Good news all! I have the next few chapters written out! So updates will be pretty frequent till the end of the story (which is drawing near)...
Charley took deep breaths as she paced in what was basically a glorified changing room, dressed in the traditional attire for the Trial of Orthos.
A plain white tunic, combined with white harem pants, leather armor for her arms, shoulders, chest and legs, and leather wrap boots would be all she had for protection against the Arch Povar. Stoker had braided her hair out of the way for her.
The day of the trial had crept up on them far too soon. It didn't help that she'd only had a week and a half to train, instead of the full three weeks (she really want to punch High Chancellor Striker for that one). However, Stoker and the bros had kept their promise, and had been training with her since the day she was released from the medic wing. In preparation, Stoker had procured all the possible weapon choices that could be used during the trial, and they used every single one during training. She had discovered that the Council (the assholes) would decide on what weapon she would get to take into the arena with her. As if this entire situation wasn't unfair enough already.
The door opened behind her and she turned to see Throttle storming in, along with Modo, Vinnie and Stoker. All four mice looked ready to murder. She didn't have time to ask them, though, as Chancellor Breaker entered after them, looking very smug. Charley straightened and faced him as he approached her with a barely hidden sneer, handing her a small bundle, wrapped in red cloth.
"Your weapon, Miss Charlene." Charley refused to rise to his baiting, and took the bundle from him, nodding. "The trial will start in about 5 minutes. You may use this time to speak with your…comrades…one last time." He added, before turning and leaving the room, robes sweeping behind him. She could see Vinnie making rude hand gestures to his back as he left. Immediately, she opened the bundle and stared.
They had given her the smallest possible weapon they could. The blade of the dagger was curved and only about 18 inches long. The handle was made of solid wood, and had intricate carvings on it.
"Well, they couldn't make it more obvious if they tried." She remarked, much to the chagrin of the mice that were with her. Throttle stepped forward and placed a hand over the one holding the dagger.
"Just remember what we taught you. You're small and you're quick, so use that to your advantage. Watch for the refractions when it uses its light-bending. Keep an eye out for the spikes and…"
She placed a hand on his cheek, making him pause and take a deep breath. His eyes were filled with worry and fear for her. In her mind, an image flashed of the red, bionic (useless) eyes Karbunkle would give him in the future. If she wanted to ensure a better future for her bros, it was starting here.
"Hey, you guys have been training me hard for the past week and a half. I've got this." She reassured him, raising on her tip-toes to give his forehead a kiss. Throttle released a shuddering breath.
"I know you do." He stepped forward and gave her a hug, which she returned. He stepped back and paused for a second, before his antennae started glowing and he leaned forward. Charley closed her eyes and let the feelings of I love you, sis and Please stay safe wash over her. When it was over, Throttle gave her one last hug before stepping aside to let Modo and Vinnie give their own encouragements. Modo was the first to pull her into a hug, lifting her off the ground as he did so.
"Good luck, Charley-ma'am." He murmured, before setting her down again and letting Vinnie take over hugging her.
"We'll all be cheering for you, Charley-girl." He added. With that, the bros all left the room, leaving Charley with the Freedom Fighter General. She turned to him as he approached her, his clenched hands the only indicator of how stressed he was.
"There's still time. I could sneak you out right now, get you and Throttle on a shuttle to Earth within an hour." She did not even dignify that with a response, just raised a brow at him. He sighed and avoided her gaze. "Sorry, had to try."
"I have to do this, Stoker." She affirmed. Stoker grimaced and shook his head.
"Are you so sure about that? You are risking your future. And I don't mean the one you have now on Mars. I mean the one on Earth, seven years from now." He reached out and held her by the shoulders, holding her gaze. "Can you say, for certain, that if you do this, the bros will still go to Earth and meet you there?" There was silence for a long moment, before it was broken by a half-sob from Charley.
"No…but I don't see any other way." She admitted. Stoker immediately embraced her, holding her as she cried. Charley buried her head in his shoulder, trying to control her breathing. All too soon, there was a banging at the door.
"Time is up, Miss Charlene." Chancellor Breaker called out. Stoker pulled back to glare at the door, before turning back to her.
"You can do this, Charley…" he paused before reaching behind his neck and undoing a chain Charley had never noticed before. It was a simple silver chain, with a single charm attached to it. The symbol of the Freedom Fighters, the face of a Martian mouse. On the back of it, she briefly spotted some engraving that she could not translate. "I had this made 5 years ago, when I founded the Freedom Fighters. The engraving reads "Ride Free", as a reminder of what the Plutarkians threatened to take from us." With that, he clasped the chain around her neck, smiling at her. "For luck." He looked like he wanted to say more, but the door opened and revealed a peeved Chancellor Breaker. Giving her hands one final squeeze and one more wink, Stoker left the room.
Charley tucked the pendant beneath her tunic and armor before the Chancellor could see it, then stood to her attention with her hands folded over the dagger.
"Follow me, Miss Charlene." Charley narrowed her eyes as she obeyed, keeping in step behind the Chancellor as he led her down the dark corridors.
Stoker marched up the steps of the arena, glowering at already filled tiers of seats. The Council had made sure to announce the impending Trial, and while most Mice despised the return of the Trial, it seemed most were curious enough about WHO was partaking in the Trial to set their feelings aside.
Stoker glanced down into the ring below. The circular arena was 50 feet in diameter, and had several pillars of stone scattered upon the ground, both fallen and standing. Those would be Charley's only cover during the Trial. The arena itself was sunken into the ground, and the walls were 15 feet high. Two gates on opposite sides of the arena would be where Charley and the Arch Povar would be emerging from. Stoker could already hear the growling coming from the one end of the arena. To keep both of them within the area, a force-field would be erected during the trial.
"Stoke, up here!" Stoker was pulled from his musing by a call from his left, and he turned to see the bros waving at him. Most of the Freedom Fighters had come to support Charley and Throttle, but a few had stayed behind to keep an eye out for Plutarkian activity. The bros themselves were sitting close together amongst the Fighters. Modo sat with his mother, Primrose, Nitro and the twins. Vinnie sat with Harley and Cynthia Van Wham. Throttle was with Carbine. Stoker made his way up to them, grabbing the open seat next to Cynthia.
"Good to see you again, Mrs. Van Wham, Mrs. Maverick." He nodded a greeting to the elder mice, who nodded in return.
"Same to you, Stoker dear. Although I wish it was under better circumstances." Nora muttered as she gazed down at the arena, signing. "I don't know Amelia would think if she knew this was going to happen."
"I'll tell you what she'd think." Cynthia groused, "She's have me build a bomb to level the Council Hall to the ground." She turned to her grandson, who was standing to try and spot when Charley arrived. "What weapon did they end up giving her?" Vinnie scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"They gave her the Silverlight Dagger. May as well have given her a toothpick."
"Vincent." The white-furred mouse flinched when the entire group let out the simultaneous call.
"What?"
"Not helpful right now, bro." Modo muttered, gesturing to Throttle who had his hands folded, face drawn in a frown, leg bouncing with frayed nerves. His specs for once, were handing from his vest rather than on his face. Carbine took hold of his hands and grasped them tightly. The mouse gave her a strained smile when a horn sounded, causing them all to straighten. Rimfire pointed down from his seated.
"There she is." The gate to the left of the arena opened, and Charley walked out into the arena with the dignity and grace of a queen, dagger in hand. She made her way to center of the arena, looking up at the stands before her eyes landed on them. She gave them a smile before another horn sound made her turn.
The Council made their way to their seats in the box above the arena. High Chancellor Striker stood in the center front, with Breaker and Rubble at his sides. He raised his hands out to the crowd.
"The Trial of Orthos has been set. Charlene Davidson…" Stoker bit back a growl at the High Chancellor's slight, and he saw how the bros' fur bristled. "…has consented to the Trial. Should she succeed, she shall become the new Matriarch of the Threemane clan, with the stipulation that should anything happen to her, her brother Throttle Threemane, shall retain his clan status until he can take on the title of Patriarch. However," Charley tensed and Stoker held his breath as Striker smirked down at her. "…Should she fail… her brother, who is in attendance today, shall immediately be escorted from the arena and taken to the Waterless Barrens." Stoker felt his skin crawl and turned in his seat to see several soldiers in the upper row, effectively surrounding them.
"Shit." He cursed under his breath, looking back at his comrades and friends. Primrose had drawn her children closer to her, with Nitro tensed and Nora's eyes wide. Cynthia had taken hold of Harley's hand and shoulder, the mechanic's own eyes wide. Vinnie, Modo, Carbine and the rest of the fighters looked ready to draw their weapons, openly snarling at the soldiers. Throttle sat frozen, on the verge of hyperventilating. Stoker looked down to the arena, where Charley watched them with wide, terrified eyes. She made eye contact with him, and he saw her resolve strengthen. Striker continued.
"Do you accept these terms, Miss Charlene?" Charley turned with death stare toward the Council, and Stoker noticed with satisfaction that many of the members flinched.
"I accept." Charley's voice rang strong and clear throughout the arena, and Stoker couldn't help the proud smile that spread on his face.
"So be it. Let the Trial commence!" Striker announced, and another horn sounded. The gate opposite Charley slowly opened, and she spun to face it, weapon held ready.
A sinister rattling sounded from within the shadows, followed by a growl, before a black blur launched itself out of the cage and towards Charley. She yelped and ducked to the side, rolling to avoid the Arch Povar's claws. She got to her feet and raced behind a pillar, barely getting missed by the tentacles that lashed out, chipping the pillars instead. She gasped and dived for another set of pillars to her left, steadying herself against the stone to try and catch her breath.
The bros had told her Arch Povars were fast, she hadn't fully understood how fast until now. A snarl to her right made her gasp, and she barely managed to evade the creature as it pounced against the stone where she had just stood. The structure cracked and collapsed to the side with the force of the pounce. She gasped for breath as she raced for more cover. She turned the corner of a pillar and froze at the sight of the cat stalking towards her, snarling. She held the dagger ready, poised to strike when something caught her eye.
The sleek black fur on its back flashed a momentary bright blue.
Her eyes widened and she looked to her left, where the true Arch Povar stood poised to pounce. She dived through the illusion and raced ahead, only to scream in pain and fall as one of the tentacles caught her shoulder, tearing through the armor. She grabbed a sharp rock and swung it back, slicing the Arch Povar's face and making it yowl and retreat, giving her just enough time to find her footing once more. She made to leap over a fallen pillar, but her shoulder buckled under her weight and she fell into a heap behind it with a groan. She struggled to sit upright, grasping at her wound, and pulling her hand back slightly to see it stained red with blood.
The memory of Amelia's broken body flashed before her and she shook her head roughly, wiping the blood away on the once pristine tunic. She closed her eyes and took slow, deep breathes. She tried to recall Stoker and the bros advice from training.
"Remember, Arch Povar prefer to weaken their prey first. That means that while they will use their tentacles to slash at them, they will also take advantage of their light-bending abilities. The more they can get their prey to run, the more tired it will be, and the easier it will be for you to be caught."
She opened her eyes as an idea came to her.
"Be caught?" she looked at the blood slowly seeping from her shoulder, then down to the dagger still in her grasp. She glanced over the pillar, eyes searching for just the right spot.
There! Across from her, about 3 feet away, there were two pillars, one of them fallen to form a corner. It was perfect. She crept from her position, moving slowly and softly, constantly swiveling for any movement. A soft sound drew her attention and she ducked the pounce, backing away to the pillars as the Arch Povar slinked towards her, growling. She held the dagger ready, keeping eye contact. Just as her foot met the pillar, she caught the flash of blue light in its fur.
She spun towards the true Arch Povar as it pounced with a roar.
Striker heard the crowd gasp as the human vanished beneath the large form of the Arch Povar, literally cornered by the creature. He smirked. What a pity. She had been quite an adversary, having survived Mars' most potent poison (albeit with some help) had earned her quite the reputation. But in the end, she was truly no match for a creature of Mars. He went to raise his hand to give the order to arrest the Threemane boy (and kill any that got in the way) when he paused. The Arch Povar hadn't yet moved.
Suddenly, the tails that had been poised in the air ready to strike fell to the ground like limp ropes, and then the body slumped to the right. It collapsed with a massive thud to reveal the dagger in its throat. Said dagger still being grasped by the human.
The human, who was breathing heavily as she rose from the ground, shaking heavily. Her shoulder torn to shreds, yet she stood as if it did not pain her at all.
Striker could not believe his eyes. She had done it. A human had completed the Trial of Orthos with only a Silverlight dagger. No mouse had ever managed to succeed with a Silverlight dagger before.
The human turned her face up towards him and he froze. Her green eyes sparked as she smirked viciously at him, before throwing her head back and letting out an almighty victory cry.
"AWOOOOOOHOHOHO!"
The crowds began to cheer. The loudest of the cheers came from the seats occupied by the wretched Freedom Fighters. He could see the 'Bros' cheering loudest of all, the Van Wham boy hanging onto Threemane in excitement, and the pair were suddenly lifted off the ground by Maverick.
His gaze landed on Van Rotten, who was staring right back at him. The General smirked and gave him a two fingered salute. He gritted his teeth as Chancellor Rubble leaned in to whisper to him.
"High Chancellor, we cannot allow this! Surely we can…"
"Enough!" he whispered to his colleague, as raised a hand. He looked back out over the still cheering crowd and finally landed back on the human, who was smiling up at the Freedom Fighters with a fist raised in the air. His hand curled into a fist tightly and dropped. He knew when he was beaten. He rose from his chair and the crowd fell silent once more. He fought to keep the sneer off his face. "Miss Charlene Threemane, The Council hereby acknowledges you as the new Matriarch of the Threemane Clan. And as agreed, should anything happen to you before your brother is of age, he shall retain his clan status until such a time that he can take on the title of Patriarch."
The human did not respond at first, then she spread out her arms, displaying her still bleeding wound, and bowed at the waist, maintaining eye contact with him.
"Thank you, High Chancellor Striker." Came her reply, and while it sounded sincere, Striker saw the true intention in her eyes. He gestured to his colleagues and they all stood to leave. She kept watching him as he turned and left.
The Army medic that saw to her shoulder seemed scared of her. She had no idea whether it was because she succeeded in the Trial, or because it was super obvious that the Council hated her, and she had defied them. He quickly finished dressing her wound and stepped back.
"Just…keep an eye on it for the next few days. If it gets infected, you can use crushed Ulokawa Root to treat it." She nodded gratefully, and he fled the room. She got dressed in her own clothes again, and made her way out of the room.
As soon as she stepped through the door, she was swept up in a hug by her brother.
"Charley you did it!" Charley laughed at how giddy he sounded, and hugged him back. They were soon surrounded as Vinnie, Modo and the twins dragged them into a huge group hug.
"That was so badass, Aunt Charley!" Rimfire hollered as Primer whooped in agreement.
"I'd normally be annoyed at that language, nephew, but you're right. That was really badass!" Modo called out. Vinnie let out an excited cheer.
"We got the baddest mamajama on our team! Suck it Striker!" Their fellow Freedom Fighters cheered as the twins stepped back and the bros huddled around her.
Charley extracted herself from the group hug as Stoker approached them through the crowd, smirking.
"Gotta say, you are just full of surprises, Matriarch Threemane." Charley beamed at the use of her new official title and surname and poked him in the chest.
"You make it sound like that's a bad thing, General Van Rotten." She smirked in return, crossing her arms as Stoker rubbed at his chest, chuckling.
"Not bad. It just means that I need to keep an eye out. I never know what you might do next." He added with a raised brow. Charley rolled her eyes, before grasping his collar and pulling him close.
Stoker barely had time to register what was happening before her lips met his. Her hands moved from his collar to wrap around his neck, holding him close. He relaxed into the kiss, his eyes falling shut and his own arms moving to wrap around her, one hand wrapped in her hair while the other rested at the small of her back. Neither of them acknowledged the whoops and catcalls coming from the Freedom Fighters. When the need for air became too great, they separated, resting their foreheads together. Stoker sniggered lowly.
"See? Never know what to expect with you."
"I hope you don't mind." Charley purred back, and she was sure she felt Stoker shudder under her hands.
"Not at all." She was swept up in another kiss before he could respond. Though this one was quickly interrupted.
"Alright, that's enough! My innocent eyes can't take much more of this." Charley and Stoker broke apart at Throttle's overly dramatic voice, seeing the mouse with both hands covering his eyes. Stoker raised an eyebrow to her, and she gave a nod. With that, Stoker pounced on Throttle with a war-cry, knocking the moue down to the ground with a grunt. Modo and Vinnie immediately tagged in, and soon it was an all-out brawl. Harley and Carbine came to stand next to her.
"Men." The three of them said at once.
And they finally kiss... and of course Throttle has to be a little shit about it XD
Please review! I love hearing from you guys!