Kia's Biehshah Gift

Chapter 14 Directing War

Der saw someone walking towards him. "Inanarur!" He got up and ran to her.

She wore cobalt blue trader's robes and white under them. "Oh, Der, Shanalai said you wished to marry me! Is it true? Mechsheritatudeis, is it true?"

He knelt with one leg behind him. "Inanarur, she whose footsteps grow flowers, whose voice calms storms, I wish you to be my cesarae! Inanarur, Master Trader Of Biehshah Leheren, I, Der, Diplomat Of Biehshah, wish to marry you by the ancient protocols of Bisillipia, Biehshah Leheren, Ye~ and Zhea~! Will you accept this Petition Of Marriage Without Courtship from me?"

She trembled and her brown skin faded to gray! "Yes! The wish of my heart is to marry you, Der, Diplomat Of Biehshah! I, Inanarur, Master Trader Of Biehshah, wish to marry you!"

A healer jumped from a green portal and grabbed her. "Drink this!"

She looked at Der, blue eyes wide, and gulped it. Then he gave them a white flower to sip from.

Ir smiled, but looked sad. "We didn't have—"

Ten ran us one and we enjoyed it. Oh, it was sweet as honey but flower-scented.

As Der recited a beautiful poem, a lady came to us. Bowed at the waist. Her accent was faintly German. "Kia, I am here to warn you. I am Elisabethae, Host Of The Green Cube Of Questions and Yamotenanten, Council Leader Of The 5th sent me to you."

Ir gasped and bowed low with one leg behind him.

She frowned at him. "I did not come to you! Your foolish people let Rentappenen come to power by giving Opseh Wehn Cet a Cube!"

"Pirad wished to help the Ty'nirrhans with their new colony—"

"Could he not predict what he would do with power? He enslaved half the Wausen and forced them to help Rentappenen. Then he allowed Rentappenen to create a cube with the power to change histories."

I didn't see what Ir could possibly have to do with that—

His father stood. "I opposed them. All of us who are now Biehshah, and fully half of the Bisillips, opposed slavery. I will not take the blame for the foolishness of our people!" He shook so badly, even his silver hair jiggled.

"I said, I am here to warn Kia, not you, Tanirpahadachan! She holds the Emerald Cube Of Newness. It is a weak Cube, but has hidden power. Yamotenanten hid a Green Lens within it. But you must travel to Siotu and get it. No Biehshah must know. I am to take you there." Her blue eyes seemed to drill into my soul.

Ir grabbed my arm. "I must go with my wife!"

We appeared in a red desert. A very hot desert. The sand hurt my feet through my tennis shoes!

My husband waved and I wore a heavy red uniform, a dark, dull color, almost brown. The sky had dark clouds.

Elisabethae pulled my other arm. "Watch the machines." I looked where she pointed. Diggers sliced through rock in a mountain straight ahead.

"There is no way for us to pass!" With a gently pull, Ir held my arm against his chest.

"I can do this." Her voice didn't sound very confident, but she pulled me behind her and ran towards the machine. It towered over us!

Her run took us in kind of a zig-zag pattern as the machine zapped and rock fell! Heavy thuds against my uniform hurt, but didn't stop me.

Finally there was an opening and we ran for it! A surprised scientist stood up. "Ir? How did you get past my mining machine?" This fella had pink eyes. Hard to tell past the helmet.