Sajani Tails

      Sajani had been staring at the screen for a few hours. They left as soon as they could—just as night was falling. Doc stubbornly stayed with the refugees the entire time. Then they moved north, most on foot, hoping if the machine in the vehicle was on, it’d lead the elves away from Xahusha.

      She wished the screen would come to life again. Then she could be sure they tracked her away from Xahusha and could start making her way to the enemy. There hadn’t been much information from the refugees. None of them saw any direct military action: they fled because they heard what was coming and didn’t want to see what would happen.

      The vagrants who had seen something gave conflicting reports. One thing was disturbing to Sajani—there was no mention of anything like wizards. What they described sounded like magic, but if it was it was magic all elves were capable of summoning. Possible, she thought, but not likely. What was more likely was they were using machines and their non-flying machines couldn’t be stopped by Terahn magic or weapons. They resisted spells, and bullets didn’t scratch their surface. Direct cannon fire did some damage, but it usually took many hits before a vehicle was disabled.

      And this is what I’m up against, she thought with a bit of despair. She knew her chances were slim. This enemy reduced Terah’s largest military power to rabble in less than a month. The idea is just to slow them, she thought. She could feel what she called resolve and Simon called stubbornness rising within her. Benayle said it was one thing he noticed about her mother, the single time they met before she died. The wolf leader called it will and said it was the greatest gift a parent could give a child—the will to fight, the will to keep going, the will to succeed. I’ll do this. I don’t know how, but I will. I’ll force it to happen.

      A speck of light appeared at the center of the screen and Sajani motioned for Ginger to come over. “I think it’s about to do something.”

      The spark jumped onto a chair next to her and began moving dials on the console. “Yes,” he said quickly. “You’re right.” He reached over to push a button near the screen, and it came to life.

      Sajani didn’t wait. “Elf military, this is Lady Sajani, the copper wolf. I want to speak to the commander of your forces.”

      The elf woman on the other end looked surprised but turned the screen to face a tall elf man with high cheekbones and harsh features. He spoke, and the first woman translated for him. “This is General Sestus, Lady Sajani. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

      “I believe in fair warning, General Sestus.”

      “Fair warning my lady?” Her comment seemed to catch him a little off guard.

      “Yes. You’ve attacked the sovereign nation of Zenache.” She waited for the translation to go through.

      The general smiled at her. “A pre-emptive measure, I can assure you. They were a threat to Therfass, and we won’t tolerate any threat to our sovereignty.”

      “And what do you consider a threat? Zenache didn’t have the means to fight back.”

      “Any nation not under our rule can be a threat to us, my lady. We won’t stand by and wait for that threat to materialize.”

      She hoped there was a lot more courage in her voice than she felt. Suppressing the urge to swallow hard, she continued, “I don’t make idle threats, General Sestus. I carry out my promises.”

      The elf laughed when that was translated. “Vharkylia wasn’t a match militarily for Zenache and you think you can make a difference against us? My dear lady, you’re no more a threat to us than the fleas on your own scruffy hide are a threat to you.”

      “Tell that to the squad you sent to kill me.” There wasn’t much to mark the statement hit true. Sestus’s jaw dropped slightly and if there was any change to the color on his face, it didn’t show through the screen. She knew it gave him pause.

      “You think I believe you managed to destroy a squad?”

      It was her turn to smile. “You know we have their vehicles, and you know they never returned.” She glanced over at Ginger who was still working on the console next to her.

      “Accidents happen, Lady Sajani, and sometimes they even favor the less fortunate.”

      “I’ve always found fate favors the prepared, and so to give you the best odds—I’m not alone this time and we’re coming for you. Turn back to Therfass now.”

      General Sestus laughed when he heard the translation. “You better have all the forces of your tiny world at your back, if you plan to survive, copper dog. “

      “Consider yourself warned, General Sestus.” She glanced over at Ginger again who motioned for her to keep talking.

      “Warned, perhaps. But I hardly see the need to take you seriously.”

      Sajani smiled and waited a moment.

      “Is that all?” General Sestus said impatiently.

      She looked again over at Ginger, who nodded quickly.

      “Yes, General Sestus. I just want you to remember my face. I’m sure I’ll remember yours.” She threw the switch to turn off the screen and looked over at Ginger once again. “You got it?” she asked.

      Ginger beamed. “Oh yes!” he said in a high-pitched squeak. “I can give you a definite direction and a decent guess at distance.” His automaton cat leaped on his shoulders and rubbed its face against his cheek.

      “And you’re sure they can’t hear us anymore?”

      “Yes, my lady.” Ginger said with the total confidence she wished she felt during her prior conversation. “We’re listening only, not talking. They know where we are now, but once we move, they’ll have no idea, and,” he said, hardly able to contain his excitement, “there are a lot more of them I can track as well.”

      “What?”

      “I’m not sure how it worked, but once we made this new contact, a whole lot of signals showed up. Give me a little time and I think this thing can tell you what they are and where they’re going.”

      “That’s amazing!” she nearly shouted.

      “Yes it is!” Ginger said with equal enthusiasm. “I’d love to the meet the spark who came up with this stuff.” The cat meowed in agreement.