The Nian Chronicles
Chapter Nine

Colonists stared at the twins and Linae as they passed through the new village. Some Dancers followed, none with friendly faces.

“This doesn’t look good,” Linae whispered as the murmuring became hostile around them.

Alaene inhaled to calm her nerves. “We can only do our best.”

When Dancers ahead blocked their way, Alaene halted. One moved forward to challenge her. It was Saren! “What do you want here, Commander Alaene?”

“I’ve come to talk with your leaders. I’d like to see Zabor, also.”

Saren snickered. “Very well. You won’t be welcomed by our Governor, but you may follow me.”

Alaene frowned as she did so, the Younglings trailing her.

“They have a governor now?” Linae muttered to the twins.

“Who do you think it is?” they answered, but Linae only shrugged.

Surely it isn’t Zabor? Alaene wondered.

Saren led her to the same clearing in which she had played ball with Zabor and others. A crowd gathered as she followed Saren, and Alaene looked for Zabor’s gold and black wings among them. Who she found was Nadia sitting on a rock with a small group of Nian attendants, including Ardena and Kalec.

“Well, well,” Nadia snapped. “What do we have here? Is this an embassy or a war party?”

Nadia was still ill-tempered as ever, and by the looks of the gathering, her attitude had rubbed off on others. “I come in peace, Nadia.”

Her nemesis laughed. “The only ones who come in peace are those who join us. Everyone else fights and argues; even your precious council plans to force us back to the village! Are you the one sent to declare war? I see only Younglings with you. How do you expect to enforce anything with them?”

Alaene shook her head. “You’ve been told wrong, Nadia. No one intends to force the deserters back.”

“Deserters?” Nadia mocked. “What have I deserted? If you ask me, the Nia deserted me by making me a Dancer! I could have lived a happy life as something else, but no! I had to be a Dancer and fight enemies because my pretty wings would attract a monster’s attention; because I should get eaten to let the villagers hide from a myth that doesn’t exist!”

“Being a Dancer is an honor, Nadia!” Alaene challenged. “And in case you haven’t noticed, other animals from the Histories have also come through the forest. If those are real, so are the Lizia.”

Nadia glared at her.” I don’t see any flying lizards, yet.”

“They’ll be here soon! And we have a new weapon to defend the village. We have--”

“Stop it!” Nadia interrupted. “I don't want to hear anymore nonsense about fighting scary myths that don’t exist!”

Alaene clenched her teeth. “I appeal unto you, Nadia, to convince your people to return! We need all the help we can get. You are vulnerable on the edge of the forest. The Lizia will see this section of the village on the edge and attack you first.”

Nadia laughed so hard she nearly fell off her rock. “I don’t know what’s funnier--that you actually believe this fairy tale or that you’re trying to convince me! And what if we don’t come back, Alaene? Will your troops fight to make us go back?”

“No one is coming to force you, Nadia. The council voted against that! I was just there today!”

“So was my informant, and he said otherwise. Minister Zabor! Tell me again what you heard!”

Alaene jerked as Zabor eased around the rock. He had been there all along!

“I heard the entire council in an uproar about attacking us,” he said quietly. “And although Alaene argued against it, she was there as she said.”

“Well?” Nadia challenged. “What do you say to that?”

Alaene gritted her teeth. Zabor had been there! And now he twisting it to sound like everyone had been arguing for attacking the colony. “You left too soon!”

“So you were there?” Nadia taunted. “Stirring them up, no doubt.”

“Yes, I was at the meeting!” Alaene retorted. “Yes, there was uproar; but it was an argument instigated by one council member. I advised against it, and the council overruled him.”

“Then why have you come to attack us? Saren, be sure no one is sneaking up while we talk!”

Saren sent Dancers to check, and Alaene rolled her eyes. “No one is attacking! No one is here to force you. I am asking you to return.”

“And if we don’t?”

“Whether you do or not is up to each of you. If you choose not to help us, we will defend against the Lizia the best we can. Should you change your mind on that day or before, you are welcome to return. That is all I have to say.”

The villagers whispered and looked at each other, at Nadia, and then at her. Some looked thoughtfully towards the larger Nia forest.

Nadia glared at Alaene with venomous eyes. “You are everything I’ve always hated about being a Dancer! Blind trust in the past, in things you have never seen, and people you have never met!”

“The Histories are true, Nadia.”

“Well, I don’t believe them. I will not be blinded by someone else’s fairy tales. I choose my own path. Already because of your harassment we’ve chosen to leave this area and settle our own colony with a new government and make new rules for ourselves.”

Alaene felt pain grip her entire being. This was wrong! They should not leave! Not Zabor! They would not survive being so few in number!

“I am not blind, Nadia. I see everything happening that the Histories predicted. If you choose to go, then I wish you well; most of all you, Minister Zabor. I will always remember you as a friend.”

Alaene bowed to Nadia then drew Linae and the twins forward. “These Younglings are the ones taking your places. We have a hundred. Remember that as you leave. They are standing with us while you are running away.”

The colonists gasped as the Younglings raised their heads and met Nadia’s furious eyes.

“Don’t you dare lay that on me!” the governor screeched. “Saren, escort them back to their own village, and never let them come back!”

Armed Dancers surrounded them with Saren in the lead. Alaene bowed to them as well and turned away. “Let’s go. We tried.”

The guards accompanied them as far as the outskirts of the Nia village where Saren stopped Alaene. “Governor Nadia is serious. If you come back, we will prevent you.”

“Be sure you understand I am serious. All who return shall be welcomed without question.”

Zabor suddenly zipped around their company and landed by Alaene, who stared at him solemnly. “When last we talked, Zabor, you agreed to consider what I said. Have you any hope to give me?”

Zabor shook his head. “I am sorry for being arrogant with you. You’ve made a fine Commander, and I’m glad you’re happy with your duties, but it’s not my path. I must go with Nadia. We are mated now.”

A tear tricked from Alaene’s eye. “I thought you might be. She always liked you.”

Zabor wiped the tear away. “I will always consider you a friend,” he promised then flew away. Saren and his company waited as Alaene watched her friend retreat. More than just her tears fell.

I am sorry you have to see this,” she whimpered to Linae, wiping her face. “He was my best friend, but he has his agency. I only hope the consequences won’t be fatal for him.”

Marat and Taram shook their heads. “We are glad you brought us,” Taram soothed.

“We now understand why we were called up,” Marat added.

Linae touched Alaene’s shoulder. “I hope they’re not caught in flight by the Lizia.”

Soren flinched and stepped back. “You must leave now.”

Alaene groaned and turned away. Her heart ached so badly it should have been broken in half. She still hoped Zabor would change his mind. She might never see him again if he didn’t.

The first launcher was ready to demonstrate a few days later. It had been assembled and placed near the shelter for its first test. Alaene arrived at the caves early to greet the council members that attended the testing. All but Dorik showed up. Linae waited with her, a shine in her eyes and a bounce in her stance. Many of the commoners had also turned out to watch.

The launcher itself looked like a large crossbow mounted onto a wooden base. Just for a more realistic display, a model of a Lizia had been fashioned and hung from a nearby tree. It swayed in the morning breeze, and Alaene shivered at its life-like appearance.

The designer had created it from drawings and size estimations from the Histories, and no one stood close to it even though it was fake. When all the council members had finally arrived, Alaene gave the go ahead to start.

Sergeant Ramal called for attention. “Today we test a new weapon to aid in our defense against the Lizia. Observe the target.” He gestured at the mock creature. “According to our records, this is an accurate depiction of our enemy.”

He turned to the weapon. “The launcher is manned by two Dancers. One loads the spear thusly.”

A dancer quickly slid a shaft into place.

“The second sets the mechanism and fires.”

The second Dancer pulled the string and notched it, then aimed at the target. When he released the bow, the spear shot from the launcher through the air and embedded itself into the model with a solid thunk!

A cheer rose from the group while Alaene stared at the dummy. She knew a real Lizia would be more solid than the dummy, but excitement thrilled her. “It worked! It really worked!”

“The Lizia aren’t going to stand still while we shoot at them!” the councilor brought up. “Can you accurately hit one if it’s moving?”

Several Dancers scurried to remove the spear then swung the contraption on its rope. The spear launchers loaded, took aim, and again landed a solid hit while the model swooped forward. A second cheer rose up.

Ramal held up his hands. “The designers of this weapon understood how nimble the Lizia are. The launcher bases can swivel in almost any direction. I’m so impressed with this weapon’s capabilities I can’t think of a downside. The operator’s seat is covered to protect him, and the weapons are close enough at hand he could operate it alone if his partner was injured in battle.”

“I have one more question,” the councilor voiced. “The Lizia also land and run. What then?”

“We have Dancers stationed on the ground as well as in the air. Between them, the launchers, and the catapults, we should give a good accounting of ourselves.”

Satisfied, the council members left, but Linae ran her hands along its length. “To think we had this capability all this time,” the youth murmured. “Do you think any rebels will come back before Nadia leaves?”

“I doubt it," Alaene sighed. "Nadia is determined to make a clean break. So be it. I will survive without Zabor, and the villagers will survive without the colonists. I just hope they survive wherever they go.”

Zabor watched the weapon demonstration from behind a tree until Alaene left. Ramal had not noticed him this time, being occupied with putting their launcher together.

“Very clever,” he mused, recognizing its potential immediately.

He waited until everyone had left the area then eased forward to look over the spears. He liked these especially, hefting one in his hands to test its weight. Glancing around, he saw none of the cave workers watching. Holding the weapon close he zipped back into the forest, feeling horribly guilty; but they wouldn’t miss just one, would they? They had so many, and he could return it after letting their own inventors copy it.

Nadia turned on her throne as he approached. No one waited on her judgements at the moment, and he held the spear out for her inspection.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“The military is making launchers that will throw these. I took one because it looked like a good weapon to use as we travel; for protection from predators or from attacks by other colonies.”

Nadia smoothed her hand down its shaft then shrugged. “It’s nice. Make them if you want.”

Zabor nodded and turned to go but paused. “When are we leaving again?”

“Four days, and I can’t wait!”

Zabor continued on, dreading their exodus. He didn’t want to leave. He liked the forest just fine.

Saren was guarding the border between their new colony and the old village at a narrow gap across a gully. “Hey, what’s that?” his friend asked.

“Alaene’s new weapon. Can you make some like this? They’d be handy while we travel.”

“No doubt! I’ll get someone on it right away. We should have time to make a few, at least. But won’t Alaene miss it?”

“They have a whole pile, and I can return it when we're finished making ours. She’ll never know.”

Saren shrugged and took the spear. “Why didn’t we use anything like this before?”

Zabor shrugged. “I think that funny new Youngling found the papers hidden in the Archives.”

Saren frowned. “I’ve seen her. Why is she a Youngling? She isn’t like the Dancers at all.”

“She’s not like a commoner either. She’s too light to be gray, she has contrasting wings, and she shimmers in the sunlight.”

Saren smiled. “I kind of like her even though she’s just a kid. I wish she could come with us.”

Zabor rolled his eyes. “We have time to think about that later.”

“Didn’t stop you.”

Zabor heard his jealous tone and turned to face him. “I mated with Nadia because I thought I could soften her stubbornness and headstrong ideas. I’m realizing now that no one can. I just hope to be able to guide her decisions and maybe influence her for the better.”

With his friend’s irritation soothed, he continued up to the top of the trees, staring north. He hoped, if the Lizia came, if they even existed, that they would do so before the colonists left so Nadia could see the error of her ways; before they were so far out no one could help them if they were caught in flight.

If.

He still didn’t know if he believed the Histories yet. So many things had turned out to be true; but would the worst prediction happen as well?