Core of Confliction Read online

  Inside, Ganna and the medics worked quickly to clean and close up the wounds. Trinon lay on the table his eyes still open from the shock. Not a tear could be found. He had not cried through the whole ordeal his hands literally declawed. The look of defeat and resolve on Trinon’s face told Modas what he already knew. Trinon would not give up, even now.

  “He’s doing so well, it kind of scares me.” Ganna was finishing up with the bandages. On many wounds they were fine being closed up but with manbeasts and their claws it was a lot more complicated. “I want to keep him sedated for a few days.”

  “Fine.” Modas touched Trinon’s brow and traced their shape.

  “Do not let him out of your sight! That boy is stubborn and you know it.”

  “He won’t be going anywhere.”

  Jaron kissed the top of his head. Modas left the room and she followed, neither saying a word. There would be no sleep tonight.

  Jaron and Modas’ children sat in the recreation room attached to their commune. The silence was deafening until a sniffle was heard. Una sat with her knees drawn in, head down on top. Und sat next to her, his legs stretched straight out and his arms laid flat on either side of him. Mara paced while chewing her nails. Jakar was trying to get Mota to snap out of whatever state he was now in. He would not speak, just sat on the floor staring into emptiness.

  “I cannot understand what you are going through if you don’t tell me.” Mota’s eyes rotated to Jakar’s voice. “No one forced him up there. He needs to learn more discipline. This happens to be a horrible way for him to learn it.”

  “His claws may not grow back properly.” Mara said between teeth and nail.

  “He’s stronger than he looks. Do not underestimate him. They will come back just as strong.”

  Mota finally moved by leaning forward and taking a shuddering breath. “I pushed him too hard. It seemed like fun at the time but…”

  “He’s hard headed and easily provoked. Reminds me of our departed brother.”

  “Yes, he is just like Hon,” Mara piped up and laughed a little.

  “Go see him.” Jakar didn’t yell but Mota heard it as a command. He got up and left.

  **~**

  Going over scenarios on the tabletop holoscreen in the battle chamber, Rass heard footsteps echoed through the hallway, leaving him little time to prepare himself for Kur’s intrusion. So it’s not just Halfar he ambushes, he thought to himself. He turned his attention to the double doors but Kur was already so close to him they shared the same breath. His eyes bore into Rass’ like hot coals. Rass smiled at him sweetly.

  “What may I…”

  “Where is he?” Spittle flew into Rass’ face and he calmly wiped it off. “You will tell me!”

  “He is tending to some important business that does not pertain to you.”

  “I have searched this palace and this planet and he is not here!”

  “Surely, you are mistaken. Why don’t you…”

  “I will not be made a fool of!”

  “Step away.” Rass extended a razor sharp talon at Kur’s neck. This was tiring and irritating.

  “Are you threatening me?”

  Rass sighed and tilted his head to one side. Before Kur could react, he swung his arm and knocked him across the room into the wall.

  “I told you to step away. Breathing the same air is not ideal for me.”

  Using the same words Kur had said to him so long ago, he turned back to checking on Halfar’s armada from his holoscreen. He heard the dragging of hard shell on marble floor.

  “Don’t.” He pulled out a plasma ray gun and aimed it at Kur without even looking at him. The dragging stopped.

  “You will regret this.” He heard Kur seethe before the doors slammed shut and Rass was alone again.

  When he felt Kur had gone far enough away from the battle room, Rass left and headed for the other side of the palace. In the hallway leading to Halfar’s private chamber, Rass glanced at the indicator on his wrist telling him the secret gate he created was opening. He had to get there to close it right as Halfar stepped out before Kur could sense the vortex. In conjunction with keeping a constant look out for movement around him he had to make sure none of Kur’s enforcers, or the man himself, were following him.

  As he neared the hall, a gust of air blew in making a large sucking sound. Halfar stepped out of the vortex onto the palace floor and Rass typed in commands on his wrist band to close it. They stood face to face for a moment then Halfar turned.

  “Walk with me,” his ruler commanded.

  “Kur has been scouring the planet and the palace for you. He even tried to attack me.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “No idea.” Halfar stopped short. “He did not follow me,” Rass reassured him.

  They continued their fast paced walk to the throne room, bursting in to find Kur waiting for them. He smiled and bowed at Halfar.

  “My lord, you were sorely missed today.”

  “I did not know I was expected to be in anyone’s presence.”

  “You have been in the palace all this time?” He asked, his tone dripping honey.

  Halfar’s face twitched as he settled into his throne. “Where else would I be, Kur?”

  “I am only concerned for your well-being in these tumultuous times. We are at war with the humans, as dull as that may be.”

  “There’s an uprising off the coast of Spain. If you wish, I can dispatch my enforcers to regain the region.” Rass interrupted. “I believe my army is better equipped to handle them.”

  Kur was not to be ignored. “In that case, I will go with MY enforcers. The last thing we need is the ocean turning red with unnecessary bloodshed. Your enforcers are nothing but barbarians!”

  Rass feinted hostility as Halfar commanded he do so in these situations. Kur gave a smirk and strolled pass him in triumph. Rass sighed with relief and shut the double doors to the throne room.

  “Now that he is gone, how fares your pregnant mate?”

  **~**

  Chardon ate like a manbeast after battle just to keep her appetite at bay. She was not happy with the amount of food but knew it was necessary. Her time was near, she was due to deliver soon. Jaron had been around earlier to help with preparations. For some reason she did not feel strange or uneasy as everyone said she would be. Then, again, Chardon was not like the others of her race. That’s why she was leader. Her strength and power were unmatched; it was her emotional state that made her weak at times.

  “Feeling better, I see.”

  She noticed Ganna going over to the bed to straighten out the covers. The scientist had not left Chardon alone all day. She kept coming in unannounced to check on her.

  “I’ve been eating.” Chardon shoved another piece of grilled meat in her mouth.

  “That’s good, you will need all the energy you can muster.”

  “Really? I was under the impression my being conscious was not necessary since you plan to cut him out of me.”

  Ganna paused mid cleaning and didn’t dare look over her shoulder at Chardon. It was an option she had floated around only to receive instant resistance from Halfar and the medical workers, but she would still do it if she could get away with it. The scientist in her called for it.

  “It would have been an evasive procedure that you would not have gotten away with.” Ganna flinched, satisfying Chardon with her reaction.

  Halfar barely made it back in time to see the bloody slimy mess of child birth occurring in Chardon’s chamber with at least five other witnesses packed in. Coming around to the foot of the bed, he saw Ganna gently pulling out a gelatinous membrane encased around a tiny life with equally tiny black talons. The sounds of it coming out reminded him of the last time he accidently stepped on fresh entrails during a battle.

  The membrane was set in a large bowl at the foot of the bed and Ganna carefully sliced it open to reveal the child. Laying the filleted membrane open faced, she dug into his mouth and nostrils with her fingers and e
xtracted the protective tissue simultaneously.

  A high pitched wail filled the room and he swiped at her, his tiny razor sharp talons grazing her cheek leaving three thin lines of blood. She picked him up and went to the wash basin to clean him off. One of the medical workers handed her a small blanket to wrap him in.

  “Here he is.” Ganna gave the little monster to Chardon then went to the mirror to examine her face.

  Chardon reached into a basket near the head of her bed and palmed a handful of bandage cloth. “Help me.” She motioned to Halfar.

  Together they loosely bound up his tiny claws so no one else would get sliced open. After that was done, she hoisted him up high by his under arms for inspection. The tiny slits of his eyes opened and he stared at her with the same strange green as his father. His hair was black as pitch with honey brown streaks the color of Chardon’s. She handed their child over to him and he was frightened to hold him.

  “What shall we name him?” He asked her as his eyes laid transfixed on his son, mewing and clicking sounds bubbly from his tiny lips. Lending a finger, he watched the little one take hold and open his mouth. A row of sharp tiny teeth were exposed and before Halfar could snatch his finger back, the little one chomped down. Droplets of blood formed around it.

  Seeing that, Chardon made a decision. “His name will be Farin.”

  “That’s quite appropriate.” Jaron snorted. "It means feral fangs in our culture."

  Halfar smiled at that. He liked how it fit the little one perfectly. Farin let go of the finger, yawned, and then shivered.

  “He’s cold.” Chardon tossed the blanket to him and Halfar wrapped him back in it. Farin warmed up after only a few minutes and fell asleep.

  “How sweet he is for such a creature.” Ganna mused to herself then her face froze realizing she had said it out loud. She winced when silence filled the room. Halfar knew how she felt about manbeasts, or similar species, and frowned.

  Jaron seemed to feel the same as he did and was also not amused by Ganna’s remark. Just because a child is born with talons does not make them a monster. She went over to take a look at the sleeping Farin being held in Halfar’s arms.

  "He's quite cute like a baby manbeast without the fur," she said glaring over at Ganna.

  A small blue light flashed on the back of Halfar’s hand, signaling his time was up for now. He struggled with his emotions of wanting to stay at Chardon’s side or go back to deal with Earth once and for all.

  Standing, he handed the sleeping bundle to Chardon, kissing them both on the forehead before grabbing his cloak and heading out the door. Rass would cover for him always but it was getting harder to go back and forth while Kur lurked in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to finish them both off. Ahead, he saw Modas opening the gate for his return.

  “This won’t be necessary for much longer,” he told the manbeast as he stepped onto the platform. “We can go over strategy soon.”

  Modas’ fingers worked the console as he replied. “We will help get you off Earth but,” he looked up from his work, “you have to deal with Kur on your own.”

  “You’re right.” Halfar entered the vortex and disappeared.

  Four:

  Ready to Strike

  Rass moved the remains of his meal around on the plate in front of him not having much of an appetite anymore. The great dining hall table had a capacity to seat fifty but today only his lord and he were present. It too was pure white from floor to ceiling. Two servants stood in wait on opposite sides of the room to serve them. Halfar sat across from him, twenty feet away, on the other end of the table after just informing him of what needed to be done about Kur. Something about it pained him and he didn’t like the way he was feeling.

  “Can you do it?” Rass was surprised he had been ignoring Halfar. He had not heard anything his ruler said after the instructions.

  “You have asked me that even before this and the answer is still yes.”

  “Then why are you not enthused about it?”

  “As you’ve said, I was in love with him once.”

  “Are you still? Do you think he will miraculously change?”

  Rass tossed the fork down onto the plate and sat back in the chair sideways. “I am not a fool, no.” He squinted in aggravation at the thought of Kur. “He has made it clear I am not ideal.”

  “You really should find a mate soon. I worry about you.”

  “Hmm? This, coming from our ruthless ruler who decided to fall in love after centuries of conquests? I’ll have you know, battles are what drive me, not love. Besides,” he put his feet up on the edge of the table, “How can I be an objective General, all lovelorn and what not?”

  More servants came in to clear away the table and Halfar noticed the half eaten food on Rass’ plate.

  “Not hungry this evening?”

  “Earth food is disgusting.”

  “But you do get quite a variety.”

  Kur burst into the dining hall with all the flair of an entertainer.

  “How fares my lord and his minion?” He did a quick bow, smirking as he came up to the edge of the table. His sing song introduction grated on both their sensibilities.

  “Did you come for dinner?” Rass motioned to the spread of food being taken away. “We are finished but there is plenty left for you.”

  Kur crinkled his nose at the human food. “Disgusting.” He came further into the room and made his report. “I have secured the Asian border so they will not be a problem for our forces.” The emphasis on ‘I’ was noticed. “By the way, when is the Armada coming down to raze the surface?”

  “Once we are all in position for a unified attack. I believe we are at forty percent?”

  “Oh,” was all Kur could muster as an answer.

  Rass could see him thinking about it. It did make sense and he would just had to wait a little longer for his plan to ambush Halfar during the attacks.

  “Yes, that is correct. Rest assured, we will be ready on schedule.” He bowed and exited.

  Halfar drummed his fingers on the arm rests. He knew exactly what Kur was thinking and it gave him all the more reason to unleash Rass on him when the time came. Locking eyes with Rass on the other end, he nodded. Rass stood and bowed out as well to make his own battle plans.

  Alone in the dining hall, Halfar leaned back and thought of his new born son. A smile crept on his face. It was the first child he ever had and couldn’t figure out why it had taken him so long to understand the meaning of procreation. A century of frolicking produced none because he made sure it did not. Child rearing was the last thing on his agenda. Until now.

  **~**

  Farin could be vicious when provoked but that didn’t stop Ganna from trying to take him for some extra testing of his biological system. While the guardians at the sandbox were preoccupied, Ganna snuck in and snatched the sleeping infant without disturbing the other baby beasts.

  She paid for it dearly when he woke up as they entered the lab and bit into her arm, the swiping motion of his head opening a nasty gash in her flesh. That is how Chardon found her in the search for her son; Ganna bleeding profusely cursing the infant as she tossed him aside against a nearby table to tend her wounds.

  “You little monster! I’d dissect you if I thought no one would miss you.” She had the sealing tool in her hands when she turned and saw Mara, with Chardon, standing in the doorway. Immersed in her own treatment, she had not seen Chardon enter the medical chamber with Mara right behind her. There was a simmering of malice in both their eyes that left Ganna cold inside. She smiled sweetly.

  “Chardon! I was going to find you later. I needed to do a check up on your little one so I brought him here.” Their expressions did not change.

  Mara went around Chardon and retrieved Farin. With him safely in her arms, she left the chamber. Whatever was about to happen, she wanted no part of it. Ganna felt she may have gone too far this time.

  “I would like to think you were blinded by some sick sense of
scientific discovery but knowing how you really feel about manbeasts and my child, who is similar, I believe you have an intense hatred for them.” Chardon stepped closer to her. “But, you made an error. That child you are so intent on dissecting is MY child.”

  She grabbed Ganna by the neck with lightning speed and picked her up from the floor. Ganna gagged dropping the sealing tool. Blood dripped onto the floor below creating a small pool. With the other hand, Chardon was in the process of forming an energy ball but was interrupted.

  “Stop!”

  Jaron flew into the room and knocked Ganna out of Chardon’s grip. Her body landed against an operating table and she slid down touching her neck.

  “She is not worth it!” Jaron pulled Chardon away, leaving Ganna to herself. “Come away!”

  As they left the chamber, not bothering to shut the door, and into the clearing, Chardon whirled on Jaron who was ready to defend herself. “Why did you stop me?” she seethed calmly.

  “Because, we don’t need to explain the death of our lead medical healer. Whether you like it or not, we still need her.”

  “She is no better than Sestis.”

  Jaron’s head snapped upward. “What do you mean?” Chardon turned away from her and headed for the sandbox. “She couldn’t have! Chardon!” She went after her almost running.

  Ganna crawled over to the sealing tool and used it to close her wound. Hearing the way Jaron yelled in surprise, she figured Chardon would have to tell her about Sestis. Can't keep all your secrets hidden much longer, leader.

  Jakar had his little siblings to play with but when Mara came in, Farin in tow, he couldn’t help but take him up for inspection. The tiny hands bandaged up made him frown. Was that really necessary? They stared at each other silently for a long time making it a peculiar sight when Jaron and Chardon walked in. It was endearing, if could say so himself.