A SPARTAN'S WAR

SOLMAR

NORTHERN JUNGLE PLAINS

FEBRUARY 5TH, 0435 HRS EST

Kelelm watched as Sehri leaned slightly across the front of Andro's body holding his shoulder while he inspected her wound once more. All around them civilian men, women and children rested quietly under the canopy of the temperate jungle. The mild humidity was nothing new to them since they had been here for many months and sometimes years. Most of them were simply thrilled to be alive and all of it was due to the male and female Spartans all around them, led by their Crown Prince. Kelelm had been slightly surprised at the lack of complaining by the civilians. The Bontawillian were on odd looking people who did not appear used to such physical labor. Not a single one of them stopped or demanded to rest as they made their way through the undergrowth. They moved as quickly as they were able in very simple groups that stuck together and helped one another, all the while putting their trust in the Union Spartans. Kelelm saw many of these soldiers carrying small Bontawillian children and sharing what rations they had with the many civilians. The civilians were not in the least bit frightened of the soldiers as most Rothryn would be of the military. They actually seemed to look up to them in many ways.

Kelelm moved his eyes back to where Andro and his brother were, Daio sitting only a few feet from his prince next to Dorian. The two massive dragon beasts sat stretched out behind Andro and Dorian, their heads resting on wickedly curved talon equipped feet, but their eyes taking everything in. Andro's fingers gently probed the skin along Sehri's side in a manner that the vast majority of Rothryn women would consider inappropriate from a man they were not mated to and hardly knew. This did not seem to faze his sister Sehri in the least, and while his touch was only to check her for further injuries, Kelelm knew from the look on her face that there was much more to it and Sehri was already well aware of what she felt.

"The pain is gone?" Andro asked her.

Sehri nodded quickly. "Not even a throbbing in my side anymore." She answered. "My leg however…"

Andro nodded his head with a small smile as he lowered his fatigue top that she wore and then reattached her body armor. "You've been using it that's why." He stated. "I'm pretty sure I recommended you didn't."

Kelelm watched his sister stick her tongue out at him as he refastened her upper armor and then settle to the ground. Sehri quickly scooted over between his legs, her hands grasping his left arm as it draped over her shoulder in an almost possessive manner. Kelelm had read as much as he was able to obtain on these Lycavorian people after his father told him he would be coming here. Denali and Lisisa both supplied him with as much material as he wanted to read. Kelelm was now convinced, like his father, mother and Sehri, that the Rothryn people were simply an offshoot of the Lycavorian people as a whole. An offshoot that could not shift their forms, but were identical in every other way. The instinctual nature of these Lycavorians was written about extensively in what Kelelm had read, and it seemed that Sehri was embracing it far faster than anyone else realized. Kelelm was happy for her really. Sehri was the youngest of his sisters and because she was a member of the Circle of Shamans she was very different from Osbela and Ibani. She was far stronger in her Etheric abilities than her older sisters and in many ways they hated that about her. They also teased her mercilessly about having never been with a man and how she would not know what to do if ever the situation came up. Kelelm had to smile to himself because Osbela and Ibani had been thinking that they would be the ones to vie for Androcles's attention. They would be very angry with Sehri when they discovered Androcles Leonidas had eyes only for Sehri if what Kelelm could tell was any indication.

"We are much further away from the settlement than I thought we would achieve given all of the civilians." Kelelm stated as he shook his mind clear of those thoughts. He watched Androcles hand Sehri a brown ration bar after taking a bite out of it and beginning to chew. His sister didn't hesitate and began to gnaw on the ration bar.

Andro nodded his head towards him. "You will find that most of the citizens of the Union are in excellent physical condition Kelelm, regardless of how frail they look outwardly." Andro answered. "My mother and others have seen to their well being for decades and they have made sure everyone is as healthy as they can be."

"Your… your Hadarian mother?" Kelelm asked hesitantly.

Dorian chuckled softly. "Have no fear Kelelm… it will take some time to get used to the fact that we draw no distinction between any of our mothers. They all speak with the same stern voice regardless of which one gave life to us. It is sometimes confusing when we speak of them because some don't know to which one we are referring."

"How true." Andro spoke with a grin. "And yes… I was referring to our Hadarian mother Colonel."

Kelelm looked at Dorian. "You… you call all of them mother?"

"All of them have had a hand in raising us." Andro answered. "Well… except for Cirith, but from what I understand she is making up for that with Fedor and Eirene."

Kelelm looked at Dorian. "You are Dorian… brother to Androcles. A Prince of the Union as well?" He asked. "I must say… your skills are impressive."

Dorian smiled. "Not bad for someone who is only four months old huh?" He stated.

Kelelm looked at him and then to Andro. "Four… four months? I don't understand… you are fully grown."

Dorian smiled again. "There is a story to that… trust me." He answered as he took a long pull from the container of water. "Someday one of us will understand it enough to explain it to you."

Andro chuckled at the look on Kelelm's face. "Don't ask me. I was lost when mother began to rattle off the molecular structure thingy." He spoke as turned his head and watched Jeth's massive body land light footed in the small clearing fifty meters away. Kelelm watched his face as he saw his petite sister jump causally from the saddle and then head towards where they sat. The monstrous dragon moved to settle beside the obsidian colored beast that Kelelm knew to be Androcles's dragon. Kelelm watched as Lisisa began to settle to the ground next to her younger brother.

"You and Daio were right Andro." She stated confidently. "They swarmed all over the settlement but didn't pursue." Lisisa stated as she nudged Dorian in the shoulder and he moved over on the ground to allow her to perch her butt on the dry leaves where he handed her the container of water.

Andro nodded and Sehri looked up into his face. "This Azlenr is no fool." He said. "His dossier was very extensive. He and this General Byka are two of their best officers as far as Armetus and Marci are concerned. At least those who operate strictly on the ground."

"He knew we would have the advantage if they pursued with their DAGGERS." Lisisa said. "We could blow them out of the sky from under this canopy and they would never know where we hit them from."

Andro nodded. "You can bet they will be out in force come daybreak though." He said. "We will be long gone by then however."

"How have you kept your base hidden?" Sehri asked. "Wouldn't they be able to pinpoint it from orbit?"

"Normally yes… if you wish to call it a base at all." He answered her with a larger smile that did not go unnoticed to Lisisa.

Lisisa was not as close to Andro as Zarah or Eliani but she knew her brother well enough. It was obvious to any Lycavorian that Sehri was to be his, and her scent and interaction with him made it very clear she was very much in agreement with that arrangement. No male among their people would approach Sehri once they recognized that, not because Andro was crown Prince, but because it was the honorable thing to do. Lisisa could sense Sehri's vivid Mindvoice resonance and how it echoed for Andro, but she could also feel the echo for Sadi and the others. Considering that the Rothryn people were Lycavorians who could not shift, Lisisa could detect the strength of Sehri's fever buried beneath her attempts at suppressing it. It was the fever of a pureblood Lycavorian, of that Lisisa was sure without question. It would be very interesting to see how the Rothryn were received by Lycavorians across the Union, as well as how they would be accepted by the Rothryn people.

"We have taken to using some of the very first Pralor designed devices our engineers built after we discovered CS41." Andro explained to Sehri. "One of those discoveries was a masking device that hides personnel and ships from orbital or ground sensors. It is not unlike our Shrouds. It can't be used on a massive scale, but for the size of our base it suits our needs for the moment."

"It helps that Kavalian sensors are not as accurate as ours either." Lisisa continued.

"What about Elynth and the others?" Sehri asked.

"All dragons have some sort of reflecting composition within the molecular structure of their scales." Andro answered. "It makes all of them invisible to any known sensors."

Elynth lifted her head and butted Andro in the back of the shoulder. And sometimes our own riders. She stated humorously.

Andro turned and looked at her. You can't hold that against me. He exclaimed.

And why not? Elynth asked smugly.

Sister… I was… I was…

You were as drunk as I have ever seen. You could barely stand up. It was a wonder you even found your way back to the villa.

Lisisa laughed softly. "Oh Elynth… you'll have to tell me more!" She spoke quickly. "I've never heard this story! Andro drunk? Now that is bound to be hilarious!"

"Yes!" Dorian spoke. "I want to hear that too!"

Andro turned to look at them sternly but he could not hold the expression and even Kelelm laughed. He was able to hear what the dragon had said since his Etheric abilities were far above average for the Rothryn people, much more so than his younger brothers. Sehri was by far the most powerful in her Etheric abilities, followed by their mother and father and then his sisters and himself. The extent of Sehri's abilities had never been made public because she would have been forced to surrender herself to the Rothryn Etheric Academy which was a very mysterious and sometimes repressive institution if what he heard was accurate. It is why their parents chose to have Sehri schooled by the Circle of Shamans in secret, something that Kelelm had supported fully.

Kelelm was amazed at the strong sense of confidence and calm that swept these men and women even though they were in an extremely dangerous situation. Their humor also helped to make everyone around them relax. His eyes fell once more to his youngest sister. Her fingers absently stroked the simple bridle on Andro's left hand that allowed him to call forth his shield from Flatspace. It was the same hand he had seen that psychic knife explode from. As his eyes lifted, he looked at her face and saw a happiness that had never been there before. He had seen her laugh and smile and show happiness, but what he saw in her face now as she looked at Andro and felt his left arm draw her tighter, it was far more than he had ever seen before.

All heads turned as Dantio made his appearance and lowered his 190A4. "Sa'roh and the others have landed." He stated simply. "One klick northeast of here. A large clearing just before you leave the jungle canopy and hit the beach."

Andro nodded his head and got to his feet, pulling Sehri with him. "Very well." He said. "Let's get everyone moving. As quietly as possibly. Daio… take point with Dorian and Lisisa. Sehri and I will follow with the civilians. Dantio… take your team and make sure we missed no one following us."

Dantio nodded. "If we stumble across someone?" He asked.

Andro's answer was quick and very much to the point. "Kill them."