Secrets Revealed
#6 of The Knights of Juno
Alrighty, the next chapter in the Knights of Juno is finally ready for submission. I apologize for taking so long, I wanted to take my time with it. I hope you enjoy it.
As always, comments are appreciated and requested.
Continued from 'Trouble Brewing'
Malcolm stood still in the darkness beneath the ruins of the dark corner of the ruined building, as still as a statue. Behind him in the courtyard he had just left, lay Turquoise, the dragon with whom he was bonded, a mound of pretty blue-green scales, completely unaware that he was in trouble. But in trouble he was, a wall of invisible magic energy between him and the firelight, a wall maintained by his two comrades who stood in the shadows of the corner. He had known Karen and Twilight literally all his life, and they had been his friends for most of it, but now...
Now he stood frozen in panic and fear, for he was on the verge of discovering a very deep secret about them. He had come looking for Karen to apologize for some very nasty things he had said and hadn't meant. But then, he had traced her to this dark corner of the ruined building where they had made camp, but he had not found what he had expected. He had found Karen and Twilight holding each other close, kissing fiercely and with incredible passion. And, in his surprise at finding them in such a compromising pose, he hadn't been able to help himself. He had gasped quietly, a whisper of noise at best, and barely that, and yet, the pair's keen hearing had picked out the noise, despite the distant thunder of the battle that was still raging elsewhere in the city. The pair had reacted far faster than he would have thought possible, bringing to life their considerable magic and raising the barrier that separated him from his own dragon.
Theoretically, both Karen, a Knight of Juno and a recently promoted officer, and Twilight, her dragon mount, were bound by the laws of the knighthood, and would therefore do no harm to him, a fellow knight. But Malcolm had never heard of such a situation before, where dragon and rider were obviously intimately involved, and he had seen dragons react very differently than humans did in many situations. There was no telling what they might do when they saw him. But, there was little use in trying to run to safety, he was trapped, and even if he risked calling for Turquoise to help him, he doubted very much he could overcome their magic. Karen and Twilight were the most powerful of the young knights and their dragons; in fact, they often exceeded the power and skill of the younger veterans. His only option was to hide, with his magic or without it, but again, using magic would only provide Twilight and Karen with a means to find him all the sooner. But standing frozen in the darkness would not help him for long, even with his dark skin and black dreadlocks. The inside edge of the wall of energy that imprisoned him was beginning to glow, getting brighter and brighter by the second. Soon, it would be bright enough for them to see him, dark complexion or no. And that simple, unavoidable fact made an icy rock of fear crystallize in his chest, for their faces were utterly emotionless, the masks of hardened warriors facing an enemy. Only their eyes betrayed any emotion at all, but all they showed was a blistering outrage and anger.
Karen and Twilight scanned the rubble with their blazing eyes, working in concert, searching for the person that had made the noise. Bright coronas of magic energy suffused the air around their hands, a force barely restrained by their wills. Malcolm knew that the energy they were calling on could destroy him in the blink of an eye, well before he did anything to shield himself, and yet, he could do nothing to stop them from using it. Seeking the comforting presence of his dragon and her own formidable magic, Malcolm reached out with his mind across the void that separated them and touched her mind. The vastness of her consciousness comforted him, though there was still a distance there, since he had managed to offend her as well. But, sensing the fear within him, the distance vanished and he sensed her mind join with his, felt her rising to her feet to come near. And then, suddenly, Karen's eyes lit upon Malcolm's form, her silvery eyes locking sharply onto his. And, as they realized what they saw, they grew wide with sudden surprise and not a small amount of apprehension. When the Knight Lieutenant spoke, her voice was so filled with emotion that Malcolm almost reached for his magic, seeking to shield himself from her inevitable rage.
"Malcolm?!" She questioned. "What are you doing here?" The question was so imperious and so judgmental that Malcolm was momentarily offended, and that, coupled with the approach of his dragon companion, shocked him out of his freeze.
"What am I doing here?!" He repeated, his voice taking on an accusatory tone. "I came to apologize. But just what do you think you are doing here?"
Twilight and Karen looked at each other for a moment, and something seemed to pass between them, a thought perhaps, or simply acknowledgement of the inevitable. Twilight gave a small nod of encouragement and Karen turned back to her subordinate, the corona of energy that surrounded her and her dragon's hands fading somewhat as their rage calmed. Right about then, Turquoise poked her head through the rubble, the wall of energy that had restrained her rider gone. The aqua dragon ended up with her head beside Malcolm, giving him a reassuring nudge with her snout. Karen and Twilight did not seem surprised by her appearance, and the young officer spoke once more. When Malcolm saw the look on Karen's face, his will nearly failed once more, since it was a look of utter defiance and pride.
"I," She began, putting a sharp edge into her words. "Was about to spend some quality time with my mate, when you interrupted."
While she said this, her chin came up as if daring him to criticize her. But Malcolm was far too stunned to say a word, much less criticize. His jaw dropped open as he realized what the simple statement meant. Its meaning went far deeper than it did when speaking of just humans. For humans, calling someone your mate meant that you were friends or soul mates. But with dragons, it meant that not only were the pair involved, but Twilight had actually taken her as his mate, and dragons mated for life. As he thought this, he dimly felt Turquoise's own shocked surprise roll like a wave through his subconscious, though with it were currents of several strange emotions that he had never felt coming from his dragon before, and, so different were they from the feelings of a human that he doubted that he could classify them, even if he had had a year to contemplate. And then, after the initial surprise, the full impact of the statement landed on him. His own emotions suddenly blazed to life within him, a confused swirl that rivaled those of his dragon.
Something akin to disgust was foremost, for as much as he liked dragons, and honored their strength, they were an entirely different species from humans. A human knowingly having sex with a dragon was just...bestial. And, a human becoming the mate of a dragon; consciously making the choice to be forever denied children and family was so unnatural that he couldn't begin to explain, even to himself, how he felt about it. And yet, despite this feeling, he felt something very strange rising within him. A feeling in direct opposition to his disgust. Curiosity. He found himself wondering just what it would be like to love a dragon. And that curiosity made him feel dirty and guilty, as if he was betraying his humanity even to think about it. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, he managed to think of something to say, and, as clichéd a question as it was, it felt completely right under the circumstances.
"ARE YOU MAD!?" Malcolm cried, startling himself with his yell. Once more, Karen did not look surprised by his response, nor remotely pleased with him. He forged on anyway, despite the narrowing of her silver eyes, a sure warning sign that this discussion was turning against him. "Setting aside how unnatural all this is, have you even considered what the Knighthood will do to you if they find out? How on earth did this happen?"
"That is something I would like to know as well." Turquoise said, picking that moment to enter the conversation. Karen looked over at her dragon and he spoke, but Twilight's response was not what Malcolm had expected.
"Malcolm, Turquoise, this cannot get out. You must tell no one." He said, and the corona around his hands and those of his rider became suddenly eye-hurtingly bright. "You must take a blood oath, here and now, that you will not tell this to anyone."
"What?! No, I won't!" Malcolm exclaimed, taking a half step back. Blood oaths were exceedingly powerful magic bonds that required a sacrifice of blood. Once the oath was made, it could not be broken, not even if the oath sworn were under magic possession. The only thing more binding was to use a person's secret name to hold them. Thus, it was a very serious thing that Twilight was asking for, but Malcolm could see the determination in their eyes and he knew that they were willing to use magic to force him to make such an oath, even though doing so could very well cause lasting harm. And, he knew that Karen and Twilight were strong enough to do it too. His own reluctance was mirrored by Turquoise, but only for a moment. Before he could make up his mind, she shifted into her own hybrid form and strode into the corner, walking up so she stood beside him. Without more than a moment's hesitation, Turquoise held out her left paw and then sliced open the palm with a one of her claws, drawing a bead of blood from the rent in her scales.
"I swear upon my lifeblood that I will carry this secret to my grave, and beyond." She said, her voice echoing slightly with magic as she bound herself with the oath, the blood in her palm glowing crimson as she made her oath. When she was finished speaking the words of the ancient oath, she turned her hand over and three glowing droplets, like crimson stars in the night sky, fell from her hand, landing on the stone at her feet. And, seeing her willingness to take the oath, Malcolm realized something. If he cared at all for Karen and Twilight, and he did, he would have to keep this secret. It was for the very reasons his mind objected to their union that he would have to keep this quiet. If the knighthood found out, Karen and Twilight's lives would likely be forever ruined. He couldn't do that to them, even though he felt that what they had done was wrong.
Malcolm closed his eyes in resignation, and, lacking claws to make a cut, he drew his sword. Closing his left hand about the blade, he drew the blade downward, causing its sharp edge to bite his palm. Then, holding his bloody hand out, he echoed the words of his dragon, the magic taking effect swiftly. Once the last word had left his lips, and the last of the three drops of his blood fell to the ground, the looks on the faces of Karen and Twilight eased with relief, for their secret would remain safe at least a while longer. Nodding in satisfaction, Twilight jerked his head towards a deeper part of the ruins, and Turquoise nodded, following the black and violet scaled dragon off into the darkness. When the powerful creatures were gone, Karen sighed deeply and sat down on a pile of rubble, seeming to be resigned to long, painful discussion. Malcolm walked up to her slowly and then settled himself next to her, wincing as he used his magic to heal the wound the sword had left in his hand. For a few moments, neither spoke, for it seemed that neither of them could find the right words to begin. Then, at last, Malcolm broke the silence.
"So." He said, the lonely word hanging in the air between them. "You are Twilight's mate."
"Yeah." Karen answered, looking at him with an odd expression on her face.
"Why..." Malcolm began again, then paused, thinking the question he had been about to ask just a tad rude and presumptuous. "How did this happen exactly?"
"To be perfectly honest, I am not sure how it started." Karen said, and Malcolm looked at her quizzically. "Twilight and I have always been closer than most. I have always felt a special connection with him, different than the one between rider and dragon should be. And then, ever since we started to mature, I had these feelings for him that I knew I shouldn't have. I wanted him, but more than that, I wanted to be with him, to devote my life to him. And then, about a year ago now, we were out flying one day and we joined our minds completely for the first time while we played the dive game. But, while our minds were joined, I saw one of Twilight's fantasies. And to my surprise, it was one of the same ones I had been having. The shock of finding out made us crash and we ended up spending that night in the wilderness. While we slept, we both had very dirty dreams about each other, and well, one thing led to another and we ended up having sex. When we were lying together after we did it, I came to the realization that this was what I had wanted all those years. I realized that I loved him more than I ever had loved anyone. It was a simple thing after that to make the choice to become his mate. Ever since, we have been hiding it, more and more afraid that someone might find out." Malcolm remained silent while she told her tale, listening but giving no sign. When she finished, he still stayed silent, looking upward, thinking and considering what she had said. He had always known that Twilight and Karen were far closer than others their age were, but to hear her explain just how far their relationship went was surprising and, he had to admit, a little comforting, though it did not at first occur to him why that was so. After watching him sit in silence for a while, Karen at last spoke again. "Please, tell me what you are thinking."
"There is so much to think about, so many questions I want to ask. I am unsure of where to start." Malcolm said, a slight smile creeping onto his lips. Karen nodded her understanding and simply watched him for a while. Finally, he looked at her once more and continued. "I guess the question I most want answered is, why him? Why get into a relationship with your dragon? I mean, isn't it a little weird to be in love with someone who shares your mind?"
"On the contrary." Karen replied, returning his slight smile. "I admit, it took a little getting used to, but think about it from a different angle. Our relationship with our dragons is already far closer and more intimate than most human couples ever achieve. We share everything with them, and they are our constant companions, ever loyal and caring. Isn't that what couples strive for? As for your other question, I love Twilight because we seem to complete each other. Anything that either of us lacks, the other supplies. It is actually a great comfort to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the one I love knows everything about me, and loves me for it."
"I suppose you're right." Malcolm replied, nodding slowly. He had never thought about it from that perspective before, but she was right. With every couple that he had ever heard of that had had trouble with their relationship, the trouble had come from they not knowing each other as well as they thought they did. And, now that he thought about it, the idea of having a love that close was quite appealing, though he didn't think he could date outside his species. And, with that thought, he realized why he was comforted by knowing the quality of their relationship. It meant that she had chosen someone who would care for her more than his own life. And, if he couldn't have her as his girl, then he wanted her at least to have someone who loved her that deeply. But then, gradually, another thought entered his mind, something a bit more perverse than the previous one. "Um...Aren't you a bit worried that somehow you two might conceive a child? I mean, I know it's a long shot, him being a dragon and all, but magic does some strange things."
"Actually, yes." Karen replied, her smile widening at the turn the conversation had taken. "We are very careful about that. Every time, Twilight uses his magic to ensure that it is impossible for him to make me pregnant."
"Hmmm." Malcolm replied, then his normally analytical, almost clinical thoughts decided to take a detour through 'Forbidden Fantasy territory' and he felt his cheeks heat up with the return of his curiosity. He looked down at his lap for a moment, a nervous smile on his lips, and he could see Karen's questioning eyes upon him. Finally, he looked up, thankful that his blush did not show on his dusky skin and spoke. "Heh. I feel funny about asking this, but what was it like?"
"You mean having sex with a dragon?" She asked and he nodded, now heartily embarrassed. She drew in a deep breath and looked upward, collecting her thoughts. When at last she spoke, Malcolm was surprised at the warm emotion in her voice. "It was like...Nothing else in the world. You cannot imagine how powerful everything becomes when their pheromones take effect. It's as if every sensation, even ones that we have felt all our lives, were new and wonderful. I wish I describe how wonderful it was, and is, but I don't think I can. All I can say is that dragons are amazingly skilled when it comes to pleasing someone. Besides, there is nothing that quite compares to the feeling of smooth scales on your skin."
Malcolm gaped at her, now so embarrassed that he was speechless, stunned at how at ease she seemed to be with talking about it. Karen giggled at his look, her laughter washing out over the desolate landscape of the ruined city. The sound, so happy and innocently joyful, seemed to make even the grey and battered ruins more cheerful. Malcolm felt his own embarrassment fading and soon he was laughing as well, unable to contain himself. Seemingly without a reason, both Knights were soon crying with their mirth, casting aside the bitter tension that being in a war zone had laid upon them. Looking at them at that moment, one would think that they were enjoying a pleasant night of camping, not sitting in one ruin among many, enemies that would not hesitate to kill them not more than a mile away. After they had calmed down somewhat, their laughter reduced down to a few rogue chuckles, they began to chat about this and that, like they had often done when they were younger. They were friends once more, as close as siblings. The lighthearted moment seemed to have freed them of the weight that had been steadily building between them for years. Now that Malcolm knew that she would never be with him, he was able to lay aside his feelings and treated her as he had done when they had been younger, content just to be her close friend.
After a few more minutes, their dragons rejoined them, each sitting down at the side of their respective companion. They joined in with the knight's banter for while, grateful for the chance to relax. Then, each smiling broadly, the quartet returned to the firelight and the courtyard to rest at last, for tomorrow they had to return to the fight. But, as Malcolm lay down beneath his blanket, he watched Twilight and Karen, for Twilight had reverted to his true form and Karen was once more lying down on his tail, one of his wings covering her. Just before they closed their eyes for sleep, they gave each other a look of such utter tenderness that Malcolm could not help but feel a warm, happy sensation settle over him. They really did love each other, more than life itself. Smiling to himself, he turned over, looking towards Turquoise as she curled up near by. She too had reverted to her true form and her glittering eyes, looking like two gemstones reflecting the firelight, stared back at him for a moment before closing. As he closed his own eyes, drifting off to sleep, Malcolm had to admit that she really was a beautiful creature...
***
Early the next morning, just as the dawn breezes were stirring the haze that hung over the ruins, the knights and dragons of Karen's flight were making their final preparations for the coming day. Shiriki, his wound fully healed, was seated astride Shrike, reassembling his rifle after he had finishing cleaning it. Malcolm was running a whetstone over his sword while he leaned back against Turquoise's warm side, watching Karen secure her equipment. She seemed more at ease, more confident now then she had the day before. It seemed that finally sharing her secret with someone had removed a great amount of stress from her, which he thought was definitely a good thing. Seeing that he was watching her, she flashed him a wink and then swung onto the shoulders of her dragon. Malcolm grinned to himself, feeling confident and cocksure. He pocketed the whetstone and homed his blade with a flourish before following suite, sliding into the saddle that rested on Turquoise's neck. The infantry company they were supporting were almost ready as well and Malcolm reached out with his mind to his mount, feeling oddly playful that morning.
'Ready to go kick some zealot ass Turquoise?' he said with his mind, and his dragon turned her head back to look at him, her eyes glittering with a similar energy.
'You're in quite a mood this morning.' She replied, obviously amused.
'I feel good today.' He confirmed, scratching her shoulder. She smiled at him and turned back towards where Twilight and Karen were waiting. The infantry company was at last all formed up and ready to move out and Karen signaled with her hand, the dragons leading the way back into the war zone...
***
A few hours later, with the sun approaching the high noon, shining weakly through the haze that was finally starting to dissipate, the dragon flight was standing inside one of the few relatively intact buildings left to the city. The dragons were in their hybrid forms once more, their rail guns, which had shrunk along with them, slung across their backs. They would not be able to use them where they were going. They were waiting for the German lieutenant who commanded the infantry that accompanied them to indicate that his troops had secured the building before going on with their own objective. The cocky attitude that had filled him that morning was now gone as Malcolm rested his hands on the hilt of his sword in an effort to stop fidgeting.
Since their infantry companions had been so badly mauled during the previous day's fighting, today, they had been initially assigned the duty of standing in a reserve position, ready to help any unit that ran into trouble. However they had not been there an hour when orders came down from the wing leader for them to take on a new job. Many times in the last few days, front line units had painstakingly cleared a building, often times with brutal room to room fighting, and moved on, confident that no enemy remained behind them, only to be hit from the rear a few minutes later by soldiers that seemed to come from nowhere. Malcolm's unit, along with the other reserves, had been assigned the task of finding out how this was possible. While it was certainly possible that magic was to blame, the Light of Truth had very few magi remaining in the city, and the knights had been concentrating on destroying them. They had searched the area where the most recent rear attack had occurred without much success for hours. It had been Shrike that had come up with a plausible explanation, the copper-scaled dragon showing off his penchant for unusual thinking once again.
He had theorized that this attack had been long planned ahead of time and the LOT had created a network of hidden tunnels that allowed them to strike from anywhere without being detected. So, a search had begun within the buildings of the area, room by room, until, at long last, they had found this building. It was one of the only buildings that had a still intact basement and a careful search with magic had revealed a well camouflaged doorway in the wall. Karen had then decided that the infantry should secure the building, and then wait for the dragons to explore beyond the hidden door. Malcolm knew he shouldn't be so nervous, but during their long and initially fruitless search, Karen had relayed her and Twilight's worry that this attack was far more than it seemed to be. The more he had thought about it, the more he had agreed with them. And now, he had the unsettling feeling that they were on the verge of discovering the reason behind the LOT's suddenly erratic behavior and that worried him a great deal. However, just as he was going over the feeling once more in his mind, the German officer was back again. He spoke quietly to Karen for a moment before leaving the room once more.
"Alright, lets go, keep your eyes and ears open." Karen ordered and, with a concentrated burst of magic, forced the door open, revealing a tunnel that was only dimly lit with a few incandescent bulbs. Karen went first with Twilight close behind, then came Shrike and Shiriki, with Malcolm and Turquoise walking rear guard. The moment they entered the tunnel, the intermittent rumbles of thunder from the battle outside were instantly cut off, leaving the tunnel eerily silent. It was a silence that was broken only by the footfalls of the rider's boots or the click of dragon claws on concrete, or by the occasional dripping sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling. The journey which Malcolm had expected to take no more than a minute or so soon stretched to a quarter of an hour of silent walking. The passage had sloped gently downward after about the first minute, and now, far from where they had started, the small group of warriors stepped out into a vast chamber beneath the city. The lights were more consistent here and they stopped for a moment to let their eyes adjust before entering, spreading out a little to give each other room. This looked to be a central hub of some kind, dozens of tunnels opening into the walls of the chamber. All were just as silent as the one they had come in through, save for the low humming of a magic generator in the center of the room, supplying power to the lights of the underground complex.
All but four of the tunnels sloped upward from the chamber, obviously going to other entrances all throughout the city. This certainly explained where the soldiers were coming from that kept appearing behind the advancing allies. However, the fact that the complex looked to be totally deserted made the dark skinned knight more than a little concerned. He wasn't the only one. Everyone was on edge, the hairs on the backs of the rider's necks standing on end. The dragons were glancing around warily, their eyes shining alertly. They had gone only a few steps into the complex when Karen held up her fist, stopping them short. She was peering ahead into one of the only tunnels that seemed to go horizontally forward from the room, as if she had heard something. Malcolm reached out with his mind and gently touched hers, taking care not to startle her. After a moment's more of silent waiting, Malcolm spoke with his thoughts.
'What is it, did you hear something?' he asked and she gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.
'No.' She replied, 'But there is something about that passage. I think we will have our answer if we follow it. Let me make contact with Lord Mikael and apprise him of the situation. Keep a sharp eye out.'
Malcolm nodded and severed the connection between them, looking back around them as he had been trained. The flight leader's silent exchange with the Lord of the Knighthood lasted only about thirty seconds, but they seemed to be the longest thirty seconds of Malcolm's life. In this silent underground, time did not seem to pass at more than snail's pace. The air was stagnant and stale, for it did not circulate, but every minute sound that echoed in the air seemed to have been magnified a hundred times over, wearing on his nerves. When Karen finally waved the flight forward, Malcolm almost cried out in relief. One more moment of kneeling in silence would have driven him out of his mind. The flight made steady progress for a few more minutes before Karen once again held up her fist, but the gesture was not truly needed. They had all heard it. A voice speaking hurriedly in English, though what was said could not easily be heard. It came from up ahead in the passage, and all six warriors froze in place when they heard it.
Karen looked back at them all and gave a slight jerk of her head in the direction of the noise, the prearranged signal to proceed quietly. The knights each checked their weapons in silence while they crept slowly forward, their dragon companions readying their magic to be used at a moments notice. As they crept slowly onward, taking great care not to make any undue noise, Malcolm found himself counting his breaths, trying to calm down his racing heart. It might have been only five minutes before Karen signaled a halt for a third time, but it seemed like hours. Now, they were close enough to hear the conversation that was coming from the chamber at the end of the corridor, just around the next bend in the passageway, and it made Malcolm's blood run cold to hear it.
"Are you done yet?" One voice, deep, melodious and obviously male, asked.
"I would be if you wouldn't keep bugging me about it." A second voice returned, again, male, but with a much different accent in it. To Malcolm's ears, it sounded Slavic, or perhaps Nordic. There came the sound of a metal screw turning in a metal socket, then the first voice was back.
"Well hurry up, the accursed knights could discover our tunnels at any moment." It said. There was a clatter, then an angry curse in a foreign language.
"Be more careful!!" The second voice said, obviously angered. "Do you have any idea of what this weapon is capable of?"
"Yes, I do happen to have an idea." The first replied, now with rising wroth. "I designed it. I just hate waiting around here with so few people here."
"Alright, done." The second voice stated, then he continued. "The detonator is over there."
"How long do you think I should set it for?" the first voice asked and the knights had heard enough.
Karen quickly outlined a plan of action, speaking to her comrades with her mind. They would rush the room on her signal. It would be Malcolm's responsibility to grab the detonator, to keep them from activating it. He licked his lips nervously once, his muscles tensing to spring. Then, with a wave of her hand, Karen signaled the attack. The sextant rushed forward as quietly as ghosts, and then, they were around the bend in the corridor and into the room. There was a confused chaos of sights and sounds for a few seconds that finally resolved itself into a scene that Malcolm had hoped not to see. Two men in the uniforms of the LOT lay dead on the ground next to the large mechanical device that they had been working on. But the detonator had already been activated by the time they had come around the corner. Already, an electronic timer with burning red numbers was counting down from ten minutes. Twilight approached the device and waved a hand, fingertips sparking with magic, the recently screwed down panel covering the internal mechanism lifting free at his command. The dark scaled dragon peered down inside, looking around without touching anything. Then he spoke and his words only confirmed what Malcolm had feared.
"It looks like a sphere of enriched Uranium inside a shell of magic crystal." He said, looking up. "The yield of a weapon like this would be something on order of a hundred megatons, minimum"
"That's enough to incinerate most of Southern Germany!!" Malcolm exclaimed, looking inside the weapon to see the fist sized globe of a yellow mineral inside transparent crystal. "But an explosion that big would tear apart the entire world's climate."
"Not quite." Twilight replied, examining the design more closely. "It's a clean weapon. All the radiation created would be contained by magic." He started to reach inside the hatch, then stopped short, his eyes glowing. "There is magic all over the insides of this thing. We can't use magic to stop it without triggering an explosion."
"This has been their plan all along." Karen finally said. "Draw a huge fraction of the knighthood and many of our allies into a protracted conflict, then nuke the entire area. This weapon would kill all of us, crippling the knighthood and most of our allies." She fell silent for a moment, her eyes distant as she silently communicated with the command wing, and Malcolm watched the countdown with trepidation. It now read eight and half minutes. Malcolm wanted to scream, to run, to do anything, but he clamped down on it, forcing himself to stay put, awaiting orders. Finally, Karen and Twilight shared a look, another silent, private exchange passing between them, then the raven-headed woman spoke once more. "I have made contact with Lord Mikael. They are evacuating as many people as they can as far from ground zero as possible, but its nowhere near enough time to save everyone. Malcolm, Shiriki, get as far away as you can."
"What about you two?" Malcolm asked, shocked that she would give such an order to him.
"Twilight is going to try and disarm the weapon manually." She said, then gave him a meaningful look. "And I won't leave him." Malcolm opened his mouth to argue or protest, but she held up a hand, shaking her head. "No arguments. Go."
For a brief moment, Malcolm considered disobeying, staying with his friend no matter what she said, but then he drew himself up to attention and saluted her. It was not the disrespectful salute he had given her the day before when she had been promoted, but a real one, as crisp and precise as any soldier's. Shiriki repeated the gesture, and to his surprise, so did Turquoise and Shrike. Karen smiled sadly, then returned the salute. Malcolm held his a half second longer than the other three, then dropped it and turned, starting to run, faster and faster, afraid that if he slowed but a little, he would turn around and head back. The last thing he saw before his commander was out of sight was Twilight sticking his hand carefully inside the bomb's casing, Karen leaning over to see what he was working on, then the pair were gone from his sight...