Malaran still stood on the wall, looking over the carnage, but her mind raced trying to figure out how she could make it to Lapenya to hunt down the Enemy. Aadi might lock her up in one of the underground bunkers after hearing of an assassination attempt in her citadel.
Suddenly the sound of shattering glass grabbed her attention, and she looked up towards the priory tower as a sparkling fountain of broken glass, outlined in a midnight-blue aura, spilled from a window several stories above the wall. A figure in a black robe shot through the window, through the rain of broken glass, landing in a forward roll and springing her to her feet as though the three-story leap had been nothing.
It probably was nothing to Kalima. Malaran had seen her in action before.
Kalima glanced down at the chopped apart bodies and then focused her eyes on Malaran. “Are you okay?”
Of all the words she expected from Kalima, those were not very high on the list. Kalima still found ways to surprise her. Malaran just nodded her head, not thinking of any better response.
Malaran did suddenly get hit with a twinge of guilt. All these people died -- were slaughtered -- trying to defend her. Malaran had so been focused on fighting the Calistite and so adrenaline-charged that she didn't even pause to think about these poor people. She hadn't been too happy when Aadi had sent away Leela and the rest of her security detail and replaced them with these strangers, but these were still people. People who were sliced apart by daito blades while trying to save her life.
The whole sadness of it suddenly hit her in the gut, and she knew it would engulf her and maybe even make her cry if she let it. But she didn't let it. She pushed the emotion back and refocused on her situation. She took a deep breath and tried to get the key information out before the security forces arrived and took her away. "A traitor, a Calistite, came for me with daito blades. One with at least a little mastery of the red energy of the Enemy.”
Kalima did raise an eyebrow at this.
Malaran motioned her to the battlements, and they both looked down at the broken body of the would be assassin.
If Kalima recognized the Calistite, she kept it to herself. "It looks like she had twenty or thirty years on you," she said. There was the barest hint of puzzlement when she asked, "How?"
Malaran shrugged her shoulders. “A form of Past-Sight, I suppose. I tapped into the memories and training of an old Agema soldier who had trained to fight a swordmaster.”
Kalima did exhibit a very subtle mental flinch at this. Her lip moved just slightly as though she intended to speak, but then she stopped. Instead, she just nodded her head.
Malaran found herself raising an eyebrow at this, but then quickly got back to the task. "I need to get to out of here. I know where the Enemy is. Or will be. But once Aadi learns of this mess, he will lock me away in a bunker or worse. You have to help me.”
Kalima didn't show much reaction but nodded her head. Hers eyes seemed to be processing everything that was happening.
In streaks of purple and yellow, five vispas shot up over the wall and landed near Kalima, their giant wings creating a lot of wind until they set down. Four vispas bore riders in the purple and black camo-suits while the remaining vispa bore only a riding saddle. As Malaran watched the riders, she realized they were all female. Calistites.
Malaran slid into Windbreaker stance as she eyed the newcomers. How far had the Enemy infiltrated the Order?
With a slight wave of the wrist, Kalima dismissed Malaran’s response. “These are mine.”
Malaran relaxed a little. As she looked them over again, she thought she recognized everybody now. All from her own priory, all students of Kalima.
Just then one of the riders tossed her a bundle that Malaran snatched out of the air. A camo-suit. And an animal-control amulet. A toy to the ancients, but an important piece of technology on a low-technology world.
“I can’t say that I think going off to attack the Enemy now is the best strategy,” said Kalima, “In fact, it sounds rather stupid.”
Malaran cringed a little when Kalima said that.
“But,” said Kalima, “I do think it might be a good idea to get you safe and out of the way until we can sort everything out.”
That was better than nothing Malaran thought as she pulled on the camo-suit over her clothes, sliding the face cover over her nose and mouth as she adjusted the hood. Only her eyes remained unhidden. Once she got away from the citadel, she could make her way to Lapenya with or without the Calistites.
“You could come with me,” said Malaran. “We could strike down the Enemy together. Like we did before on the starship.” That had been the moment where everything had changed between her and Kalima, where Kalima had become more than just an overly strict teacher.
Kalima showed slight amusement as she glanced to where her right arm should be, the arm she lost in their little adventure, and then her expression turned sharper. “Now isn’t the time to strike.” She stepped closer to Malaran and lowered her voice. “The Umpala are near.”
“I know,” said Malaran. “I saw a vision as well. I also saw the Enemy at Lapenya. I must go there. I feel destiny tugging me there.”
Kalima did show some surprise at this. Others probably wouldn’t have noticed, but Malaran had trained with Kalima most of her life. “Lapenya? A vision revealed the Enemy at Lapenya?”
Malaran nodded. "A figure hidden in shadow. I couldn't make out the form or the face, but there was a being there able to hide from Sight."
Kalima signaled for Malaran to mount up on the vispa as she seemed to ponder the information about the Enemy.
As Malaran buckled into the saddle, she glanced at the other Calistites and then back to Kalima. “More babysitters?”
Kalima shook her head slightly. “They will aid you the best they can.” Kalima stepped closer and said, “If destiny beckons you to Lapenya, then to Lapenya you must go.”
Malaran nodded, but her mind was racing, trying to figure out if Kalima was manipulating her somehow again. Kalima had said a moment earlier that striking at the enemy was stupid, but then a moment later told Malaran to follow her destiny. She just didn’t have time to worry about it too much now. She had to get away from the citadel before everything got locked down.
“Do what you can to keep the alliance between the Order and Aadi from completely falling apart,” said Malaran as she buckled her riding helmet on, “but the harm might be too much. And just as all hell is about to break loose.”
Malaran activated the animal-control amulet and felt the familiar sensation buzzing in her head; then she focused back on Kalima. “And watch your back. There’s no telling how many other people the Enemy has turned. There may be other Calistites working against us.”
Kalima held back a slight smile, and just gently nodded her head.
Malaran realized suddenly with all the adrenaline in her system from the battle with the rogue Calistite and the vision of the Enemy that she had been almost practically giving orders to the Prioress just now. A few weeks ago she would have paid dearly for such a mistake, but things had changed with Kalima.
Malaran touched minds with her vispa, bringing it airborne several feet. The other riders did the same.
Over the buzzing of the wings, Malaran looked down at Kalima. It suddenly struck her that with the way events were heading, this might be the last time they would see each other. She forced back the sadness once more, and Malaran bowed her head and touched her forehead with her fist, the most formal kind of salute that was typically only used on very special occasions. “I’ll never forget all that you’ve done for me, Prioress Kalima Maria Varma,” Malaran shouted over the noise of the vispa wings and the alarm still sounding through the citadel.
As the vispas rose and began to turn, Malaran shockingly heard Kalima’s voice in her ear, some Calistite trick projecting her normal speaking voice through the distance and the background noise, "I don't have any intentions of dying soon, Princess Malaran Ashoka. I’d be sorely disappointed if you d
idn’t intend to outlive me. The universe still holds much in store. Perhaps, just maybe, you are the Procellatrix.”