Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:12:29 +0100
From: Mandijerri <mandijerri@gmail.com>
Subject: The Gift of the Second Prime, Chapter 7: The Gift of the Lost Warrior and the Warrior Chedda

The Gift and the Warrior Chedda

In the time of the First Realm, the Region of the Green Forest and the
Province of Midpoint around it, didn't exist. The area was part of a vast
wilderness known simply as the Deezair Lontan, the Distant
Wilderness. After the founding of the Second Realm there was a time of
great expansionism and all the wild places of Tare du Maretch were
tamed. It was at this time that the Palace of the Green Forest was
constructed.

Designed as a Gronmayson, a regal villa, it sat at the centre of a small
round valley about a kilometre across. Originally the valley had been
filled with water and used as a sport lake with the palace growing almost
organically out of the centre of the lake. Two large arched bridges gave
access to the palace compound at the centre of the lake.

The Green Forest itself was encouraged to grow right up to the edge of the
lake, bringing the possibilities of sport hunting to the door of the
palace. And this, for a while was where the Clon Maelyeur, the aristocracy
of their day, would come to hunt, fish and relax.

Over the years the Palace has fallen out of favour and the hunting elite
has moved onto wilder pastures and more modern accommodation. Now the house
is simply a Mayson du Warrior. Ten years ago the local Prince had gifted it
to the Palace of Sunsets and now they use it as a permanent base in region.

The lake had been mostly drained in this time and the house now sits on a
small hill surrounded by regular, if informal, gardens. What remains of the
great sport lake is now a smaller fishing lake that runs along the edge of
the Green Forest.

It is not the most elegant of buildings, especially now it no longer
gracefully grows out of its lake, but it serves a purpose being now a focus
for the Second Prime itself and the other Gifts and Warriors that support
this growing movement.

It would be the place from which they would begin forging the new
order. From here systems would be trialled that would roll out across the
whole of the Second Realm, bringing stability to the lives of all citizens
as they passed. And stability was the key. Now that the Second Realm
controlled the whole planet it was necessary to allay the fears of the
spacing community.

They expected the Prince of Princes to stretch her authority out into the
planetary system above Tare du Maretch. This had not happened yet and the
space-faring communities took some comfort in her reticence to control
them. The Palace of Sunrises would turn its gaze skyward eventually, but
not until the planet itself was calm and dancing to the music that it
played.

This was not the case at the moment.

The Gift of the Lost Warrior and the Warrior Chedda were putting the first
part of that control in place. And it started with a hunt.

"Where?" Damask asked, taking the glasses and scanning the valley below
them.

They were standing on a cliff, inside the line of trees, looking down onto
a wide river plain. The river was slow and sluggish here, this far from the
sea and wide mud plains bordered it before beds of reeds and hardier
grasses marched back to the edge of the forest that flanked the river on
either side.

"You see the lone Pairn tree straight in front growing on that small
boulder island?" Chedda asked.

"Yes."

"Right, follow it directly back to us until you come to that second boulder
island midstream, the one shaped like a feyull. Got it?"

"Erm..." Damask said, then: "Yes!"

"Right, track forty-five degrees east from there. A small mud bank
surrounded by reeds. The sport is there, drinking water from the river..."

"I see him! What a beauty he is!" Damask cried, then blushed as he realised
he had shouted.

"No worry." The Gift of the Lost Warrior said. "The wind is blowing towards
us, he did not hear."

Next to the Gift the two great Cairnay whined as they caught the sport's
scent on the wind. Absently the Gift reached down and stroked the head of
one of the beasts, it came level with its elbow. The Cairnay shook its
head, large pink tongue flapping against its cheeks as it did so.

"They have the scent?" Chedda asked.

"They have him on the wind." The Gift smiled. "I fear if we were to let
them go now they would leap the cliff to reach him!"

"They are that stupid." Chedda smiled, scratching the head of the second
Cairnay.

"Where are the others, do you think?" Damask asked, handing the glasses to
another man who eagerly located their quarry. "Are they still together
even?"

"Our trackers said they were all together this morning and there is no need
for them to change their tactics. They do not know we are following them
yet. Although it is getting late." Chedda said.

They had started tracking this troupe of sports before sunrise this
morning. Working from an old camp site they had been known to use along to
the ridge where they stood now. The trek had been arduous, but also
exhilarating. The fever of the hunt had taken them all at one time or
another during the day.

This was the second time today they had spotted the troupe. The last time
had been across a large clearing about five kilometres east of here. This
was the first time they had seen them this close.

Hoping to locate the rest of the troupe, the Gift of the Lost Warrior cast
its mind down towards the sport taking water from the river. It could feel
his strength and power, that this one was the leader of the troupe was not
in doubt. His physical presence gave testament to that, but his mind was
also strong, reflecting the strength and agility in his body.

It was because of him and his tactics that this troupe had remained at
large for as long as it had. Evading at least two previous hunting parties
and the illusive poachers that were known to take sports and beef-ties from
this region.

In fact this troupe itself had been poachers up until they had been trapped
by the Warrior Graescin two months ago. At their trial it had been decided
that their fate would be to become sports. To be hunted and perhaps poached
as they had once poached in this forest.

The Gift pushed this one's mind for the rest of the troupe, forcing the
sport to think of them. As soon as he pictured the other sports, the Gift
followed the images, and it located them back in the forest. Three of them
crouched low in the trees.

Where was the fourth?

"Three in the tree line directly back from the one at the river." The Gift
thought to Chedda and he scanned the line of trees with eyes and then the
second pair of glasses.

"I see them." He said out loud. "Directly back to the forest from the sport
at the river then track south about half a kilometre. There are three of
them."

"I... have them." The second man smiled. "It would be easier to approach
them from the forest, I think. To use the river would only slow us down and
perhaps reveal us to them."

"I think you're right, Mahtan." Damask said as he took the glasses and
located the others. "Shouldn't there be four?"

"In the trees above the group." The Gift said. "I see him... ah, he is
dead."

"It would appear they have returned to one of their food dumps." Chedda
said. "We have noticed this when we release troupes of sports into
meat-poor parts of the forest. They always select at least one of their own
to feed the others."

"Interesting." Damask said. "And ironic considering they will also be food
for us by this nightfall."

"But only if we catch them first." Mahtan smiled. "I fear if we remain here
too much longer they will take their food and move into the evening gloom."

"You are right." Chedda said. "This trail leads down to the forest about a
kilometre south of them. They will have moved by then, but the Cairnay will
pick up the scent and lead us to them."

"I like these beasts." Damask said as they moved off along the trail. "Will
you sell one to me?"

"Perhaps when they have bred." Chedda said. "These are the only two on the
planet."

"In all of creation." The Gift of the Lost Warrior smiled as he slipped
back behind the Warrior and Damask to talk to Mahtan.

"Well it has certainly made hunting exciting again!" Damask smiled. "When
you are ready to sell one, put me on the list."

"We will." Chedda laughed. "Now, what tactics do you think we should employ
once we reach the floor of the valley?"

"And are you enjoying this as much as Damask and my Pahtron?" The Gift
asked Mahtan.

The trail was narrow here and had moved back into the forest of
Tuyeau. They could walk two abreast, but only just. The Gift now walked
slightly behind Mahtan.

"I am." He admitted. "I must admit when the invitation came to us we were
unsure. But you have always been honourable with us, despite what happened
to your other comrade. And you listen to us."

"It is my job." The Gift smiled. "To listen and to instruct."

"You are a fascinating creature." Mahtan said. "I saw the Gift of the
Warrior Graescin, but never spoke with it."

"I belong to a group called the Second Prime." The Gift of the Lost Warrior
explained. "We aim to integrate Gifts more readily into our culture. We are
a part of it after all."

"There are some who believe you still to be the pets and playthings of the
Warriors."

"And do you believe that?"

"Until I met and spoke with you." Mahtan smiled. "You have an aura of power
around you that is almost physical."

"We are designed to lead." Lost Warrior explained. "It is just that we have
done that from behind our Warriors up until now."

"And no longer?"

"No, no longer. Tare du Maretch has changed, Mahtan. The planet is on the
brink of something wonderful. We need to make sure we lead our people into
that fully aware of their potential. To do that we must be more visible."

"Hah." Mahtan smiled. "I saw that trick you pulled with the Warrior Chedda
when we approached that old campsite this morning. You both really were
invisible then!"

"It's a... mind trick." The Gift said. "Because The Warrior and I are so
close genetically, we can do things like that!"

"Damned useful though." Mahtan smiled. "Shame we can't all have Gifts!"

"If that were to happen then your womenfolk would be a little unhappy, I
would wager." Lost Warrior smiled.

"Oh yes." Mahtan laughed. "I had forgotten about that! No, I will keep my
wife." He smiled. "Although I think it is she who is ultimately in control
of that decision!"

The Gift smiled.

"You will take our plans back to your people?"

"We have a Sayons next week." Mahtan said. "I will put your proposal for
the Consay du Clon to the clans then. It is an intriguing concept. The
local Prince is in support of this?"

"She agrees in principle."  The Gift sighed.

"Ah, then you have been on the end of her tongue as well, I see!"

"Yes." Lost Warrior sighed. "Commerce and trade are what is important to
her. Politics is secondary to that."

"This Consay could increase commerce."

"Which is why she has given it her tacit agreement." The Gift said. "It
will need to produce results, though, by the end of the year."

"Not long then."

"No."

In front of them the Cairnay suddenly crouched low to the ground and Chedda
held up his hand. As one they all slipped off the path and into the
trees. The Gift of the Lost Warrior and Mahtan found themselves pressed up
against a small Pairn tree with the two ties that were carrying supplies
for the hunting party. The tree had created a small clearing about itself
and they waited silently here until Chedda gave the next command.

"The Sports are moving this way." The Warrior thought to the Gift.

"They would not take the trail up to the ridge, it is too exposed." Lost
Warrior replied. "There was another trail about half a kilometre back, it
led back along the base of the ridge, perhaps to a cave they have been
using?"

"Then we will make our way there."

"How far from us are they?"

"One, maybe two kilometres." The Warrior said. "The Cairnay and I picked up
their scent at almost the same time!"

"I will take Mahtan, Damask and the two ties. You and the Cairnay will hide
our tracks, yes?"

"Yes."

"We have a plan." The Gift told Mahtan. "There is a trail we passed further
back, we will take this. My Pahtron believes it leads to a cave the sports
are using as a base. We will take up position there."

"Lead the way." Mahtan said.

He and the Gift slipped back onto the trail and met Damask. Together the
three of them and the two ties fled back up the trail, finding the branch
and following this. Behind them the Warrior Chedda and the two Cairnay
turned their tracks into those of forest animals.

The new trail was dark and cold as it forced them into single file. It
moved down the steep hill opening up suddenly at the base of the cliff. The
Cliff that supported the ridge above had split in two and now formed a
large wide and dry canyon. On the left the Cliff leading up to the ridge
and on the right a jumbled mass of rocks, stones and plants that was so big
it had forced the river beyond to loop past this place.

They clambered up this morass and hid themselves in among the boulders. The
two ties and the Gift were highest up the slope with the two Clan leaders
just below them. Once they were settled they surveyed their position more
clearly. The path opened up here into an hour glass shape with the ridge on
one side and the pile of boulders and rocks on the other.

A series of small caves climbed down the ridge with a largish opening
visible at the base of the cliff. Tracks were visible, sport tracks,
leading into and out of this cave. That this was the refuge the troupe had
been using was clear to them all and they all took up position with their
fuzeel pointing back to the cave.

A whirl of motion later and the Warrior and the two Cairnay ran down the
path. The Warrior stopped and he and the two Cairnay looked directly up the
morass to the Gift hidden behind a boulder. A moment later and the three of
them darted into the cave, hiding themselves in its rear. They would flush
the troupe out when they arrived, allowing Damask, Mahtan and the Gift to
shoot them as they fled the beasts in their cave.

A hush settled over the scene for a moment, then normal noises
returned. The wind blowing musically through the Tuyeau, the river running
over and through some boulders in the distance. Birds in the trees on the
ridge and occasional scurrying from small creatures in the undergrowth. The
breathing of the people and Gift hiding at the top of the morass.  And then
the sound of footsteps from up the path...

The Gift counted them all. The big sport they had seen at the river was
leading them, with the other three following. Two of them were moving
slowly, probably carrying their meat for the day. They came into view and
the Gift held its breath, relaying the image to Chedda in the cave.

The large male came down the path first. He was tall and broad and carried
a makeshift spear. He waited at the mouth of the cave as the others of his
troupe made their way into the cave. Two of them were carrying leaf wrapped
parcels of what the Gift assumed to be meat. The other came behind them,
also carrying a spear.

The leader waited while they all entered the cave then followed them in.

Just below the Gift, both Damask and Mahtan trained their fuzeel on the
entrance to the cave. When the sports came running out, they would be
moving fast and they would have to react equally as fast to bring them all
down.

And then a roar from within the cave. A large, low, deep bark that was made
all the more fearsome by the sound echoing around the cavern.

Screams from within and they came out at speed. The little one first, he
came through the mouth of the cave and tripped, rolling out of the cave and
into some bushes at the base of the morass. He picked himself up and was
off down the path to the river before the Gift or his companions could get
a shot into him.

The Gift relayed this back to Chedda and the Warrior directed one of the
Cairnay after this man. Next came the leader of the group and the other two
sports. They ran backwards out of the cave. The large sport standing in the
mouth as first one and then the second Cairnay bounded past him. One
disappeared down the track after the small sport, the second reared and
leapt at the throat of one of the other sports. Modified fangs dripping the
tox that would immobilise the prey.

The others on the hill left this sport to the Cairnay and took out the
other two with their shots ringing around the small valley. The smaller
sport went down at once, but the large sport turned and looked up at the
three in the hill. He roared at them and brushed the tox dart from his
shoulder before leaping on the first boulder. He was after them.

The Gift stood and aimed its fuzeel at the sport. He stopped dumbstruck,
clearly never having seen a creature like the Gift before. The Gift fired
and the dart found its mark. This time there was enough tox in his body and
he fell back off the boulder into the arms of the Warrior waiting behind
him.

"Yes!" Damask shouted, punching the air.

"Magnificent." Mahtan sighed. "I haven't felt that much alive in years!
When he started to come up after us! I didn't know what to do! Thank
Galaxia you stopped him."

"My pleasure." The Gift smiled as it clambered back down the hill after
Damask with the two ties following more cautiously behind.

The Cairnay was sat next to the sport it had brought down, its tox and
saliva still running down the man's neck. The four puncture wounds framed
his larynx and streaks of blood now also ran down his throat. He was alive,
but unconscious.

The second sport lay near to the entrance of the cave. Two darts clearly
visible in his arm and shoulder. He was also unconscious. Chedda lay the
leader of the sport troupe onto the ground. He too was toxed, but only
immobilised. His eyes were still conscious.

"He still thinks!" Damask said. "This sport is a beast!"

"What of the one who fled?" Mahtan asked.

"Grenph!" Chedda called. "Decuptoor et deraytor! Claph, eday!"

The Cairnay sat next to them bounded off down the path and in a moment
there was a dragging sound as the two beasts hauled their sport back to the
group.

"I have to get me one of them!" Damask said. "They track, they attack, and
they fetch! How good is that?"

"I'm beginning to agree with you." Mahtan laughed as the two beasts pulled
their prey into the clearing at the front of the cave.

He was clearly dead. His throat was missing and the blood on the muzzle of
the first Cairnay, Grenph, showed how that had happened.

"Looks like they have chosen their meat." Damask laughed.

"Help me throw him into the cave. We will leave them with their prize."
Chedda said. "Mahtan, can you assist my Gift in stringing these three?"

"As you wish."

Chedda and Damask took one end each of the body and swung him back and
forth in front of the cave, finally throwing him into the cavern.

The two Cairnay sat obediently to the side of the Warrior, their heads
though were fixed on the body of the sport, rocking back and forth as the
man was swung backwards and forwards. Even when the sport was thrown into
the cave they waited, heads now trained on the entrance.

"Monzhe!" Chedda ordered and the two beasts bounded into the cavern for
their reward.

"They will eat it all?" Damask laughed as he watched them leap into the
dark opening.

"No, but what they leave we will return to the Palace and they can have
there. It should keep them happy for a few days."

"At least." Damask smiled. "Now for ours, yes?"

"Yes." Chedda agreed.

The Gift and Mahtan had built a small frame from some poles in the packs
the ties had carried for them. The three remaining sports were now hung
upside down from the cross pole. The large leader in the middle and the two
smaller sports on either side. Ropes bound their feet and lower legs
together and their arms to their sides. The two smaller sports were still
unconscious, but the large sport was clearly fighting the tox and glaring
at them all, trying to will movement into his body.

"You want pictures?" The Gift asked.

"Yes!" Damask smiled.

He and Mahtan stood on either side of the large leader, one each of their
arms wrapped around his legs with the other arm wrapped around the legs of
one of the smaller sports. One of the ties took a picture with an apparay
it produced from one of the pockets in his pack.

"You want us to prepare one of them now?" Damask asked as he began patting
down the two smaller sports, checking which had the most meat."

"We should eat something now." The Gift said. "I will call the rest of the
party, they will arrange for everything to be taken back to the palace."

"Which one?" Mahtan asked. "The big one is worthy of a feast of his own!"

"We will divide him between the two of you, yes?" Chedda said, coming over
and checking him over. "He has enough meat. The Palace will take this one."
He added indicating the man hanging to the right of the leader. We will
prepare the other now for us and the others, yes?"

"Perfect." Damask said. "What about you, Mahtan?"

"Fine by me. He will make good eating this one. You will send us masks of
each of them?"

"Yes." The Gift said, and we will have copies in the Palace as well.

"This one was a good sport." Damask said as he patted the back of the large
man. "Very canny, I like that in my sports!"

"Me too." Mahtan laughed, slipping a flask from his pocket drinking some
and then passing it to Damask. "We will remember this one for a while, I
think. The way he started to come up the hill after we had shot him! Jax,
that will be an image I will see in my dreams for a while now!"

The Gift smiled as it slipped a bucket under the head of the smaller of the
three sports, then stepped back as Chedda took his two swords out of his
own pack. He crossed them and placed them at the base of the sport's
neck. there was a metallic slice as he drew the swords back and soon the
sport's blood began to flow into the bucket.

Next to him the large sport began to sway as he fought his own battle with
the tox.

"We should shoot him again." Mahtan said waving the flask. "He is coming
around."

"The Gift smiled and flicked out with its tail. The talon caught the sport
in the centre of his chest. He arched his back and then collapsed into
unconsciousness as the tox took effect.

"Ouch." Damask said.

****

"We leave tonight." Selah said, releasing the Gift of the Lost Boy from his
arms. "You will be ready?"

"Everything is packed for the journey." The Gift assured him. "All I have
left is to finish Taeda."

"Then do it." Selah smiled, slipping off the bed. "It is time this whole
affair was ended."

"I agree." The Gift said as it also climbed off the bed. "I will prepare
him now."

"You need me to help?"

"No, I can manage this one all by myself." The Gift smiled. "You make sure
everything is packed into the drone and sent on ahead."

"Ok." Selah said, coming around and pulling his Gift into a hug. "I love
you with my life." He whispered, pulling the Gift into a kiss.

"And my life is your love." The Gift smiled when they pulled apart,
completing the quote they had taken as their own. "Now go, before I pull
you back onto the bed and make us both really late!"

"I'm going!" Selah laughed as he pulled on his deep red trousers and then
hunted around the bed for his boots.

"Next door." Lost Boy smiled as it climbed into its own harness. "We took
them off in there."

"Oh yes." Selah smiled, remembering where this session had begun. "I'll see
you in a few hours, yes?"

"Yes." The Gift said.

It finished dressing, then sat back on the bed breathing deep of the room
and the love they had made here. It would miss this place, but the Green
Palace was a better base for them, that was already clear. The Palace of
Sunsets belonged to all Gifts, the Second Prime needed a place of its
own. A place where they could forge their unique talents.

A place where they could dream the future.

But, as Selah had pointed out, there was Taeda to deal with first. And this
time it would be final.

The Gift of the Lost Boy pulled itself to its feet and made its way out of
their small suite. Soon it would have a whole Palace to call home, and that
made it excited. Lots of rooms to try out with Selah! And what it would do
to Selah and have Selah do to itself was what entertained the Lost Boy as
it made its way across the Palace to the room in the Tower of Gifting that
held Taeda.

Since Taeda had last been conscious here the room had been cleared. Now
only the Resurrection Tank at the end of the room remained. All the
machinery, the makeshift kitchen, everything had been removed and put
away. Taeda would not be repaired this time. This time he would go to his
death.

Forever.

"Pahtron?" A tie asked as he came into the room with two others. They were
pushing a gurney.

"I need him to remain unconscious." The Gift of the Lost Boy
explained. "You can do this and clear his lungs and stomach of matrix?"

"Yes." The tie replied, going to a cupboard and removing some equipment.

"Then take him out." The Gift said.

It stepped back as the ties began their work.

One of them worked the control panel to the left of the tank and in moments
the liquid in the tank began to drain. With the equilibrium broken, Taeda's
body settled to the bottom of the tank. While this was happening, the other
two ties donned rubber leggings and climbed up and into the tank. A tube
was pushed into Taeda's mouth and another injected him with some tox that
would, the Gift assumed, keep him unconscious for a while longer.

As the matrix drained away, the ties gently lowered Taeda's body onto the
floor of the tank and the pipe in his throat began sucking matrix out of
him and blowing air into his lungs, forcing his body to begin breathing air
instead of the liquid it had become used to breathing. He coughed in his
coma and this matrix was also sucked out of him by the tubes.

When his breathing had stabilised the tubes were removed and one of the
ties in the tank gave a signal to the one on the outside. The Gift had seen
this process himself at first hand. Warm water rushed into the tank,
washing any residue of Matrix away from the tank and the man inside.

When the water was drained, the front panel of the tank slid into the floor
and the two ties inside the tank climbed out and manoeuvred Taeda's body to
the edge of the tank and then onto the gurney.

"He is alive and well?" The Gift of the Lost Boy asked as he approached the
gurney.

"His body is functioning as expected." The tie who had remained outside the
tank replied.

He was running recorders along Taeda's body, making sure his heart, lungs
and other main organs were functioning properly.

"Brain functions?" The Gift asked.

"All responses are normal." The tie replied as he read some data from the
scanner now resting on Taeda's head.

He had been in the tank for just over two months. This was important for
the next and final phase of the Gift's plans for this man. And now he cast
his eyes along Taeda's body appreciatively.

The man was beef!

And that was the point.

In a final flourish, Lost Boy had given Taeda the body of a second year
beef-tie. A body sweet and at its prime, ready for the first cull; the meat
known as young-beef was produced in this cull. Only larger beef-ties were
allowed to live to the end of their third year. They would be culled and
sold as mature-beef. Prix-ties were kept for a fourth year, but meat of
that quality was reserved only for the Palace of Sunrises and some of the
richer Clan Palaces.

Taeda was not worthy of third or fourth year beef.

"Take him down to the holding pens." The Gift ordered. "Prepare him there,
call me when you are ready."

"Yes, Pahtron." The first tie said bowing.

The Gift of the Lost Boy smiled as it left the room.

****

The Gift of the Lost Warrior settled at the table with the other
Gifts. They were sitting under a shade house on the lawns to the side of
the Palace of the Green Forest. An arena had been marked out with rope in
front of them and the Warriors were standing in the middle of this working
out the order for the coming combat.

They would be taking part in a contest known as a Lutte. A wrestling match
that had three rounds.

"I am taking wagers." Lost Warrior smiled as it helped itself to a glass of
cold water from the tray.

It took a piece of fruit and squeezed the sticky juices into the water
before sipping it delicately.

"And the odds are?" Another Gift smiled as it too reached over and helped
itself to some water and fruit.

"Pretty much on Selaban winning the whole Lutte." Lost Warrior smiled.

"What, and not Chedda?"

"Hah, as much as I would like my Warrior to be the hero here, I grew up
with Selaban, remember. He has three years on Chedda. He is bigger,
stronger and more experienced in these contests."

"So," Another Gift said, "You rate my Warrior and the Gift of the Corsican
Archipelago's Warrior higher or lower than Chedda?"

"That is the issue." The Gift of the Lost Warrior smiled. "I know both the
Warriors Chaita and Micarn as well. They are both good fighters, but..."

"Clearly they do not have the mass of either Selaban or Chedda." The First
Gift interrupted. "This contest is ultimately one of strength. I think also
it will come down to Selaban and Chedda."

"Of course you would, Fire Mountains, Selaban is your Gift!" The Gift of
the Corsican Archipelago laughed. "I think dexterity will play a major part
in this so I will wager now that Micarn will get through to the Evening
Set."

"Wager accepted." Lost Warrior said, pulling out a screen and entering some
details. "Creds?"

"Are we going either way?" Corsican Archipelago smiled.

"Having doubts?" Fire Mountains smiled.

"Just protecting my money."

"Double-up for both ways." Lost Warrior said.

"Is that even fair?" Corsican Archipelago asked.

"If it gets you to make a definite decision it is!" Lost Warrior laughed.

"Very well, I will wager 100 creds on Micarn making the Evening Set."

"Fire Mountains?" Lost Warrior asked.

"If 100 is our ceiling, then 100 on Selaban to make the Evening and another
100 to say he will win the Lutte."

"Good." Lost Warrior replied. "I will match Fire Mountain, 100 on Chedda
getting to the Evening Set and 100 on Selaban taking the Lutte. Silver
Meadows, how will you fall?"

"This is a difficult contest." The Gift smiled, sipping some water, then
squeezing some more of the vividly red fruit into it before taking some
more. "I am not sure." It continued. "Both Micarn and Chaita are evenly
matched and I have seen both of them take Selaban when stamina was all that
mattered. Chedda is an outsider, I know nothing of his form. "

"But this is a contest of strength." Fire Mountain interrupted.

"Which is why I am putting 100 on Selaban to win." The Gift of the Silver
Meadows smiled. "Much more than that I cannot say."

"All wagers are logged." Lost Warrior smiled.

The Gifts looked over to the arena. The Warriors had formed into two teams,
Micarn with Selaban and Chaita with Chedda. A soldier from the palace was
acting as referee and all had agreed that his word would be final. Micarn
and Selaban took the arena first.

This set of the Lutte consisted of three fights for each Warrior. It was
known as the Soldier Set since it would be fought clothed as soldiers
fought, rather than naked which was the way Warriors preferred to
fight. The soldier refereeing this round called out the starting call:

"Chay!"

And at once the two Warriors fell into each other, arms locking around each
other's shoulders. This was a battle of strength and points were scored by
getting your opponent's shoulders onto the ground. One point was awarded
for each three seconds the shoulders were kept down with the round ending
when one player scored three points.

Selaban was forcing Micarn backwards, but the smaller Warrior was quick. He
suddenly let go of Selaban's shoulders and ducked beneath him. Selaban fell
to the floor and Micarn leapt onto his back, holding him to the ground for
the required three seconds.

"Point Warrior Micarn!" The soldier called out.

"Yes!" Corsican Archipelago laughed.

"It is just the start." Fire Mountains smiled. "Just the start."

The two Warriors came together again and this time Selaban was a whirl of
motion. He gripped Micarn's shoulders and propelled him across the arena
building up into a run that saw Micarn, who was being pushed backwards,
stumble and then fall. Selaban fell onto him and held him down.

"One point Warrior Selaban!" The soldier called. "One point each the
score."

Now the two Warriors locked arms again. As Selaban pushed, so Micarn
twisted and they began a frantic spiral around the arena. Clearly previous
tactics were not working and Selaban suddenly stopped. With all his might
he hauled Micarn into the air, over his head and onto the floor behind
him. Micarn slipped on the slick grass and Selaban fell onto him with a
shout.

"One point Warrior Selaban! Two points Warrior Selaban, one point Warrior
Micarn!"

The Gifts were all straining forward as the two Warriors locked together
again. Once more Selaban began pushing and once more Micarn began spinning
them around. Selaban attempted his lift again, equally as suddenly and
equally as explosively.

Micarn was ready this time and instead planted his feet on Selaban's
shoulders, slipping out of his grasp as he did so. Micarn suddenly dropped,
his weight now fell completely on Selaban's shoulders as he sat on the
Warrior, toppling him and holding him to the ground.

"One point Warrior Micarn! Two points each the score!"

"Now we are playing!" The Gift of the Corsican Archipelago laughed. "Equal
points, Fire Mountain, equal points!"

"The set is won on the total of all rounds in the set." The Gift of the
Fire Mountain replied. "Selaban can still win even if he loses this round."

"As can Micarn."

"Indeed." Fire Mountain laughed, helping itself to a piece of fruit which
it placed whole in its mouth, sucking the juices from it directly.

It placed the rind on a plate.

In the arena, Selaban slipped forward, pulling Micarn into a hug. Then
Selaban fell forward, taking Micarn with him, ensuring the smaller Warrior
ended under him.

"One point Warrior Selaban! The Warrior Selaban wins the round with three
points! Two points Warrior Micarn!" The soldier called.

"Excellent!" The Gift of the Fire Mountain laughed. "For a moment there,
Corsican Archipelago, for a moment I thought Selaban would lose the round!"

"I hoped!" Corsican Archipelago laughed. "I always hoped!"

They all smiled and the next round in the Soldiers Set continued. The
points from each round in the Set would be added together and the Warrior
with the lowest points would leave at the end. In the final tally of the
Soldier Set, Selaban won with 9 points, Chedda came second with 8, Micarn
had seven and Chaita lost the set with five points.

The Warriors took a break before they started the next set, the Warrior
Set. As they rested so they removed boots and trousers. This next set was a
traditional Warrior match - and they were always fought naked. This Warrior
Set would see each Warrior fight two fights, with the first round being
fought between Chedda and Selaban.

They came together almost at once. Each Warrior was equally matched in
mass, but Selaban was slightly taller than Chedda. At once they both rolled
to the floor, with each Warrior trying to stop the roll on top of his
opponent. Finally they hit the ropes with Selaban on top of Chedda. He held
his rival there.

"One point Warrior Selaban!" The soldier called.

At once the two locked again, slowly spiralling around the arena. Selaban
tried to repeat the trick he had used in the Soldier Set with Micarn and
Chaita, he tried to flip Chedda over his shoulder. Chedda, though, was
rooted to the ground and as soon as Selaban tried to haul him he slipped
low, sliding through the larger Warrior's legs. With speed that made him
invisible it was so fast, he span around and leapt up behind Selaban, using
his momentum to push the taller Warrior into the ground.

"One point Warrior Chedda! Equal points!"

Again they faced each other, but this time they were not locked
together. Instead they circled each other, arms outstretched, each ready to
grab the other and force them to the ground. Selaban feinted a few times,
but Chedda always darted away. On the third feint, though, he grabbed
Selaban's arms, overbalancing the larger Warrior and pulling him straight
into the ground, leaping on his back as he fell.

"One point Warrior Chedda! Two points Warrior Chedda, one point Warrior
Selaban!"

"Oh, I don't know if I can watch anymore!" Lost Warrior laughed. "It is
just too close to call!"

"Maybe we should just go and sit in the house?" Fire Mountain smiled. "I
can't call it either!"

In the arena the two Warriors had hold of each other's arm, with their
other arm raised behind them in an arc. They span around a central point
like this, with each Warrior pulling the other forward in attempt to
dislodge him. Their spinning became faster and faster and with each pull
they leapt across the arena in one direction or another.

At one stage Selaban pulled Chedda forward and, instead of resisting the
movement as he had done up until now, Chedda used the pull to launch
himself straight at Selaban. He flew into the Warrior, his feet striking
his chest and knocking him forcefully onto his behind on the grass. In a
rush Chedda launched himself at him and Selaban fell backwards onto the
grass, laughing as Chedda held him down.

"One point Warrior Chedda. The Warrior Chedda wins the round with three
points, one point Warrior Selaban." The soldier said.

In the end Chedda won the Warrior Set with six points with Selaban coming
second with five and Micarn losing the set with three points. Chedda and
Selaban would face each other in the final set, the Evening Set, which
always took place later in the evening after everyone had eaten and rested.

"Dinner will be ready soon." Chedda smiled as he and Selaban came over to
the shade house arms around each other's shoulders. "We had a hunt earlier
in the week and the chefs are preparing one of the sports we killed."

"You hunt here?" Chaita asked.

"It is what the place was originally built for." Chedda explained.

"I would enjoy that." Chaita said. "When you next plan a hunt let me
know. I would join you!"

"There will be one in a few weeks." Chedda smiled. "A celebration for when
the Warrior Sadath rejoins us."

"Oh yes." Selaban smiled, swapping Chedda's shoulder for the waist of his
Gift. "How is he now?"

"He is out of the tank." Chedda replied, taking a glass of water and
draining it. "When he has regained his strength he will come down here."

"I still can't believe Sidian Deserts tried to kill him!" Chaita sighed.

"Or the Warrior Graescin." Chedda added.

****

"Professor." The Gift of the Lost Clan said as the Professor came into the
room. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel... wonderful!" The Professor smiled, using a phrase the Gifts
themselves often used to explain their experience of life.

"And the Gift of the Rocky Islands?"

"Is beautiful." The Professor laughed.

"Are you blushing?" Lost Clan smiled at him, coming over and pulling the
Professor into a hug.

"Yes." The Professor smiled. "Being Gifted is unlike anything I have ever
felt before." He laughed. "To love so intensely. To feed my love to my Gift
and then take its nectar in return... magnificent! I designed it to be like
this, of course, but to be on the inside of all that work, all that
calculation, it is... amazing!"

"And you should have done it years ago?"

"Centuries ago!" The Professor smiled. "But now, now we are here to return
you to your love. You are satisfied he is healed now?"

"Yes." The Gift said.

It stepped away from the machines at the side of the tank that were
relaying the Warrior's statistics to the screens and looked into the tank
itself. Sadath floated perfectly in the middle of the matrix. He looked
beautiful, beatific and also so completely wicked and sensual at the same
time.

"Judging by your face you are looking forward to his return." The Professor
smiled as he summoned some ties to come into the room.

"It has been just over three months." The Gift of the Lost Clan
complained. "I have missed him so much!"

There were tears in its eyes.

This time it was the Professor who pulled the Gift into a hug.

"And you will have him back today." He promised. "I told you once, when you
were still the human, Traes. I said that the Gift and the Warrior are
balanced. You have great need of balance. I can feel the power surging
through you even now. I feel your battle with that power."

"It is so difficult." The Gift of the Lost Clan said, stepping away from
the professor and pressing its head against the glass of the tank. "I have
such anger within me, such hatred!" It turned and looked at the
professor. "I could reach out now and bring terror to this city. On my own
I could destroy every last human on this planet - and I fear nothing could
stop me!"

"Then what holds your hand?" The professor asked. "I designed you and your
siblings to have such power."

"He does." The Gift sighed, turning back to the tank and pressing its hands
against the glass. "For him I hold back. Because of him I stay my
hand. Because every atom of my body craves him I stop and rethink."

"He is your balance."

"Yes. The desire of him is the desire of me. My desire is to be his, to be
part of him." The Gift turned again and smiled at the Professor. "It is
funny. I read words now, all of the time I devour them, but rarely does the
meaning hit me as much as the meaning in that phrase. At last I understand
what the Warrior Mencha meant when he wrote that."

"Although he was referring to his own Gift."

"The Gift of the Painted Mountain, yes. I have read its work as well. So
sad."

"They lived and died for each other. There was no other way it could be."
The Professor sighed.

"And his vision is my dream; of lust and late night love. His speech is my
music; the verve to my life. His touch is my cloth; the finest doush. His
scent is my aroma; it wraps about me like a fragrant wind. His taste is the
flavour of my soul; I am tasteless without him." Lost Clan whispered the
words of The Gift of the Painted Mountain.

The Gift had written these words not a month before both it and its Warrior
were consumed by the disaster of the Epijanan Earthquake. Their labour had
saved thousands in the initial quake and even now their deaths were
remembered in the city of Epijana, celebrated in the whole Province. Their
lives were now a celebration of all life that took place on the anniversary
of the initial earthquake.

"I have attended the Selebrash du Mencha only once." The Professor sighed,
coming over and putting his arms around the shoulders of the Gift. "There
is no need to go again. A love such as theirs, a life such as the one they
lived. It is beyond the imaginings of most humans."

"And I would have that with him, with my Sadath." The Gift of the Lost Clan
whispered. "I would have verse and prose written about us, about our love."

"And it will happen." The Professor assured him. "You will lead this planet
and its peoples to a glory none can even imagine. You will be as a God, I
feel."

"And yet." The Gift smiled. "All I want is to feel his arms around me. To
be a part of him once more. That is the only life I need."

"Then let us make it happen." The Professor smiled as the ties came into
the room.

He moved over to the panel next to the Tank and began the cycle that would
remove the Matrix. The Gift stepped back as the liquid began to drain and
the Warrior sank through it. When it was half empty the ties climbed in and
gently lowered him to the bottom of the tank. As the liquid drained away
even more, the Gift climbed into the tank as well and took the head of its
Warrior into its lap.

One of the ties passed pipes into the Warrior's throat as the Matrix
drained completely away. Warm water ran into the tank and the Gift
signalled that the two ties should leave the tank. When they were gone it
used its hands and tail to wash the last of the Matrix from the Warrior's
skin into the water.

Still surrounded by the water the Gift gently pulled the pipes from the
Warrior's mouth.

"Cough!" It whispered, mouth close to the Warrior's ear.

The Warrior coughed.

"Breathe." The Gift of the Lost Clan said, pulling Sadath up its chest
until the man was wrapped in its arms, in its love.

"Love me!" It whispered, and Sadath opened his eyes and looked into the
eyes of his Gift.

His love.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"You are alive." Lost Clan said. "I saved you."

"I remember..." He said.

"There was a bomb." The Gift said. "You were injured. We were there, all of
us. We brought you here. Saved you."

"I..." The Warrior began as the images and words from the gift merged and
he saw what had happened. "Thank you." He said.

The Gift pulled him into a hug.

"How long?" Sadath asked.

"Three months." The Gift sighed. "I thought you were dead!" It screamed,
and the thoughts cut into the Warrior's head.

He saw the pain, the fear. Understood the panic, the control.

"What have you all done?" He asked.

"We had to take control of this." The Gift told him. "There was no other
way."

"Where is the Professor?"

"He has his Gift. He is here."

"And the Master Warrior?"

"Nothing has changed." Lost Clan told him, pulling him into a
hug. "Everything is different." It added.

"And the Second Prime?"

"They are waiting for us, in the Palace of the Green Forest." Lost Clan
said. "Come on. I need to love you."

The front of the Tank sank into the floor and the Gift helped the Warrior
into a chair.

"I'm so weak!" Sadath laughed.

"But not for much longer, I think." The Gift thought into his head.

He took the chair and wheeled it out of the room and off to their suite.

The Professor smiled.

"Clean this." He told the ties, then left to find his own Gift.

****

"I don't think Graescin and the Gift of the Sidian Desert actually wanted
peace in this region." The Gift of the Lost Warrior said. "Unless we are
being extremely naive, I can't see what the problem was. They were all
talking tonight, Chedda. Representatives of the Prince and the
Clans. Tivians and Troubians."

"I think you are looking too closely at the problem." Chedda said.

He came across the balcony and wrapped his arms around the Gift.

"Ask yourself instead what Graescin and the Sidian Deserts would gain by
having unrest here."

"It would draw attention away from something or somewhere else..." The Gift
said.

"Exactly. And planting the bomb that almost killed Sadath was part of that,
although they moved too quickly with that one."

"Why, we were not a threat then, were we?"

"Potentially." Chedda smiled.

"So what are they hiding?"

"That is what we have to discover. If Graescin and the Sidian Desert were
down here stirring up trouble, who was working with them on whatever else
they were planning?"

"I seriously need to talk to Lost Clan." The Gift of the Lost Warrior
said. "I am not used to all this subterfuge!"

"No, and what with the troubles spreading now to Helias Province, you have
to ask yourself if there is a wider conspiracy."

"Stop!" Lost Warrior smiled. "It's late. Our guests have gone to their beds
and I think we should do the same."

"You don't want to enjoy the evening anymore?"

"I can think of other ways I would like to enjoy it."

"Such as?"

"Such as having my Warrior take me away to ecstasy!"

"Oh yes. We could do that, couldn't we." Chedda smiled as he nuzzled the
Gift's neck.

"Just take me to bed!" The Gift of the Lost Warrior ordered.

"As you command." The Warrior smiled as he picked the Gift off its feet and
carried it back through the open doors into their suite.

"I can't wait for the others to get here." Lost Warrior sighed as Chedda
settled him onto the bed. "This bed is way too large for just you and me."

"We can be a little more... active, if you like." Chedda smiled as he
slipped off his trousers and crawled onto the bed with the Gift.

"That could be fun." Lost Warrior smiled as he and Chedda removed the
harness.

Chedda suddenly leapt over the Gift, straddling his love. His quill was
hard and as he leant over the Gift's body, he ran it along the Gift's
stomach and up his chest. He pulled the Gift into a kiss.

The Gift smiled, it's tail slipping around the Warrior's waist, slipping
across his skin as if it were a serpent. Its hands ran along Chedda's body,
running over his muscles, pulling him tighter and closer into its
body. Then, with all its strength it held onto the Warrior and rolled him
onto his back. Now the Gift straddled his love.

Tail began playing across the Warrior's chest as the Gift used its tongue
to taste its Warrior. Slipping down neck and across chest from nipple to
nipple, biting each one playfully before moving back to the other. Chedda
just smiled and groaned with the pleasure his Gift was awakening in his
body.

The Gift moved down his belly now, licking the muscles there, tail flicking
across his belly button, talon glistening with the tox that would bring
more pleasure soon. And then the Gift wrapped its slender fingers around
the Warrior's quill and began massaging slowly and gently. Tongue flicking
across the head and licking off the pre-cum waiting there before its mouth
enveloped his balls. Playing with each one gently and slowly.

Tail now slipped down between the Warrior's legs and began to seek his hole
there. It pushed slowly and insistently against him. The tox on the tip
lubricating the way before first the talon and then the tail itself snaked
inside the Warrior. Chedda gasped, as he always did, when his Gift entered
him. A moment later a rush of warmth as the tox began playing with his
prostate, wrapping around his balls, slipping up into his brain.

The Gift slipped his quill into its mouth, taking the whole length and
lubricating it with its saliva. Then it sat forward and settled down over
the head of the Warrior's quill. Chedda smiled again as he entered the Gift
and the Gift itself sighed as the Warrior began thrusting into and out of
its Prostatae.

The pleasure was shared now, but the release would be the Warrior's
first. As the moonlight slipped across the edge of the bed, so he came,
exploding into his love. The Gift laughed then, still rocking as the
Warrior pumped it with his essence. Then it lay down across the Warrior,
pulling him into a kiss.

"You will stay with me?" It whispered as they parted.

"I have no plans on going anywhere without you." Chedda smiled.

The Gift nestled against him, tail still pushed deep into its love as the
ecstasy swept across and took it away to its dreams.

****

"Time to wake up, Taeda."

Taeda opened his eyes. He drew in a deep breath and then tried to speak,
nothing!

"You will notice a few modifications this time." The Gift of the Lost Boy
said as it walked around Taeda.

They were in a cold concrete room. There was a smell of musk here, strong
and invasive. The light was low and no-one else was here, just Taeda and
the Gift who had become his tormentor. Taeda could hear noises though,
beyond the only door to the room. The light was brighter there as well.

A heavy metal collar had been placed around his neck and it was currently
tied to a large metal loop on the wall. He tried to move his body, but
quickly realised that he had no control over his muscles at all.

"So," The Gift said coming around and standing in front of him. "You are in
my control still." It smiled. "This is the end, Taeda. You will die soon,
as you have asked me to do so many times already. Let me explain how,
though. You have been in the tank for almost two months this time, I had
lots of changes to make to your body. And now, now Taeda, you are a
beautiful man."

The Gift held up one of Taeda's arms and Taeda could see the musculature,
see the strength in that arm. If only he could control it he would show
this Gift, break free of this place - but the tox held him.

"You're whole body is the same." The Gift said. "Let me show you."

It went to a wall behind Taeda, then returned with a large mirror which it
placed in front of Taeda. The man wanted to scream, but he could not. He
wanted to fight, but he could not. He wanted to run from the image in the
mirror. Wanted to escape this place, for what stared back at him from the
mirror was the muscled, bulked-up body of a beef-tie!

Finally he knew his fate.

"Now you understand." The Gift said. "Now you know how it will end, the
same way as it did for the ties your murdered. We are in the processing
plant beneath the Palace of Sunsets. You and several other beef-ties have
been brought here for processing. There is a feast tonight, and you are on
the menu, Taeda." The Gift laughed then. "First though, first there is
something else I need to do. I have grown you to be perfect Taeda. And your
hide is also perfect, smooth and flawless."

The Gift smiled then left the room. Taeda tried to fight the tox, but it
was too strong. Matched to his bulk perfectly. The Gift had left the mirror
leaning against the far wall and the image there mocked him with its
beauty. He was beef.

He was beef!

The Gift returned in a moment with another man. The lights came up as they
came into the room and the man came straight over to Taeda, began running
his hands along his body appreciatively.

"You were not lying, Pahtron." He said to the Gift. "The hide is flawless."
He turned Taeda around, and the man's body obeyed as the tox had been
programmed to do.

The tanner ran his hands along Taeda's back, down to the top of his legs.

"Beautiful." He mused.

"There is enough hide there?" The Gift asked stepping in to inspect the
skin as well.

"You only want one pair, yes?"

"That is all my Warrior needs." The Gift replied.

"Then there is enough." He pulled out a pen and scribbled something onto
Taeda's chest. "Instructions for the butchers." He told the Gift. "I need
the hide to start from here." He added indicating a point high on the top
of Taeda's neck. If I don't remind them they will put the blade guides too
low on the neck and ruin everything!"

"This is your area of expertise." The Gift said, looking into Taeda's eyes
and smiling. "I bow to your superior knowledge."

"Thank you." The Tanner said. "I will stay with it through the process as
well, I think." He added. "My men and I will need to work on it before the
butchers get their knives into it. As soon after slaughter as possible."

"Very well. And how long until the hide is ready?"

"If we take it off today I can have it sent to you by the end of the week,
jen?"

"Jen." The Gift said. "If you have it marked for my attention and sent to
the Tower of Gifting here in the Palace it will reach me."

"Very well. Shall we begin?"

"Yes." The Gift said.

Taeda tried to fight, to pull away, but he was trapped by his fate and the
tox running through his spinal column and the primary motor cortex in his
brain.

The Gift released the rope holding him to the metal loop in the wall and
gently pulled him forward into the next room. Taeda's legs complied and he
walked forward. The room they came into was larger. Three other beef-ties
were already tied to some metal loops at the other end of the room. One of
them was being washed down by some ties.

Even as Taeda was fastened into another metal loop the men led the first
beef-tie into the next room. The door to this room was a wide arch and the
room beyond was in full view of the waiting pen that held them now. A large
metal ring stood in the centre of this room and the beef-tie was lifted
into this by two ties as its wrists and ankles were strapped into bracelets
by another tie.

When they were happy it was secure, and supported within the wheel, a metal
crown was placed over the head. This was attached to the top of the wheel
by a short metal bar and served to keep the whole head still. Next a
necklace was snapped around the base of its neck.

The necklace was in two parts, an upper and lower section. This was the
blade guide. When the Processing Wheel moved into the next room, the blades
would slice through this necklace, precisely separating the head from the
body; killing the beef-tie instantly. The Wheel began to rotate so the head
was now facing down. When the turn was complete, the men controlling the
wheel injected the beef-tie with some tox and the creature visible relaxed
into unconsciousness.

Taeda began screaming again, but nothing came out of his mouth. The ties
came back into the holding pen and began washing down the next beef-tie in
line. All Taeda could do was stand in line as mindless and compliant as the
other beef-ties awaiting their fate.

"I know you want to see the whole thing." The Gift whispered into his
ear. "But the next phase takes place in a different room. Still," The Gift
added. "You know what happens, don't you? You put five ties through this
yourself, didn't you."

The Gift laughed quietly as the next beef-tie was taken into the room
beyond and put into another Processing Wheel.

"And the tanner assures me." It added to Taeda, "That your hide will be
transformed into the finest leather. Only the best for my Warrior, Taeda,
and in the end, you will serve the whole community as is fit. Your body
will feed our people and your hide will clothe my Warrior. Thank you,
Taeda."

It laughed and then stepped to one side as some men came over with buckets
of warm water and began washing down Taeda.

"Careful with this one." The Tanner said as he came back into the room.

He had changed into a heavy butcher's apron and had a pack over his
shoulder now, carrying the knives of his trade. Taeda could see some of
them gleaming in the low light. The arc of a particularly sharp looking
blade stuck out of the side of the pack.

"Its hide belongs to the Gift over there." The Tanner continued. "Damage it
and you will have to answer to it, jen?"

"Yes, Pahtron." Both men said as they began to clean Taeda more gently.

"You want to see how it all works?" The Tanner asked.

"I will stay until it is slaughtered." The Gift said. "Then I must be away
on other duties."

"Very well." The Tanner said.

He indicated for the Gift to lead the way into the next room and Lost Boy
stepped through as the third of the beef-ties was strapped into its
Processing Wheel.

"Have you seen a processing before?" The Tanner asked as he came into the
room as well.

"No." The Gift admitted. "I know what happens, of course, but have never
seen it."

"Most people cannot watch it. They do not like to see their food
killed. Never understood that, myself. Are you squeamish?"

"Not at all." The Gift smiled.

The wheel holding the beef-tie rotated and it was injected with the
tox. When the injection had been administered, the man controlling the
wheel pressed a button and the Processing Wheel slipped along a track in
the ceiling through a ribbon door into the next room. A new wheel rolled
into the room and locked into the starting position.

A moment later and Taeda was led into the room. His body following the
prods and pushes from the men handling him. He was lifted by two of them
and attached to the wheel by his wrists and ankles, then his head was
secured with the metal crown that was attached to the top of the wheel.

The blade guide was attached high on his neck, just under his chin as per
the instructions the Tanner had scribbled on his chest. When it was done,
the Tanner wandered over and made sure it was in place correctly.

"Good." He said. "I need to go and prepare myself." He said to the
Gift. "Bring the carcass to room 4b after it has been bled." He told the
man controlling the wheel.

"Yes, Pahtron." The man said as he injected Taeda with the tox.

Taeda screamed silently again as he realised the final agony and, as the
wheel rotated he could see the Gift smiling at him. There had been only
saline in the injection given to him. He would go into the processing room
fully conscious!

"If you want to see the processing, Pahtron." Another man said holding open
a door for the Gift. "You will need to come through here."

"Thank you." The Gift of the Lost Boy said as he walked through the door.

It was a small room with some chairs arranged along a wall looking through
a window that itself looked down onto the processing floor. This was a
large space that dealt with the processing of beef-ties from the moment of
death through the jointing of the beef and the preparation of the different
organs. The whole process was automated and could be run by no more than
four Toreau-ties.

Already the Gift of the Lost Clan could see the progress of the other
beef-ties through this space. The Processing wheel carrying the first of
the ties was already laying horizontally with the body of the beef-tie on
its back. Knives on the table it lay above began to remove the body from
the Wheel by cutting through wrists and ankles with their sharp blades.
Its internal organs had already been removed and the chest cavity was open
to the room as the body fell onto an automated gurney. This moved off at
once to another part of the room where arms and legs would be removed and
jointed.

The Wheel carrying the body of the second beef-tie was also horizontal, but
it was flipped so it was front down over a large low table. This was the
machine that opened the chest and belly to remove all the internal
organs. The third beef-tie was still upside down against a wall, with a
bucket collecting the blood from the body through the arteries of the
severed neck.

The Gift looked back to the start of the processing line as the Wheel
carrying Taeda came through the ribbon door and clunked to a halt over a
large table. The table opened and the Wheel sank into it, lasers on the
table keying to receptors on the blade guide about Taeda's neck. The Lost
Boy strained forward to watch the scene. Taeda's back was to him, but that
was fine. This was the final moment. His release would come with Taeda's
death.

The machines were content, a warning claxon sounded briefly then the blades
shot across the table space in less than a second, passing precisely
through the blade guide. To the Gift of the Lost Boy it looked as if
nothing had happened, but a moment later and the Wheel rose out of the
table. Where Taeda's head had been was now a large container on a short
pole, collecting the blood that was now draining from Taeda's body.

The Wheel moved over to join the Wheel holding the third beef-tie that was
still being bled and, as the Gift of the Lost Boy watched, it fell back
into one of the chairs and reached up to wipe the tears that were now
flowing freely from his eyes.

Taeda was dead.

Janah was dead.

Everything that had come before the Gifting was dead.

At last...

Freedom.

And one last thing to do, but that would come later, once Taeda had been
fully processed.

The Gift stood and left the room.

****

Sadath stirred as he woke. He was still lying on the bed he had shared with
the Gift of the Lost Clan. The Gift itself, sat next to him on the bed
working on a screen, its tail was looped around the Warrior's waist. It put
the screen on the bed as the Warrior woke, then slipped down and pulled the
man into a hug.

"How do you feel?" The Gift whispered.

"Fulfilled." Sadath smiled. "Your nectar is, as always, beautiful."

"And I have so missed giving it to you." Lost Clan smiled, kissing the
Warrior on his nose. "Let's hope it gives you some colour! You have become
pale from so long in the Resurrection Tank!"

"And some strength!" Sadath laughed. "I still feel as weak as a baby!"

"That will come." The Gift assured him. "A side-effect from being in the
Tank. You need to rest when you come out so it saps your energy for a
while. You will be back to full strength tomorrow."

"And then I can begin training again."

"Oh, yes." Lost Clan laughed. "I need you to keep your strength up!"

"I bet you do!" Sadath smiled. "What were you working on?"

"Oh, a problem posed by the Gift of the Lost Warrior."

"What has happened?"

"Nothing, but it thinks that Graescin and Sidian Deserts were creating a
diversion to keep eyes away from their real work. It wants me to do some
snooping around, see who they were working with."

"You think this is the case?"

"I believe it to be so. Chedda and Lost Warrior are finding it easy to
implement the political changes we have planned in Midpoint. There is no
resistance and little rebellion now, it is as if the people have wanted
this all along. It becomes clear that Graescin and Sidian Deserts may have
been stirring up or misreporting dissent."

"If that is true you should tell the Master Warrior."

"Not yet." Lost Clan smiled. "I need facts first. I thought Sidian deserts
and Graescin accepted their defeat too easily. As if they knew their real
work was still hidden."

"Well if anyone can uncover what they are doing, it is you." Sadath said as
he pulled the Gift closer to him. "But at the moment it is an hour to
sunrise. What do you think we should do?"

"Well you have a lot of lost time to make up on!" Lost Clan laughed. "I
suggest you start working on making it up!"

"My thoughts exactly!" Sadath said as he rolled onto the Gift and pulled it
into a kiss.

Next to them the screen slipped off the bed and onto the floor.

****

"What is it?" Chedda asked as he came into the room.

Lost Warrior was reading a report on its screen and not looking happy.

"We appear to be moving closer to true motive for Graescin and Sidian
Deserts."

"Which is?"

"Not sure at the moment. But we know that their allies control palaces in
all the central regions. To the West of Troubian all of the palaces in the
Provinces of the Western Marches, Angel Peninsula and Tyler are controlled
by their allies. And in the to the East of Troubian all the Palaces in the
Provinces of the Eastern Marches, Logan and Michigan Pass are controlled by
this group. Lost Clan is calling them the Sidians." It smiled at Chedda.

"Jax!" Chedda said. "That is what? More than eighty regions! And what are
they planning?"

"That is what is not clear." Lost Warrior said. "We need to attempt a
complete concert, all six of us."

"Why?"

"Because we can slip into the mind of one of the Sidian Gifts, find out
what they are planning and, more importantly, when."

"Jen, but that will not happen for at least another two weeks. Is there
time?"

"Lost Clan thinks we have time yet. Whatever Sidian Deserts was planning it
has been delayed by their betrayal. Now they are off planet for a while it
should be even slower."

"But they will return in a month."

"Which is why we need to know what they are planning by then."

"Jen, but I'm worried now!"

"It will be fine." Lost Warrior smiled, putting the screen down and
reaching out for its Warrior with hand and tail. "It will be fine. Look at
what we have already achieved here."

"Jen." The Warrior sighed, relaxing in the hug of his Gift. "I just wish
the others were here with us."

"Lost Boy will be here by the end of the week. And Lost Clan by the end of
the week after. We have time."

"That gives us two weeks!"

"Plenty of time." The Gift of the Lost Warrior smiled.

"And in the meantime?"

"We carry on with business as usual."

"Easy for you to say. You are not the one standing in front of the populace
trying to reassure them everything is calm!"

"Everything is calm." The Gift noted.

"You know what I mean!"

"It is your job to be judge for these people." The Gift smiled. "Why should
that be an issue for you?"

"Because I am the face of the Second Realm." Chedda said. "All my life I
have trained for this, but to actually sit in judgement, it scares me!"

"I am here." The Gift said.

"And you should be there with me!"

"Is that wise?"

"You can act as my advisor." Chedda said. "I can still judge, but you can
advise..."

"We are trying to be more visible."

"Exactly." Chedda smiled. "Come on, then." He said standing up.

"You want me out there now?"

"Yes." Chedda said. "Help me relieve the boredom, please!"

"Jen." The Gift smiled, pulling him into a kiss. "But only because it is
you, you understand."

"Completely." Chedda smiled.

He led the Gift out of the room and back into the hall.

They were in Carsen, the central settlement of the Carsen Peninsula Region,
some fifty kilometres north of the Palace of the Green Forest. There was no
Palace here so they held court in the Gronsail. A large building that was
used to house all the functions of government for the region.

Knowing a Warrior was here everyone, it seemed, had turned out to air their
grievances and Chedda had been swamped for the whole morning with border
disputes, grazing rights, marriage disputes and petty theft. He was
becoming bored of the everyday nature of life out here in the regions!

Having his Gift with him - it would certainly make things more
interesting. At least he could look at the Gift and work out what they
would be doing later when it all became too boring!

There was a gasp from the audience as the Warrior entered the room followed
by the Gift. The whole court was standing as the Warrior entered, but now
they remained standing watching as the Gift settled into a seat just below
its Warrior on the dais. This was a creature of legend! A creature of
mystery and beauty! All had heard of them but very few, less than maybe two
of the two hundred in the court had ever seen one. And then never as close
as this!

The Warrior was tall and broad, dressed in his ceremonial clothes. Deep red
leather trousers, large black belt fastened with a buckle of gold and
lead. High black boots that came up almost to his knees, again sealed with
alternating bands of gold and lead. Silver bracelets adorned his upper arms
and a collar of gold, signifying his rank as Warrior Judge, lay across his
shoulders.

The Gift was even more splendid in comparison, despite being less richly
adorned. It was tall, taller than the Warrior and only slightly less broad
than its Pahtron. Its skin was pale, at once grey, white and slightly
luminescent, as if it throbbed with its own energy. It was completely
hairless and its head was elongated slightly to make room for the large
eyes that dominated the face.

The body was human, although much more slender, almost serpentine in
nature. Arms were strong and long and legs were sturdy and equally
long. It's tail arched behind its back and, at its tip, a single talon
could be seen, sheathed slightly by the tip of the tail.

The creature wore a black leather harness that consisted of a low-slung
belt, a collar and a front and back piece. The black leather was a stark
contrast to the paleness of its skin. Held in place by loops of sliver, its
quill rose up the front of its body. An organ that was at once sexual and
also not sexual on this alien body. Beneath the quill a cage of gold wire,
lined with red doush, wrapped around and protected the creature's Nectaria.

The tail was connected to the back piece of the harness by a series of
leather straps that were attached to golden bracelets on the tail and the
front and back pieces of the harness were joined together by the finest
silver chains. A silver and gold chain had also been placed around its
forehead.

It sat and looked out across the audience, its face
expressionless. Beautiful and demonic in the same instance. Was it human?
Some believed it was, others that it was one of the other five alien races,
come here to study humanity. An angel perhaps?

Perhaps.

For the rest of the afternoon as the Warrior sat in judgement, the Gift
remained impassive. Half the audience were concentrating on the Warrior,
while the other half concentrated solely on the Gift.

The last case of the day was a complicated one. Land, on Tare du Maretch,
belonged not to individuals, but rather to the Clans. The Clan elders would
parcel out the land in tenure for set periods of time. There were many and
complicated rules that governed the management of land and it was rare that
a land dispute within a clan came to a court such as this.

More often, as was the case now, the dispute was between Clans. Arguing
over the ownership of land that fell between the boundaries of both
Clans. In this case one Clan, the Clan Svensar laid claim to a strip of
land that ran along the coast to the north of the settlement. This land
gave fishing rights to the sea beyond and the seas around here were rich in
meat and other produce.

The land had belonged to the Clan Skavin and was the only access this Clan
had to the seas. Through marriage the land was shared between both clans
but now the marriage had ended and the ownership of the land had fallen
into dispute. The representatives of both Clans handed their final
summaries in to the Warrior and he had spent the last half our reading
them, then passing them each to his Gift.

At the end he looked out across the room.

"This case appears to be driven by anger, hatred and a desire for
retribution on both sides." Chedda said. "It appears to be more about the
breakdown of the marriage than the land that was shared as part of that
marriage. None of these emotions serves either Clan well and it makes me
question the validity of either Clan's claim over this strip of
land. Having read the final assessments I can see nothing that offers any
clear way forward."

He stopped to look out over the assembled people.

"My Gift here." He added, "Tells me that in cases such as this where
neither party is willing to negotiate or consider a compromise, the
disputed land is returned into direct management of the Prince of
Princes. In making my judgement today I have considered this option as
well."

He paused again, then stood to make his final judgement. The audience stood
with him, as did the Gift and all other representatives of the court.

"Hear this, in the Court of Carsen, in the Region of Carsen Peninsula, in
the Province of Midpoint and in the presence of the people of this region,
I Chedda Notus Troubiare, Warrior of the Palace of Sunsets, Judge of the
Prince of Princes pass this judgement. The land known as the Sublar Dore,
is ceded back to the Prince of Princes and placed under the management of
the Consay du Clon. The Consay du Clon will administer this land as they
see fit in accordance with their administrative remit. This is my
judgement. I am the law. I am Warrior."

He bowed to the audience and then turned and left the room, his Gift
followed him.

****