere near her tent." the Lieutenant said. "Anything without skin scares the dickens out of me."
"As does me." Angel agreed. "So what do you suggest I do? Take her outside the shield, expose myself and release her only for her to turn on me and take me captive? It's a risk, yes, but... "
"But nothing!" General Faulk yelled. "Kill the bitch!"
"No!" Angel near screamed. "There is an agreement between me and you and the lieutenant here. No killing of my family. Leave my family to me!"
The debate went on for a long time before Angel won out, she was the sole one responsible for her grandmother and the sole one responsible for her capture, no one would find out about her being carried on the shoulder of the Lieutenant. Even Irka had no idea about it. When the debate was fixed out Angel went off to her tent with a tray of food. A simple lunch of soup, two grilled cheese sandwiches and a tall glass of hot chocolate. She offered some of the lunch to her grandmother only to be spat at. She looked at her grandmother and felt a cold chill run up her back. Her grandmother was furious with her and surely, if not for the spell she had done to prevent her from doing magic or teleporting she would have messed her up royally.
"Ya'll get praise for capturing me," Angel suddenly said, she shook her head from side to side slowly. "and I get the book thrown at me."
It was silent in the tent for a short while until the front flaps were thrown open and a female being that looked similar to Angel's father walked in. Irka made a gasping sound from her spot between a box that Angel used as a table and an empty pail, she pushed herself forward then fell back hard. Angel sat up straight, she had not expected to see Dione's daughter in her camp, she hadn't seen her in months. The woman glanced at Irka then looked at Angel strongly.
"You're not caving in are ya?" Perniceie asked. "From the sound of things, you've got a lot of pressure on you and you're about to cave in."
"Ello Pern." Angel greeted her great-grandmother. "Been a while."
"Indeed but we have been watching with pride." Perniceie replied, she slapped her fist into her chest to add emphasis when she finished her sentence.
Perniceie, the only child of Dione Surfeit, looked somewhat similar to Angel's father except that her ears were slightly elongated. She had long white hair with brown bangs and hazel color eyes with tiny black pupils. She was wearing a unique two-piece Arabian belly dancer costume; the bra was light purple with sequins of gold and the pants were see through, the fabric color was the same as the bra piece but it was shinier, the band around the waist was black with designs on it. Her feet were bare and human looking. The right side of her face was purple while the left side was black. Despite the cold weather outside, she wore no coat. Her waist was fully exposed to the air and held quite a bit of muscle, the skin was smooth. A see-through veil was placed over Perniceie's hair, it flowed back and nearly touched the ground.
"I am surprised that you came," Angel nodded at Irka. "you all probably know about her."
"On the contrary, only I do." Perniceie answered. "The others have been quite busy. And when I say "others" I mean my mother and daughter."
"What could have them being so busy?" Angel asked.
"Training," Perniceie responded. "A refresher course, if you will."
"Shouldn't you be taking that refresher course?" Angel asked.
"I have already done it." Perniceie sat down on the bed beside Angel. "My skills are toned in well."
"My Kuruk was telling me about Bathilda, Angel's sister." Irka broke her silence. "So Master Vile has two daughters, not one?"
Perniceie's eyes grew wide and she stood, she grabbed the back of her veil and swung it around to cover her face. She next turned around so that Irka couldn't see her. Angel figured that it was something that Dione had ordered her to do if she was ever seen with her. Angel gently pulled the hair that had gotten stuck in Perniceie's veil, Perniceie thanked her for helping. Angel detected in her voice fear and uncomfortableness.
"No he has just one." Angel replied. "Pern, here, is an old friend of mine from the Academy."
"Nice to see that you have magical friends dear but you don't pull anything over my eyes." Irka said calmly. "Your friend looks related to your grandfather."
"She's not." Angel said again.
Perniceie stood up and left the tent, Angel followed behind her. When they were outside she dropped the veil and breathed hard, Angel patted her on the back to calm her down some. Perniceie was seventy-five thousand years old but she didn't look it. It took her a little while to calm down, when she did she went to leave. Angel didn't stop her, she let her leave. When she re-entered her tent she saw a parcel on her cot. She went to it and opened it, Irka was back to being silent but she was watching Angel closely now.
"Pern and I have known each other for a long time now," Angel made up a lie. "she's a few hundred years older than I am but we're good friends."
"She looks an awful lot like your grandfather and father, dear." Irka replied. "Almost a direct copy except for the ears and hair."
"Her father was humanoid," Angel again lied, she really didn't know Perniceie's paternal figure. "I have no idea who or what her mother was. She never told me."
"Be careful on that, dear." Irka said gently. "Sometimes people hold secrets that can spell doom in the future. Can you release my bonds some? My wrists are hurting."
Angel did as she was asked, but only slightly. When she had leaned over to loosen up the ropes around her grandmother's wrists she detected a slight laugh under her grandmother's breath. When that was done she went to her cot and lay down, the next day was an important one. She slept lightly through the night and woke up early the next morning. She ate an easy breakfast then went and had a conversation with the general and the lieutenant, when they were done with the plans they had drawn up for taking back Shaanxi, the whole of the Gansu Providence had already been taken back, she and the Lieutenant went to her tent. The Lieutenant picked Irka up and placed her, stomach down, on his shoulder, she kicked out at him and screamed as soon as he had her up in the air.
"Put me down or there will be hell to pay for you when my husband sees you!" Irka screamed.
"Angel help!" Lieutenant Rollins exclaimed. "I'll be deaf before we leave your tent this chick has a scream to her something bad!"
"Put me down or your ears will start gushing blood!" Irka exclaimed. "I can scream louder than that! Angel you stay away! I mea..."
The Lieutenant got down on one knee and Angel gagged her grandmother, Irka struggled against the gag but she couldn't throw it off. The Lieutenant carried Irka from Angel's tent to Ayut Hazem, the stallion, when Irka was thrown to his back, snorted and stamped his front hoof down. Angel swung onto Gasha's back and looked around, all of the troops were in order and the two T-54/55 tanks were ready as well. General Faulk was in one and Lieutenant Rollins was in another, she was in charge of the ground troops. Seeing that everyone was in order she teleported then all to a hilly area three miles from Shaanxi providence. With her hand on the rope that was connected to Ayut Hazem's halter, she led the troops towards the camp. When they within eyeshot of the camp Angel rode ahead, with Ayut Hazem at her side and General Faulk and Lieutenant Rollins in their tanks behind her.
The past three days for Professor Longnose had been hard, he had gotten quite a bit of a yelling by KurukVile for only standing around when his wife had been taken captive. Although he had insisted that he hadn't, that he had been busy fighting the troops, KurukVile had been enraged, so much so that he was out of control. It didn't matter if he was Master Vile's field general or not, or that he worked for Master Vile, KurukVile had made it clear with his hands that he had made a mistake by fighting the troops and not protecting his wife. His long nose was in bandages as it had been broken, all KurukVile had to do to break his nose was to swing his fist, a large and strong fist, the knuckles so large and powerful, the veins sticking out prominently on the top, and his nose was broke. Professor Longnose had a darkly tanned body, his face was surrounded by scraggly dark black hair that had gray intermingled in it, he had no shirt on but was wearing blue jeans with a purple bandanna tied around his right leg, his left leg was consumed in a red and orange brace. His red folded fan was in his back pocket. He had a muscular chest, hanging from around his neck was a gold medallion on a gold chain, it connected to his black belt with the gold bucket that had his initials on it. He had black boots on his feet, black wrist guards and a black fedora with a flame band around the brim.
He had skipped breakfast that day, feeling on edge, KurukVile and Master Vile were in the camp, going over plans. Everyone once in a while KurukVile would slam his hand down on the table where they had their plans all out on and start yelling in his native language, Master Vile would nod his head then reply back. This language was only known to the Surfeit and Vile families, it was an ancient language that they used when they were excited or wanted to keep something secret and to themselves. Dara Dara, the only daughter of KurukVile, walked around the camp, kicking monsters who were still slow in getting up. Turned out, she had a good reason to do so because, suddenly, Professor Longnose saw something to the right. He turned and his mouth dropped, riding towards him looked to be one person, one person with short fiery red hair, another horse beside her had someone on its back, the person wasn't sitting right on the back of the horse, he or she was lying across the back of the horse. Behind the correctly mounted rider were two machines, both had gun barrels pointed at them. The rider on the horse stopped about five hundred yards from the camp, it was then that Professor Longnose noticed who it was and who the incorrectly mounted person was.
"Get the Master and his father quick!" he shouted.
Angel knew they had been sighted, she dismounted from Gasha and gave a signal, a Mule was let loose and ran up to the front of the lines, she snapped the up reins quickly before the animal could get away. Running over to her grandmother, she undid the ropes that tied her to Ayut Hazem's back, Irka fell to the ground with a thud. Working feverishly, Angel undid the bonds on her ankles and then yanked her to her feet, she literally picked her grandmother up to get her on the back of the Mule. With that done Angel swung onto Ayut Hazem's back, she turned Gasha around nad slapped him on the rump, he went running back in the direction that the Mule had come from. Irka shook her head then wrapped her now free legs around the animal she had been put on. She grabbed the reins with her hands, which were still bond with rope, and was about to kick the Mule under her to run towards the camp but then she saw her husband and oldest son, they walked out of the line of monsters who had formed in front of the camp.
Seeing her husband on his gray sturdy horse made her want to cry, she had missed him terribly those few days she had been captured. The horse he was riding was on he had bred himself, a strong ,sturdy horse named Mesaoud. The horse was a stallion, very well muscled and very well balanced in the front and back, although he looked slow because of his size he was extraordinarily fast. Her son came out on a red horse, a much more sleeker horse than Mesaoud, it looked like the one beside her that her granddaughter was mounted on. Although the horse was sleek and had a dished head, she could see muscle gleaming off of its hind, its neck was long and smooth, the mane and tail held tassels of gold in them, the mane was long and so was the tail. Before Irka knew it, the Mule underneath of her, an ugly brown creature with hideously long ears and a short tail, was moving away from her granddaughter. She didn't know she had been released until KurukVile rode up to her, laying a hand on her shoulder.
"My wife!" KurukVile said gently yet loudly. "Can you hear me? What have they done to you?"
"Kuruk?" Irka shook her head slightly, now coming to her senses. "She released me?"
"Tell me, Irka!" KurukVile snatched up the reins from her hands. "Are you hurt? What did they do to you?"
"Nothing, dear." Irka replied. "I was carried by some man to that black horse back there that Angel is on and that was all. Angel didn't let anyone near me."
KurukVile turned around in his saddle in time to see Angel, his granddaughter, running back to the vehicles that were behind her. His anger again climbed, he nodded his head then kicked his horse on. He knew the animal that his granddaughter was riding, while talking to his son he had been told about her stealing Ayut Hazem, one of Vile's prized stallions. He had intentions during this fight, when it began, for both him and his son to attack and fight Angel. They'd wear her down until she was tired then take her captive then he, KurukVile Surfeit, would teach her a lesson on kidnapping. It had been agreed on that it would be he that disciplined Angel for the kidnapping of his wife.
"Angel's going down today." KurukVile said to his wife. "I want you to head back to the ship and stay there. I'll be there as soon as I can with Angel."
"Be careful Kuruk!" Irka said sharply. "Angel's strong but she's delicate as well. Remember, she's your granddaughter."
"I won't my love." KurukVile slapped his hand on the animal's rump that his wife was riding then turned around.
It was a long silence before Angel gave the signal to fight, she had waited for her father to give off a whistle that she knew he would give off. This whistle, she knew, was his calling for Ayut Hazem, his horse, to come to him. Ayut Hazem rose up in the sky, his powerful yet sleek forelegs pawing at nothing, Angel pulled him back down and shouted at the top of her lungs. Bullets whizzed past her, the two tanks sent off their missiles and bombs, she pulled Ayut Hazem around the tank to the other side which wasn't being hit with bullets or energy blasts. The coal-black stallion rose several times, she near lost her seat once or twice, and she tightened her grip on the reins. General Faulk moved his T-54/55 forward, he sent blast after blast of bombs and missiles out, Angel tried to call him back but in the roar of the fight her call was lost. It was too early for the General to be advancing forward, she knew it, the Lieutenant knew it and surely the General knew it. KurukVile Surfeit and Master Vile had pulled back behind the lines of the monsters, Angel could see them waiting for the fighting to cease.
"Angel, the General's tank will go up in smoke in T- minus ten seconds!" Lieutenant Rollins' voice came to her over the radio headset she had over her head. "Get away from there!"
Indeed it did and indeed, General Faulk jumped out of the flaming and smoking vehicle quickly. He ran over to Angel and she swung him aboard, he sat down behind her and placed his hands gingerly on her hips. The Lieutenant fired off more rounds from his vehicle before it burst into flames. When he had jumped out of the tank Angel kicked her horse forward, the troops had advanced on the camp and had pushed the monsters back, there were casualties but not many. After heavy fire for five minutes, the monsters in the camp sans four ran for the hills. The four who remained where Professor Longnose, Master Vile, KurukVile and Dara Dara. Lieutenant Rollins rode up beside Angel, he was on one of the sorrel geldings.
"Order the troops to retreat, we've won this battle." Angel ordered.
"Yes ma'am!" Lieutenant Rollins saluted Angel then gave the order.
The troops ran to the teleportation window she had put up and disappeared. It was now just her, Lieutenant Rollins and General Faulk who stood facing Angel's family and Professor Longnose. KurukVile looked at the odd line in front of him, three people and one of the three was related. He could detect the concern from Master Vile about the aged man being behind his daughter, both could see clearly the man's hands that were on her hips. In one fluid motion, Master Vile brought his hand up, he put two fingers on either side of his mouth and blew a slight whistle.
Ayut Hazem's ears swept forward, he got tense, Angel tightened her grip on the reins. She tightened her legs around the girth of the coal-black horse she was on. Her father waited one minute then whistled again, Ayut Hazem sent out a slight nicker and tried to walk forward but Angel swung him back around. The stallion was now sweating, his body was trembling. Angel could tell that he wanted to be with Master Vile but he was a fast horse and she needed him if she needed to get away in a hurry. Master Vile whistled again, louder this time, and that made the stallion break out in a lather. She turned him around and kicked him into a run, Lieutenant Rollins followed. Angel headed them in the direction of the town that was closest that they had won back. When she sat it she threw her hands up in the air, a shield rose around the town. She was about to turn around when she heard thundering hooves behind her. She turned around quickly and what she saw she did not like.
KurukVile's horse was cantering in front of the others, Master Vile had his sister riding double and Professor Longnose was now missing. Angel turned Ayut Hazem around and with a swift kick she sent him tearing across the grassland. The General behind her wrapped his hands around her abdomen, she felt his fingers press in against her groin area.
"Teleport us out!" Lieutenant Rollins yelled. "Angel! Teleport us out lets not make a race of this!"
"Lieutenant take the General now!" Angel ordered.
"Absolutely not!" General Faulk yelled in her ear. "I'm with you til the end."
The thundering hooves got closer until, finally, Angel saw a red horse head on her right. She had a plan, a good plan. She slowed her horse down and saw the sleek red horse, a mare, ride past until it stopped half way past her. She reached across the space between the two horses and grabbed her aunt by the arm. Dara Dara shouted and grabbed her, Master Vile turned in his saddle then went to slow his horse down but he was too late. Angel teleported them out. She teleported Lieutenant Rollins on his sorrel gelding, her and General Faulk on Ayut Hazem and Dara Dara from where they were in China to the camp in North America. When they appeared in the camp Angel fell from the back of her horse to the ground, directly on top of Dara Dara, the General who had had a good grip on her fell on Angel's back. Angel's emerald-green eyes with the golden-yellow ring around the pupils stared into her aunts bright blue ones.
"Rope!" Angel shouted. "Gimmee a rope now! Tie her up!"
"Angel are you mad!" General Faulk yelled in her ear. "We just got rid of that Bone Woman!"
"Irka was a danger to keep," Angel said calmly. "her daughter, on the other hand, is a much better bet for a captive."
Lieutenant Rollins handed Angel a rope, she quickly tied her aunts hands and feet tightly then heaved her up. General Faulk had already gotten up, he couldn't understand what was going on. To him, they had gotten rid of one problem and taken up a new one. Captain O'Nell ran forward to help Angel get her aunt to a tree trunk that was in the center of the camp. When they were there they tied the woman who was clad in a synthetic crystal dress to the trunk. Dara Dara's wind had been knocked out of her, she couldn't fight, but she knew what was going on. Her eyes were open and in them was pure anger and the Captain, a man just barely out of his twenties with sandy blond hair and brown eyes, thought he detected fear in them.
"Listen to me!" Angel yelled out. "This here, is my aunt. The sister of our enemy, Master Vile. The daughter of his father who is on our planet, KurukVile Surfeit. All monsters around this camp are to back off or else. I repeat! Dara Dara Surfeit, daughter of KurukVile Surfeit and his wife Irka, sister of my father, Master Vile, is my captive!"
General Faulk was about to shout at Angel to shut up and let her aunt go when he saw the monsters around the camp stop their assaults on the shield. They looked at Triskull, who was fuming, when he backed away from the shield all of the monsters backed away. They backed off a hundred yards then stopped, Triskull's glowing yellow eyes were blazing, from the distance he was from him, General Faulk could see that his hands were fisted.
"Not far enough!" Angel shouted. "Back further away! Do it now!"
When Triskull, and the monsters that obeyed him, didn't comply Angel tore out a knife from her belt. She held it at Dara Dara and repeated for them to back away further. General Faulk now understood why she had taken her aunt captive. It had been too dangerous for them to have Irka held captive because they surely would have been attacked, Irka was the mother of Master Vile, Dara Dara and the guy outside of the shield, Triskull, she was the wife of KurukVile. Irka was stronger than Dara Dara, her daughter, as well. Triskull shouted then backed away, the monsters following him. They backed so far away that they became dots. When they disappeared from view Angel lowered the knife and turned from her aunt.
"Make sure to keep her in your sights at all times." Angel said to Captain O'Nell, Lieutenant Rollins and General Faulk. "I want round about watches. Keep an eyes around the camp as well."
"I'll take the first watch." Captain O'Nell stepped up.
"I hope you know what you are doing." General Faulk said to Angel when she passed by him. "We can be in some deep trouble for this."
"I." Angel replied. "Not we but I."
"You then." General Faulk rolled his eyes. "We could have lasted without taking one of them captive. The shield could have I mean."
"No, General." Angel sighed. "The shield around this camp would not have lasted. The shield here is aged, would only take but so much more stress before going down."
"What?" General Faulk ran up to her and grabbed her arm. "What do you mean, it is aged?"
"A green shield is a shield with a limited life." Angel explained. "Can only last but so long and can only last under so much pressure. A red shield, on the other hand, is much more stronger."
"Then change the shield and put up a new one!" General Faulk shook Angel hard, her head snapped back.
"Can't," Angel replied. "a shield can only be replaced when it goes down. It's the basic rules of shields."
General Faulk knew not a thing of what she was talking about but he nodded his head and let her walk on. He watched her walk off, disappearing into her tent soon afterwards. With his head shaking, he turned and walked to his own tent. When he entered it he threw his hands up and made a silent yell. He was confused, he was angry and he was out of his range of intelligence. Seeing his son sitting over on his cot, Cindy Blake beside him, he walked over to them and sat down. It stayed quiet for a few minutes then he spoke.
"I don't trust that girl," General Faulk said. "don't think she's on our side at all."
"We saw she took captive her aunt." Cindy Blake spoke up gently. "Insurance I think it is. To keep her uncle from getting into the camp."
"Why do you think she isn't on our side?" Billy Faulk asked his father. "She's taking back our planet isn't she pop?"
"Yeah she's in the process of taking back our planet for us," Cindy stood up and walked around the tent. "to me that says a lot about her."
"Not letting us harm the enemy, her family, taking her family captive..." General Faulk counted on his fingers. "she fights but she only fights her family and not the monsters. No, she's been letting us do the hard work."
"How hard is the hard work when she takes on the generals of the camps?" Cindy asked.
General Faulk shook his head, it was hard to explain to the younger generation how things were. He excused himself and left his tent, intending to go off and sit by himself for a while. He went to a rock and leaned against it, the aunt of the woman he didn't trust in his sights. Captain O'Nell was watching her, he was offering her something to drink which she refused hotly. The monsters that had been around the camp were out someplace else, probably waiting for Triskull, their leader, to think up a plan to attack and safe her. The sun was setting, a pink glow was in the sky, dark blue and purple clouds fluttered about signaling the days end and the nights start.
"It's a big mistake to have her captive here." the General said to himself. "They'll come, and they'll come anger and full of fight. We're short on man-power and weapons, we are not ready!"