Green Eyes

“Attention everyone!” Jared’s booming voice commanded the gathered crowd. Immediately 15,000 sleepy people ceased their conversations; the twins had that kind of effect on people.

“Many of you are no doubt wondering why the Navi invaded your minds and woke you up at such an unearthly hour,” Jared informed them. “It is because Jerel is under attack and you need to be evacuated immediately.”

For a moment stunned silence. Then 15,000 voices began shouting questions.

“Are you sure?”

“Under attack from who?”

“Is this really necessary?”

“Shouldn’t we stand and fight?”

“Have you seen the walls?”

“Who would be crazy enough to assault Jerel?”

“SILENCE!” This time it was Mara who silenced the crowd.

“We don’t have time to answer everyone’s questions, so I am simply going to tell you the situation,” Mara explained wearily. It had already been a long night and it was just getting started. “A group of 40 or so sorcerers from Kalashon led by the Kalashonian Viceroy Brutus are now here, preparing to attack the city. With this many sorcerers and Navi in close proximity, the Armageddon scenario is about to happen. Therefore we need to evacuate any non-Navi before the battle starts.”

The effect of Mara’s explanation was a combination of outrage and panic. Again everyone started shouting with one question rising prevalent above the others.

“Why are the Kalashonians here?”

“QUIET!” Jared ordered. “Why the Kalashonians are here is at this point irrelevant. The fact is that they are here and they are going to attack the city.”

“How can you say it’s irrelevant?” someone near the front of the throng demanded. “Our lives and homes hang in the balance and we have a right to know why.”

“Does this have anything to do with the Kalashonian Navi Selene?” another person asked.

“Yeah,” another voice added. “Does she have anything to do with this?” Quickly this question began to be asked by more and more people.

“Yes, it does,” Mara sharply answered, her patience beginning to ebb. “Brutus has chased us across Kalashon and Ammon to here. If you want to get mad at us, fine. That’s your problem. The point is that he and his minions are here and now that they are so close to the Navi, a fight will explode and if you stay, you will be killed. Now you can stand here complaining about how we ruined your lives or you can listen to us and live. The choice is yours but we don’t have all night.”

There was an awkward silence and muttering among the people that Jared and Mara interpreted as grudging acceptance.

“Good,” Jared said coldly. “Now that we got that out of the way, let us get to the business of getting out of here alive. Everyone who is a professional sailor, step forward now.” A couple of hundred people, mostly men, stepped forward. “Excellent,” Jared acknowledged. “Divide yourselves up among all of the boats. Each man take an individual boat; don’t worry about which one is yours or your crew.” The sailors nodded their understanding and began heading to the docks where the ships were berthed.

“While they are doing that,” Mara took over, “everyone who can competently handle a boat, step forward.” Roughly another thousand or so individuals came forward, much to the relief of both twins. Hopefully they wouldn’t have to just set people adrift in the water. “Now divide yourselves up among the boats. The more experienced of you take unoccupied craft while the rest begin crewing the rest of the boats, starting with the biggest ones and working your way down.”

“With us are several Navi,” Jared added. “Those of you crewing the ships follow Pedro and Alejandro’s instructions and that will greatly speed up the process.”

“Obviously we can’t get everyone out on the ships,” Mara returned attention to the crowd. “Therefore we need the strongest, most able people to escape through Heaven’s Gate, preferably those who are unattached. Those who think they are up to the task, meet up at the Temple. Alejandro and Pedro will help you organize. The rest of you board the ships, families first. Raquel, Elena, Josue, and we will help organize you.”

“What about our things?” inquired an Esthorian.

“There is no time,” Jared answered. “We may not get out as it is.”

“But won’t they be destroyed?” pressed the Esthorian.

“Yes,” Jared flatly answered. “But better them than you. Things can be replaced; houses can be rebuilt; gardens can be replanted; lives cannot be restored. Now we have a lot of work to do and little time to do it in.”

For the next two hours they worked to organize the sudden refugees. It was slow, hard work and that worried the twins. More than once they cast suspicious glances to the west where they knew Brutus and his minions to be waiting.

“What are they waiting for?” Jared wondered aloud as he helped an old woman into one of the larger ships.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing myself,” Mara agreed. “The smart play would’ve been to simply strike hard and fast. By dawdling they’ve given up the advantage of surprise and allowed the Navi to dig in.”

“Intelligence and rationality have never been a strong point of sorcerers,” Jared pointed out. “Maybe it’s a sorcerer thing. The walls are pretty impressive; maybe they have to gather their power before striking or something.”

“Or perhaps they’re simply trying to throw us off,” Mara offered. “Either way, time is not our ally. How many more ships?”

“Two,” Alejandro informed from a few feet away. “And this one’s almost full,” he added as he lifted a couple of children on to the deck.

“How long until sunrise?” Jared queried.

Alejandro paused and glanced up at the sky. It was still dark and getting darker, a sign that night was running its course.

“I’d say another couple of hours,” he estimated. “Is that when they’ll attack?”

“I don’t know,” Jared replied as he guided a couple onto the boat. “Probably though; they certainly won’t wait much longer after that.”

“The problem with sorcerers is they they’re so unpredictable,” Mara explained. “Jared and I don’t really understand their powers or how they work; hence we’re here instead of strategizing.”

“Hey, this boat’s full,” the captain called to them.

“Alright, cast off,” Mara shouted back.

“Where to, lass?” asked the captain, a man of about 50 and gruff, like most seamen.

“Worms,” Mara supplied, referring to a city on the other side of the lake.

“Aye,” nodded the captain. “And when do we come back?”

Mara shrugged. “In three days, you’ll know one way or the other,” she said.

“Aye, aye miss,” the captain saluted. “We’re casting off then. And miss…”

“Yeah?”

“Good luck, to both of you,” the captain encouraged as he began guiding the ship away from the dock.

“Thanks,” Mara said quietly to herself, glancing again at Creation’s Gate in the distance. “We’re going to need it.”

It was another twenty minutes before the final boat was loaded and sent off, leaving just the twins, the Navi, and the volunteers who would risk making a break for it through Heaven’s Gate. To their credit, the teenage Navi hadn’t lost their nerve watching the boats, and potentially their salvation, sail away. They were scared, the twins didn’t need telepathic powers to see that, but they were going to do their duty even though they had to know it would probably mean their death.

“Where’s Deborah?” Jared asked, realizing that he hadn’t seen his sort-of niece.

“She’s sleeping in my room,” Mara supplied.

“You’re not going to keep her here for the battle?” Jared demanded, aghast.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Mara snorted derisively. “I’m going to send her with the crowd going through the gate.”

“Good,” Jared sighed in relief. “You had me worried there for a minute.”

“I’m not that bad of a parent,” Mara rolled her eyes. “Come on, we’re not done yet.”

The rest of the population of Jerel was standing around at the docks, many having watched loved ones sail away and were wondering if they were ever going to see them again. Others had gathered horses or mules or whatever they could find to ride. All of them were antsy; having an army of sorcerers knocking on your door tended to have that effect.

“Go to Heaven’s Gate and wait,” Jared ordered the crowd. “And go as quickly as possible; you don’t have much time.”

“Wait?” someone shouted. “Wait for what?”

“Wait for the sorcerers to attack,” Jared answered. “That’s when you will escape.”

“WHAT?” nearly 5000 voices demanded in unison.

Jared rubbed his temple. He hadn’t had nearly enough sleep for this. “If you try to escape now, before they attack, you run the risk of attracting their attention and being destroyed. But if you wait until they attack, you will make a clean escape while the sorcerers are distracted by the Navi.”

The sensibility of it seemed to sink in; at least the Jerelites accepted it. By mutual accord they started to make their way through the streets to the southeastern gate.

“We’d better get back to the Temple,” Mara said, glancing at the sky. “I doubt Brutus is going to wait much longer.”

*******

Ten minutes later they entered the Temple again to see Selene and Andrew elaborating on their battle plan to the gathered Navi. The battle hadn’t started yet but everyone looked worn-out. Hours of waiting had worn their nerves raw and it showed. Navi were many things, the twins both thought, but warriors were not one of them.

The one exception was strangely enough Selene. She looked tired to be sure, having been up the whole night stressing over the presence of sorcerers and coming up with a practical battle plan. But her visage was peaceful and her emerald eyes were clear.

Mara quickly disappeared to collect Deborah while Jared stood stoically in the back, listening to her plan. It was a good one he admitted, grateful that she had apparently learned something in all her time with him and Mara. It was going to be a battle of attrition Selene had correctly assessed and she had devised a layered defense that ought to maximize enemy casualties while limiting their own. In theory anyway.

Deborah and Mara reappeared as Selene finished up. She and Andrew dismissed the Navi and came up to her friends.

“What do you think?” she asked Jared.

“Pretty good, as far as I can tell,” the mercenary acknowledged. “Although there are a lot of variables that I can’t account for so, so we’ll see. Where do you want us?”

“You?” Selene furrowed her eyebrows. “I thought you guys were leaving with the rest of the non-Navi?”

“Yeah right,” Mara retorted sardonically. “And leave you to fend for yourself? Hardly. I was about to send Deborah through the Gate and then come back. So where do you want us?”

Selene looked at her two companions sadly. “I don’t think you guys understand, you can’t be here,” she told them. “You can’t fight this fight.”

“I’ve heard that one before,” Jared remarked.

“No,” Selene shook her head. “You can’t fight this fight. This is a battle that is completely different than anything you’ve ever faced before; it is beyond your powers. If you stay, you will die.”

“So will you,” Jared pointed out. “Especially if we aren’t here to save your hide.”

Selene smiled softly at that. She wondered if this is what Jael felt like that fateful morning and wondered if her sacrifice would be any different.

“Maybe,” she admitted, “Probably. But I do stand a chance; you don’t.”

“But—” Mara started but Selene cut her off.

“My friends,” she grasped both of their shoulders. “For the last six months, you have saved my life time and time again. You have protected and defended me from countless foes. Now it is time for me to return the favor.

“Mara,” she turned to former slave, “You have to think of more than yourself. Deborah has been orphaned once already; don’t leave her parentless again.

“Jared,” she looked at the mercenary, “You have a beautiful Esthorian princess waiting for you. Find her and see if you can love again.

“You two have been the brother and sister I never had; the father and mother I lost; and the friends I always wanted,” Selene swallowed hard, trying to keep back the tears. “I thank you for being you and know that this is not the end; we will see each other again whether in this world or the next.”

Then without waiting for their reaction, Selene threw her arms around both of them in a tight embrace. To her astonishment and joy, she felt two pairs of arms wrap around her, fiercely returning the hug.

“Now go,” she whispered to them as the tears forced their way down her cheeks, “and may the Creator bless you.”

“You too, Selene,” the twins whispered back.

They held each other for another moment before reluctantly releasing. Then without a word, the two War Masters and little Deborah disappeared from the Temple.

*******