Chương 117: Day One Hundred And Sixteen

Dear Diary, Sometimes I guess it helps to have a reputation of being utterly incapable of, y'know, hiding anything. By the time Saffron and I finished up, Marie rolled around to announce breakfast time.

"You sure you don't need some sleep, Kitten?" She shook her head.

"By the end of the day I expect I'll need to lean on you more than a little, but I literally spent twenty-four hours in bed before speaking with... Our Son. That will take some adjustment."

"Tell me about it. He really does seem like he's got a sweet side, though." She smiled at me as she adjusted my collar.

"That's only for you, Goof. I do find speaking with him surprisingly refreshing, though." I shot her a little bit of hairy eyeball at that.

"Do I need to keep the knives away from you now, too?" She chuckled, Mana Blades the length of her arms slid out of her wrists, and she hopped up to dangle from my neck. I could just barely make out the glow of the blades in my peripheral vision as she held herself up with her forearms on the back of my neck and kissed me.

"You've given me knives that can't be taken away, and I love you for that as much as anything else, Goof." So many stupid misquotes, so little time.

"Maybe the real treasure was the knives we made along the way!" She giggled and showered my general mouth region with kisses.

"Give a girl a knife, she'll stab for a day, teach a girl to knife, and she'll stab for the rest of her life!" The giggles got louder, the kisses landing along my jaw. I did my best deep intonation voice, "KNIVES IN THE HEART CANNOT BE TAKEN!" That got her; she collapsed to the floor, arms flopping to her sides, Mana Blades dispersing just before they burned our padding. Between guffaws she choked out, "I don't know if those are funnier with context, but? Don't tell me.

If they aren't, it'd ruin it, and if they are? I might pee myself." As I reached down, I hit her with, "yeah, yeah, yeah, the piss knife, we've all seen it." Walking to the Dining Hall with her dangling from my arm laughing? Totally worth any amount of bad jokes I needed to make it happen. Every head in the Dining Hall turned to face us when we walked through the doors. I've mentioned before I'm not the best at consciously reading a room, but even I could tell we'd just walked into Very Serious Business.

Everyone stood at their tables. Up at the high table a guy in a dress stood next to Headmaster Miles. I don't mean robes, either, or even a dashiki. Now that I thought about it, Headmaster Miles 'formal' robes he'd worn sometimes really had a dashiki vibe to them. But this new dude, who my brain immediately labeled as 'Lancaster-Kin'? Totally in a dress. Not even a patch on Saffron's new togs, or The Dress, but not, like, cheap, either.

The cut reminded me a little of a peasant dress, even down to the simple gray inner dress and the fancier cobalt outer shell that tied in front like a vest. A few gold-chased red lines decorated it; one starting at his collar below his right eye and continuing down to his belly. Another made a circle around his belly, with a few stripes running down to his thighs. A pair of stripes circled his forearms, and another wound around the base of his dress right around ankle level.

Finally, the collar of the dress was another gold-chased red stripe. His final accoutrement? A fucking eyepatch over his right eye. Red with gold trim, of course. He stared at the pair of us a moment, and his lips twitched ever so slightly. Then he blinked, closed his left eye, and reached up to slide his eyepatch aside to reveal a perfectly functional blue eye, twin to his other one.

"YOU!" He stepped off the low dais at the front of the room, Headmaster Miles following him closely. Sister Siobhan and Doc Roberts both scrambled around the table, as did Trease. I shot Trease a glare and her ass slammed into a chair. Justified or not, murder was not on my list of activities for the day. As he walked through the room, he picked up a few more posse members. Larry, of course. Rider and Rosen both.

Carruthers just seemed to flow into the wake of his group, although he looked more confused than determined. As the Eddie Izzard wannabe got closer, I realized he hadn't been looking at or talking to me. He glared at Saffron, getting madder with every step he took. Right before I figured he'd open his mouth to spew some random Fundie bullshit, I stepped toward him, incidentally putting myself right between him and Saffron, snapped off a salute, held out my hand, and said, "Hero Lancaster!

Good to finally meet Lachlan's father, Sir!" Credit where it's due, he didn't ignore me. He looked at my hand like I hadn't washed after wiping, but then glanced at my chest and his whole expression changed.

"Are you the Cadet Diaz who's been helping my boy with Intermediate Heroics?"

"That's me, Sir!" He took my hand in his, giving it one firm shake.

"I owe you a debt." One side of his mouth curved up ever so slightly.

"Don't worry. It's not as ominous as it sounds." Then he turned to Saffron, glancing at her chest briefly before saying, "Cadet Aetos. Stand fast, I am about to Inspect you." Before Saffron or I could say anything, Headmaster Miles cut in.

"Leonard!" Daddy Lancaster's hand froze mid-Shape, and he half turned to Headmaster Miles, never taking his eyes off of Saffron as he did so.

"The Odinsight has shown me she is connected to the disappearance of Sol." I muttered, "the who to the what now?" Headmaster Miles frowned, obviously disturbed by the information, but nodded.

"So be it, but a moment. Cadet Aetos? Do you have anything to say for yourself?" She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Headmaster, but I've been sequestered with Tabitha since close of day on Monday; some strange illness struck her down and I stayed with her until she woke." My side tingled.

"I can confirm that, Sirs." Sister Siobhan lay a hand on my upper arm, and the tingles spiked there.

"I cannot say what malady gripped her, but I can confirm it to be Magical in nature. Even attempting to Assess her Health struck me down. My current thought is that whatever struck down Sol struck her down as well."

"While that would be a connection, the Odinsight suggests something... Darker." He turned to the Headmaster.

"Do you concur that we have need to Inspect her?" Before Headmaster Miles could speak, Saffron interrupted.

"I Consent to your Inspection, High Priest Lancaster. You have no need of the Headmaster's concurrence." The Headmaster closed his eyes, nodding to Saffron as a relieved sigh slipped out of him. Behind his dad, I saw Larry mouth, 'you're fucked, bitch'. Big Poppa Lancaster waved his hand through the Shape for Inspect. A moment later he leapt backward, his arms outstretched to keep himself between everyone and Saffron. A ball of fire kindled to life in his left hand.

A chain slipped out of his right sleeve as he leapt backward, Mineral Bonding itself into a brutal looking dagger as it did.

"You!" he stuttered.

"How dare you openly follow..." Saffron cut him off as she faced him, unflinching.

"She is not just my Patron. I am her High Priestess above all others. As such I outrank you, and since you brought religion into this, I expect you to accord me all due respect, High Priest." He barked out a strained laugh.

"High Priestess? Above all others? Next you'll be telling me you're the Anathema's Councilwoman, too."

"No. That would be my wife." The faint tingle from Siobhan disappeared in a wave of power washing into me from Saffron. Protect me, My Goddess. Lancaster screamed, "blasphemer!" and leapt at Saffron, Fire Bolt leading the way, his dagger back to stab. I didn't think, I just moved, leaping between them. I Created Water with my right hand, straight up catching his Fire Bolt in a beach ball sized orb of water. I didn't want to escalate shit, so I tried to block his stab with my left.

The dagger tore through my hand, and when his clenched fist hit my palm I grabbed it, gritting my teeth. Okay, I tried to grit my teeth. What happened was more like me screaming, "HEY!" right in his face right before his forehead hit mine. He bounced away, looking a little shocked when my hand held his, when I didn't fucking move, because I didn't want to fucking move right now.

"You owe me a fucking debt, right? Then how about you stand the fuck down, we go somewhere quiet and talk about whatever bug has crawled up your ass and died like civilized people." Boss? I think I might need some backup here. He growled, "my debt to you is not sufficient to allow abomination to run wild in my City."

"She didn't ask for that, Leonard," cut in Headmaster Miles. He turned to me.

"Let us retire to my office and, as you've said, discuss this in a civilized manner." Big Poppa Lancaster started to growl something, but I interrupted.

"Yeah, look, Saffron and I have no idea what you're talking about with this 'Sol disappearing' shit. How about we go up to the Practice Yard? That way if this asshole decides he wants to throw down again we don't ruin your office furniture." Leonard's eyes narrowed and he growled out, "how dare you! Who do you think you are?" I leaned forward, doing my dead level best to keep my face friendly-ish as I replied, "I'm the bitch you stabbed, who's still got your fancy cool chain dagger through my hand. Asshole."

Yeah, I really want to be adult and mature about shit, but that fucking dagger? Hurt like a bitch going in, and I didn't expect it to feel any better coming out.

"You wanna know more than that? Let's go get us some privacy up under the sky. Unless you're afraid to face me up there without all these Cadets to hide behind?" His outraged glare ratcheted up from kill to disintegrate with prejudice, and I hoped like hell his reputation mattered more than him being pissed off at me right now.

This was the guy duBois and Miles both wanted leading the army, and if Saffron wound up getting pulled into that bullshit up north, I wanted her following the best general we had available until she got to the Marshall. After a moment, Headmaster Miles lay a hand on his shoulder, and Lancaster let go of his dagger, then glared at my hand. I let him go, and he stepped away and stood straight, his dagger still rammed through the palm of my left hand.

"Attention Cadets! Volunteer Training begins today. Due to a vastly larger number of recruits than expected from The Yards, all Cadets of all seniorities will be required to expedite the training. Upon completion of breakfast, you are all to report to the back lawn and begin Volunteer Training. Hero Potami?" Her distinctive titanium steel blade of a voice cut through the room, vanishing the moment she finished speaking.

"Yes, Hero Lancaster?"

"Take command of Volunteer Training while I deal with," he nodded toward Saffron and I.

"This."

"As you wish, Hero Lancaster." With that, our little group headed for the Practice Yard, leaving the rest of the Cadets and Cadre to get back to the serious business of eating before a long day of work. When we closed the doors, Saffron turned to the Headmaster and asked, "if this is to be a discussion of Religious matters, I should wear my Holy Garb." Lancaster puffed up, but spoke in a normal volume, "you will not be allowed to flee, Heretic."

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Saffron turned, gracefully, to face him, and said, "why would I flee, Priest? I have the legal, moral, and ethical high ground. You, on the other hand, attacked an innocent Cadet in a clear case of Religious Prejudice." Lancaster started to say something, but Miles cut in again.

"Leonard. Sister Siobhan and Doctor Roberts will escort her to her cell, then the three will join us in the Practice Yard." Big Poppa Lancaster turned to Larry and the Losers.

"Rider. Go with them." He looked down at me.

"You," I lifted my left hand and waggled my fingers in a wave. The splurch of blood from the dagger still sticking out of it might have ruined my attempt at a friendly gesture. In case you're wondering, yes, it hurt like a motherfucker. Okay, that's not fair to motherfuckers, and I are one. But just to remind you, 'soul burned arm tearing itself to pieces for a month'. Next to that? Yeah, this wasn't shit. Headmaster Miles sighed.

"Shall we?" We all walked up to the yard, Headmaster Miles leading the way. I walked just behind him and to his right, letting my still-bleeding left hand leave a nice trail of blood behind him, right in front of Lancaster Senior. Maybe his asshole would spontaneously transform into clumsy and he'd slip, fall down the stairs and break his neck. Okay, I needed this asshole alive, but goddamn my hand hurt. Boss? I am watching, Tabitha. Could have used you back there. This asshole almost murdered Saffron.

A scoffing laugh echoed through my brain, and Loki's invisible hand whapped me lightly in the back of the head. You mean that asshole nearly got himself exceptionally dead attempting to murder Saffron. I rolled my eyes and nodded reluctantly. Well, yeah, but still. Have faith, Champion. I have and shall provide any assistance you require. Thanks Boss. You're the best. I know. Carruthers stepped up beside me, across my trail of blood.

"Doesn't that hurt?"

"Kinda excruciating, yeah."

"Do you want help getting it out?"

"Nah. I'm leaving it there as proof of who got stabby with his own side in the middle of an active war kind of situation." From behind me I heard Larry whisper, "Father! Why do you allow her to speak of you like that?" Laurence hissed out his reply, "silence, runt!" Damn. I must be getting soft. All it took to make me feel sorry for an asshole in human form was another, bigger, asshole. We arrived and moved to the center of the Yard. I stood one paver to the west of the east-west center, facing east.

Carruthers stood just to my left and behind me, slowly shifting to avoid the growing puddle. Headmaster Miles stood to the north of the centerline, his gaze swiveling back and forth between me and Lancaster the Larger. For his part, Lancaster stood ramrod straight, adjusting his dress before going motionless, glaring over my head, refusing to meet my gaze. Larry and Rosen stood behind him, flanking him not unlike Carruthers flanked me. I looked to the sky and chuckled.

"You think this is a laughing matter, Bag?"

"I dunno, Larry. I think it's pretty fuckin' funny that the reports of Sol's demise were a little premature." All three of them spun to face East as the light of false dawn painted the sky. With timing so perfect I had no doubt she'd planned it, Saffron kicked open the eastern doors, striding straight for me, her form sheathed in glowing matte black. I don't know how the fuck that magnificent bastard did it, but he made matte black glow.

She strode straight for me, Sister Siobhan and Doc Roberts hustling along to her flanks, even Rider having to step quick to keep up behind her. I choked down a laugh when I realized that she stood nearly as tall as Sister Siobhan. Along with glowing matte finish, he'd put six inch platforms under Saffron's feet and hidden them behind the dress somehow. I put my left hand... I poked myself with the fucking knife hilt, then put my right hand on my hip and let my left dangle while I started at her approach.

"You might wanna move, Leonard." He spun, opening his mouth to say something, tripped, and stumbled out of the way as Saffron strode right though the spot he'd been standing in, ignoring the Barbies as she walked up to me, cupped my face gently with one hand, then spun to face the Headmaster.

"Headmaster Miles, I must report a crime."

"Go on, Cadet Aetos."

"You intend to confess now, Heretic?" Saffron didn't even bother to look at Lancaster.

"Silence, Priest. Headmaster Miles, I must insist in this instance that you refer to me by my Religious title of High Priestess." One side of Miles mouth quirked up.

"Not High Priestess Above All Others?" Saffron nodded regally.

"That is indeed my full title, but in the interests of time, High Priestess will do. I wish to report an assault on the person of a Councilwoman."

"A serious crime. Your evidence?" Saffron gently took my left wrist and raised my hand, which still dripped blood into the ever growing puddle she stood in. Not like she'd slip in Smith made boots.

"I believe you witnessed who did this."

"Miles, I can't believe you're..." I got this weird anti-tingle from where Saffron gripped my wrist, and her voice killed all other sound in the Yard.

"SILENCE, Priest." The glow from her dress spread in the silence, engulfing the Yard in fuzzy darkness that flowed like syrup. Lancaster's mouth worked, but no sound came out. I watched his wireframe self Shape a Fire Bolt, but other than a pinpoint burn in my wrist where Saffron held it, nothing happened. Saffron spoke, and her voice dropped into the Yard like a lead blanket.

"I call you Priest, because were you a High Priest as you claim, you could ask that minor Divinity you represent to confirm my standing. Should this demonstration prove insufficient, and his feeble, loophole-granted Sight prove insufficient to such a simple divination, have him ask his Senior, the Blood Brother he betrayed. Priest." I couldn't help it; my hindbrain insisted on laughing or giving in to the hotness, and I figured she'd tell me it wasn't the time or some shit.

I chuckled, and the fuzzy darkness vibrated in time to my chuckles, the sound warped beyond all recognition, shaking the pavers where the darkness rubbed against them. A hand groped its way past me to gently touch Saffron's shoulder. Miles' unseeing eyes looked askance at Saffron. My arm tingled, the darkness vanished, my whole body shuddered from sudden exposure as Loki replaced my uniform with The Dress, and she nodded regally to Miles once more.

"Apologies, Headmaster. Someone needed to be taught proper manners." I glanced over to see Leonard standing there with his eyes closed, his lips moving. Larry stood in his own personal puddle. Rider and Rosen had both turned their backs on us and stared at the rising sun, arms held high in greeting.

"So. I for one do not need Odin's confirmation to acknowledge you as a High Priestess, and thus your wife as Councilwoman. As you've stated, we all saw the infraction in question." She just raised an eyebrow.

"I would think crime a more appropriate designation. Still, we are at war. This is not the time to risk one of our finest generals to petty bickering. I remain amenable to dropping any charges, should certain apologies and assurances be granted."

"I am sure Hero Lancaster can be convinced, High Priestess of Domnu." This time Saffron's laugh made me want to piss myself, as my arm anti-tingled and wisps of fuzzy shadow raced her laughter around the Yard.

"No, Headmaster. Should Domnu dare come to Phileo, she'd best come on her knees, begging my Lady's forgiveness, expecting to receive extirpation rather than absolution." I watched the clockwork soul spin.

"No Dan has that command of Domnu's domain. Who else would hold such rancor against her?"

"Mimic," croaked Lancaster. He pushed himself upright, and I totally got why people followed him into battle. That whole 'regal brow, righteous demeanor, asshole that could crush coal into diamonds' thing, he had it in spades.

"She is the Priestess Most High Above All Others of Mimic, the Living Ragnarok, Black Swan with a Thousand Thousand Young."

"Yeah, and she's also Loki's Councilwoman. Speaking of which, I don't think we've really been properly introduced." I spun around Saffron's front, freeing my left hand and taking her left in my right. The Dress swirled around me, flashing the crowd as I failed to give a single solitary fuck about that. Then I strode forward, my left hand held out to shake, dripping a whole line of blood across the pavers.

"I'm Tabitha Diaz, Saffron's wife, Councilwoman of Mimic, Loki's Priestess High set above all others, as well as his Champion." I paused a beat, and before he could continue, I said, "just so you really understand where I'm coming from, please ask Wotan to show you what happened to Artemis and her High Priestess on the Equinox." I waited while his eyes went unfocused. He sucked air in, blew it out, started to hyperventilate just a little bit.

"Okay, looks like you got that. Now, before we go any fucking further, I've got a couple quick questions for you. I don't mean to be rude or anything, they're all really fucking important to me. D'you mind answering?" He jerked a nod, and wheezed out, "ask."

"Okay, first, most important, and this one is for you and the profs too, Headmaster. It got dark yesterday, right?" Doc Roberts chimed in with, "stayed dark, more like."

"Did the darkness hurt anyone?" Headmaster Miles looked around at the others, who all shook their heads. Lancaster wheezed out, "nothing direct, that I've heard. Some injured themselves in their terror."

"Fuck," I whispered.

"Okay, Saffron, I think those are on you. Can you take care of them?" She nodded regally.

"Of course."

"Okay then. You saw what happened on the Equinox, High Priest Lancaster?" His spine straightened.

"Are you threatening me?" I shook my head, held my hand out, palm to the side.

"Of course not, High Priest. Just being sure you have the full context to provide an answer." I leaned toward him conspiratorially.

"Did Mimic's Councilwoman display restraint in response to your unprovoked attack?" He hesitated, and I pushed a Mana Blade through his dagger. Some of it hit the ground, liquid metal steaming in the pool of my blood. Most of it vaporized, and my wound cauterized itself before I dropped the Blade.

"Well, High Priest?" Gotta hand it to this fucker, he had some fuckin gonads.

"She did," he wheezed, still not quaking, nor pissing himself the way Larry'd done. Before I could say anything else, he continued.

"But... Mimic! She is the High Priestess of Mimic! She is the harbinger of anathema!"

"She has expressed which City has Her favor in the upcoming conflict with New Amsterdam." More anti-tingle, and Saffron's statement shut Lancaster up without her having to shout. She looked at her black enameled nails, breathed on them, buffed them against her glowing dress, and looked at them again.

"Of course, should the Hero commanding the Grand Army of Phileo City and Camden Yards fail to apologize for assaulting her Councilwoman, for insulting her High Priestess, or choose to seek petty revenge rather than focusing his considerable talents upon defeating the 'Damn Army, that could change."

"You would extort an apology with threats of turning your Goddess against us?" I just snorted.

"Look, Lenny. Buddy. Pal. You got that backwards. Who stabbed who here? Who called who a liar? Who was a complete dick to two people who have done everything in their power to help out the war effort?" Lancaster Senior glanced at the Headmaster, who shrugged and nodded.

"The largest single group of Volunteers is that recruited by Saffron, Tabitha, and their squad of sisters." Lancaster had the grace to look impressed by that. Then he spoiled it by saying, "second largest, you mean. I have brought three men in four from Lancaster House's Volunteers." Miles just smiled, the clockwork soul about to tear Big Poppa Lancaster a new one with just a few simple words.

"I did not misspeak, Leonard." For whatever reason, that finally got the fucking wax out of his goddamned ears. He turned to the pair of us, standing there hand in hand, red and black dresses fluttering in the morning breeze. He squared his shoulders, took a step toward me, took my hand and shook it.

"My apologies for inadvertently harming you, Councilwoman." He turned to Saffron, and if the look on his face said he'd just been force fed a kumquat through his asshole, what came out of his mouth in lieu of said kumquat was, "I apologize for any inadvertent offense I caused you, High Priestess." After a pause he continued, "although some of your statements might have been considered offensive in turn."

She nodded, my hand anti-tingled, and sound died when she spoke, "I apologize for any pain I caused by forcing you to hear unpleasant truths, High Priest." We stood there, staring at each other, until Headmaster Miles cleared his throat.

"Leonard, I believe some assurances regarding retaliation were requested?" Lancaster Senior just snorted, making a throwing away gesture.

"Such petty squabbling is beneath a Lancaster. Rest assured, should the Cadets perform their duties to the measure, they shall receive nothing but righteous rewards for their efforts on behalf of Phileo, just as any Cadet who serves will." I didn't really hear Larry whine, and I didn't see Lancaster Senior move, but Larry flew backward, tumbling to a stop near the wall.

He pushed himself half upright, and while he looked to have a bit of blood dripping from his mouth, I knew nobody trained by duBois would be down for the count from a simple split lip.

"High Priestesses, if those apologies and assurances are sufficient?" Saffron nodded, and I said, "sure."

"Then let this be the end of this matter, at least until such time as the current unpleasantness with New Amsterdam is finished. At that time I will wish to speak with you both, as might many others on the Council and in the Temples." I shrugged.

"Sounds fair. I got no problem with talking. I can talk all day."

"So it seems. Very well. Cadets?" We glanced at each other, then snapped to attention.

"Yes, Hero Lancaster?"

"Report to Hero Potami once you've changed back into uniform. I expect to see you when I join her this afternoon."

"Sir, yes, sir!" we chorused, and then, following my lead, Saffron and I skipped out of the Yard. The moment we broke line of sight we sprinted for our room.

"Holy Shit, Saff. I see where Isnomi gets those gargantuan cajones now," I said as we helped each other strip out of our boots and get our uniforms back on. No idea what Loki'd done with the one I wore this morning. Its here, you can pick it up Monday. Thanks, Boss. You're the best. I know.

"Of all the times to get my nethers in an uproar, Diaz. I will have my vengeance tonight!" Sadly, she did not get her vengeance that night, nor did she get it the following morning or night. I can't say Lancaster was being petty, because every fuckin' Cadet at the Academy worked their goddamned asses off, not just us. Hell, by the end of the second day even Hero Potami looked Less Than Fresh.

But by the time we hit the sack at the end of the day on Thursday, the mismatched batches of mercenaries, leg breakers, patriots, and adventurers we'd recruited were actually starting to look and move just a little bit like an army rather than a herd. Not a whole lot, mind you. But a little bit.