THE MOTHER TREE

 

Jabur rubbed his nose with the back of his hand, then swatted at an
insect buzzing in his face. It was the first discernable movement he had
made in over 15 minutes. Jabur was a Neve, a small form of mutated human who
had long ago migrated from earth. Although small, even for his race, he was
exceptionally strong, intelligent, and had a very good memory. This made him
an ideal Taker. A Taker was originally a person who took what they wanted,
such as a thief or a warrior. In his case he was a paid Taker, akin to the
guards or mercenaries of old earth. He was paid by the Talkers, or
politicians, to guard the mother tree.
Jabur stood his silent vigil in the east fork of the south branch of the
Nevenan Mother Tree, one of the largest and most prestigious Mother Trees on
Battlegraud.
Clad in a green hooded cloak to blend in with the foliage, he sat in the
woven basket designed just for that purpose. Holding his bow ready, he
watched the skies and the ground for any signs of movement.
A Mother Tree was an enormous tree so huge, that each tree could support
an entire human colony. Long ago, during colonization, predators had killed
many of the planet's new settlers. Out of necessity the population took to
the trees. It was soon found that the Mother Trees, the largest of all
indigenous trees, was wonderfully suited for this purpose. It's huge strong
limbs, some a mile long and 50 yards across, could support an entire
community with very little modification. Since the Mother Tree used much of
the resources in the area, the Mother Trees had naturally spread out
symmetrically, each claiming it's own large territory. This, in turn, spread
the human communities across the planet equally. Each Mother Tree provided
food and water to the community, through it's sap and rain runoff, and food
through nuts and a myriad of fruited hanging parasitical vines. Farmers
supplemented this food with crops designed to grow beneath the huge
branches. They provided grains and vegetables, while the hunting Takers
provided meat and fish.
The tinkle of female laughter drew Jabur's attention to the river. Far
off he could see the sparkle of white, female bodies as they took their
afternoon bathes. The young adult females were bathing at this time, as
usual. And they seemed to be vying for his attention. It had been the same
for over a month, since he took over sentry duty on the south branch.
Jabur looked around self-consciously, then picked up the field glasses
hanging from the stub of a branch near his elbow. He adjusted the glasses
until he had focused in on the naked females. One looked in his direction,
even as he watch. She covered her mouth and giggled, while pointing at him.
He realized that the flash of the field glasses had given him away.
Nevertheless, they continued their lewd and encouraging conduct. Nessay was
washing the back of Bandy, one of his fellow Takers. Jabur felt his cock
grow hard as Nessay reached around Bandy's back and grabbed each firm cone
in one tiny hand. Bandy was exceptionally shapely and beautiful. If Jabur
was interested in pairing, at his young age, he would certainly consider
Bandy. But on a planet where a pairing could last for more than 800 years, a
pairing was not taken lightly. Coupling, on the other hand, could take place
at the drop of a hat, especially between people below the normal breeding
age of 90. Even as he watched, Bandy turned and gave Nessay a full lipped
kiss. Nessay raised Bandy to her feet and placed her mouth on her small
tight-lipped pussy. She nuzzled and licked, while Bandy bent over her head
and rubbed her wet hair. Bandy's face was twisted with emotion. Nessay broke
contact and spoke. Bandy changed her stance, spreading her legs much wider.
Nessay tipped her head back and applied her lips to Bandy's pussy. Bandy
jerked and cried out, her face twisted in passion until it was almost
unrecognizable. The other girls turned to watch. Some took their cue and
moved together, some laughed and looked on, and others simply watched in
interest.
Jabur was getting desperately horny. Licking his lips he leaned forward,
sharpening his focus on Bandy's tits, and Nessay's bobbing head. Then, to
his horror, he watched as they suddenly stood and moved off into the bushes.
"You little tease," he mumbled, cursing himself for being so gullible.
His glasses went to the other girls. It was a pool of delicious female flesh
now withering and moaning in delight. The Sachans would love to get their
hands on them, he realized. Remembering the seriousness of his duties, he
put the glasses back and continued his watch. But his thoughts centered on
Bandy. What a girl!
The Sachans were rumored to be at war on this side of the Blue Knife
mountain range. The Sachans were a violent race consisting of only Takers.
Coming from the great yellow desert where there were no Mother Trees, they
raised no food, they reaped no harvest, they simply took, living off the
hard work of others. Jabur was determined not to let this happen to his
tribe. He must keep his mind on his duties.
A movement in the sky, far off toward the blue mountains, caught Jabur's
attention. He turned to see a huge Shiny approaching. Luckily, he recognized
the Shiny as that of a friend. It flapped it's yellow wings effortlessly,
then glided forward, slowly losing altitude as it approached the Mother
Tree. It had a red chair strapped to it's back. It was a carrier of great
importance.
"Mother Rush returns!" Jabur yelled down to the workers below. In a
moment a large group of Talkers poured from the trunk of the Mother Tree and
spread to await the arrival of Mother Rush. Rush was important, she was a
Talker, like the important men of the tribe below, but she was also a witch.
Even the Sachans were afraid to anger her. She was from Neverpool, a famous
prosperous tribe who lived just south of Nevenan.
The Shiny descended in a slow spiral. Rush's Shiny was unique, it had a
red slash across it's feathered throat as if it had been cut by a knife.
This, according to Rush, made it special, magical.
"Make way," Rush yelled, waving for the onlookers to move away from the
landing pad. Doers were slow-witted and docile. They would work all day on a
bowl of rice and a slab of meat, but they couldn't think for themselves.
They did what they were told, but tended to move slowly and do stupid
things.
Talkers and Takers were far more intelligent. Jabur was a Taker, a Taker
paid to protect the tribe. Talkers governed the tribe and oversaw the work
of the Doers. It was possible for Jabur to rise to the rank of Talker, as he
grew older and gained more wisdom. But he still had 200 hundreds years of
youth before he had to worry about that.
"News, Father Alliace," Rush yelled as the Shiny landed and settled it's
wings with a slight shake. Rush was helped down from her chair. She turned
and looked at the faces around her. Her gaze lingered on Jabur. He was
considered a good looking male, even in his own community, but that was not
why she was interested.
"What news, Mother Rush?" Alliace asked, returning her attention to him.
Jabur could see the jealousy in his old blood-shot eyes. Rush was not
Alliace's mother, Mother was a term used for any female who had given birth,
as was the term Father, given to any male who had fathered a child. Jabur
was just Jabur, since he had no children. Alliace had high hopes of allying
with Rush.
Jabur moved closer so he could hear the news, intentionally standing
close to Rush to further infuriate Alliace.
Like the other, Jabur dreaded war, but at the same time he was
fascinated by it. War was exciting, and there was little excitement in a
farming community like Nevenan. Also, war brought booty, female slaves,
wealth, and glory. Jabur was unpaired, he could use an exciting female
slave. It was rumored that the Sachans were famous for beautiful,
high-spirited women.
"The worst, I'm afraid. The Sachans have invaded south of the Blue Knife
range. They have attacked three Neve communities, Neverban, Nevelfar, and
Nevemata. They..." she paused, swallowing quickly. "They set fire to the
Mother Trees," she finished with a hiss. The resulting uproar caused a pause
in the conversation. Even the dull-witted Doers were screaming in outrage.
Rush finally lifted a hand so she could speak.
"They are heading in this direction. I am here to organize your Takers,
to ally with the other Takers and confront them at the river with the Neve
battalion. We believe that a strong show of force can stop them there. I
have organized Shinys for transportation," she called, pointing behind her.
Jabur's hair bristled at the sight of a hundred chaired Shinys in the air to
the east. It looked like an invading army. Jabur raised his bow nervously.
"Remain at ease, Taker," Rush said, seeing Jabur's movements. "They are
friends, Jabur," she said with a slight smile. Jabur heard Alliace's hiss of
annoyance. Jabur suddenly realized that Rush had used his personal name. He
was honored. Was she truly interested in him, or simply trying to annoy
Alliace? A pairing with Rush would make him a leader among his own people
and many other close Neve tribes. He would rule Alliace, in a sense. He
liked that idea. On the other hand, Rush as at least 200 years older than
himself. Jabur was almost a child, he had just turned 30. Also, Rush had
hinted many times that he had the makings of a witch, at some time in the
distant future. It usually took hundreds of years for a witch talent to
show. Two witches rarely paired, as their powers often conflicted. Of course
Alliace didn't know this.
Jabur gasped as Rush's mind invaded his mind. Tendrils of thought
touched different parts of his body. Her thoughts centered on each area
associated with a body part and stimulated it briefly, before moving on to
another. First his nipples began to tingle and he felt them grow hard, as if
he were a girl. Second, he felt his ass being stimulated, or rather invaded.
The intense warmth spread throughout his body. Before he could adjust to
this embarassment, he felt her mind probe his cock, stiffening it and
mentally stroking it until he was on the verge of an orgasm.
To the others, Jabur simply gasped and stiffened. A few noticed his
stiffened cock, but did not mention it. In reality only seconds had passed.
For Jabur, it seemed as if she had touched him for hours. He felt her gentle
mental fingers touching him everywhere, and could do nothing about it.
Finally her mind rested for a moment on his memories and conscience,
then disappeared. There was a warm area where Rush's mind had been. Jabur
knew why he had been probed. Besides teasing him, for which she was famous,
she was testing his courage, physical strength, and honesty. He knew this
because it happened frequently. She called it keeping him honest. She smiled
knowingly, signifying that he had passed her little test --- and that she
had enjoyed it.
"Rush will lead your army," she said with a finality which brooked no
argument. Alliace's mouth opened and closed, like a fish out of water. He
wanted to scream his outrage, his own son was a Taker. But he knew better.
Rush would simply make him look foolish in front of the entire village.
Jabur wasted no time.
"Takers, front and center!" Jabur screamed. Several dozen men and women,
including Alliace's son, ran forward and formed into a solid line. He
counted the number of swords, bows, and spears. He had more than enough for
his plan. Jabur had mentally planned for such an event for many years and
now he could put his plan into action.
"Three lines," he commanded. "Spears to the fore, swords in the middle
and bows in the rear," he yelled, pushing several people into place.
Doers ran screaming as line after line of Shiny landed in the nearby
field.
"Find an appropriate Shiny and mobilize in this order," he yelled,
waving his small army forward.
"The Sachans have no fliers," Rush whispered from his elbow. "It will be
an infantry battle."
"I will keep the bows aloft to fire down upon their army," Jabur said,
fearing that she would find this cowardly. She nodded slowly.
"Such a move would demoralize their army and minimize our casualties,"
she acceded.
"My thinking," Jabur agreed.
"Of course you will need the approval of the General. Do it if you can,
and don't misplace my trust."
"Never," Jabur said with a dashing smile. He felt more alive at that
moment, than he had at any other time in his life. He might be dead by
nightfall, but today he would live.
"Onward to glory!" he yelled the traditional Neve battle cry. The Shinys
rose almost simultaneously. The blur of wings and dust was awesome. The Neve
felt invincible. Jabur looked down at the awed village and his chest thrust
out in pride.

Three days later, exhausted, beaten, and demoralized, Jabur watched the
remainder of his army form at the rear of the huge formation of the Neve
battalion. Almost 100,000 warriors stood in front of his own small column.
He had now lost half of his Takers, and still the Sachans continued to come,
continued to attack, continued to win. Jabur had reported to Ladax, the
general of the armies and been ordered to the rear. Rush stood next to
General Ladax and did her best to defeat the enemy with magic. Jabur's
bowmen were ordered down to the ground, and the Shinys were sent off to
other duties. Jabur watched in frustrated anger, as wave after wave of
Sachan armies rushed forward to attack and slaughter their people.
Again they fought, and again they lost. Seventeen Sachan Takers broke
through to his lines, killing five more of his Takers. Trudging back to
their area, he looked at the worn faces of the few who remained and shook
his head sadly. Ten men carried stretchers with the dead back toward their
camp. In a few more engagements the remaining women would have to help. Two
women had been killed only minutes before. Twelve men and four women
remained. How many more?

"Don't misplace my trust," Rush had said. Well he had no choice, each
time he tried to discuss his plan with the General, the General ordered him
back to his Company. When would he learn that traditional fighting was not
going to work against the Sachans. The Sachans had destroyed half the
planet. The Neve would be next. The Sachans were not as polite as two
warring Neve tribes might be. They did not observe the rules, they took no
prisoners. Ladax would have to change, to meet the new threat. Traditional
methods were not working.

"Jabur?"
"What?" he roared, then softened when he saw the hurt look on Bandy's
face. "What?" he asked again, softly. Bandy had looked so young and sweet,
while bathing a few days before. Now she looked hardened and weary.
"Make love to me," she begged. "I have a feeling... this may be my last
day," she said quietly. Jabur wanted to argue, to object to her fatalistic
attitude, but he knew she may be right. It was just a matter of time.
"Gladly," he nodded, looking into her blood spattered face. He
shouldered his bow and walked closer to her. His arm went around her waist,
pulling her against him.

"War is no place for women," Jabur said sadly.
"Nor men," Bandy agreed.

Jabur relaxed on the furs as Bandy took the canvas bucket to the water
wagon and filled it. He checked his body for cuts, but found only the blood
of others, and a few bruises. Sachans had an annoying habit of hitting you
with a sword hilt, before standing back and plunging a sword through your
body. He had learned to take the hit and kill quickly with his dagger,
before they could step back. It was a wonderful strategy, but very painful.
Bandy appeared with the water. She tied the tent flap closed and began
immediately taking off her clothing until she stood naked before him. His
eyes went from her blood- spattered face, to her clean, perfectly-shaped
small conned breasts. She was tiny. Jabur knew he could reach around her
waist, or either thigh, with his two hands. She looked more like a little
sprite, rather than a fierce Taker with many kills behind her.
"If the Sachans had known what you look like naked, they may have gladly
given up their lives," Jabur said with a smile.
"Maybe I should try that next time. No, I might attract more Takers than
I can fend off alone."

"True," he said as he watched her wash her magnificent body. She had the
smallest tuft of light brown hair above her pussy. It was dainty and
beautiful. Her pussy lips were small and fragile. Jabur suddenly wondered if
she had ever made love to a man.
"Are you a virgin?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, but I'm not dying as one."

She turned and bent over the bucket of water, washing her pussy as she
straddled it. For the first time his eyes began picking out the scars on her
body. He counted three slashes and two stab wounds on her back alone. Most
were small, almost trivial. Then his eyes went to her small, dimpled ass,
and all her scars were forgotten. He felt his cock aching to plunge up
inside that perfect little ass. It was time to clean up.

"Save the water for me."
"It's dirty," she said with a look of disgust.
"I'm too tired to get more," he said, stripping off his clothing.
"You are our leader, let other's do it," she said, going to the doorway.
She pulled the flap aside and tossed out the dirty water.
"Willa, more water," she commanded, holding out the bucket. Willa took
the bucket without a word and walked off.
"You are more of a leader than I am," he said sullenly.
"No, I speak for the leader. I must, you refuse to speak for yourself."
"Agreed," he nodded. He stood, finally naked.
As he waited for the water, many thoughts raced through Jabur's head. He
suddenly realized that he had not been much of a leader. He simply led them
forward to die. He must change. But first, an amazingly beautiful young
woman awaited him.

"Let me wash you," she whispered as she retrieved the bucket of water.
"Lay down," she commanded, pushing him back. With an odd smile he stumbled
back and laid on the pillow.

"The last time I saw you bathe, it was in the river with Nessay. She
made love to you. I was so mad when you went off into the bushes to finish."
Bandy paused, holding the rag just above his crotch. "I didn't want an
audience, it was personal," she whispered as she rinsed the rag and started
his face and neck. He felt his cock hardening at the memory of that river
incident.

"I wish she was here now," Jabur said quietly. "I'd love to watch."
"I wish she was too," Bandy said in a tiny voice. "We've been lovers
since I was 17."

As she started on Jabur's legs, he sat up to watch. She was so
beautiful, so dainty. He grimaced as he saw the water. She followed his
glance and nodded.

"Blood," she said quietly. "I've seen enough blood to last a lifetime."
"And I," he agreed. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her over on top
of him. Even before he could move, her mouth sought out his. They kissed
passionately, withering on the furs. His hands went to her small, firm ass.
Her hands were everywhere on his body, seeking, massaging, stimulating until
he felt feverish. With shaking hands he rolled her over so she rested on her
back on the furs. He cupped one breast in his hand, while he stimulated the
nipple of the other. She was very responsive. She withered beneath his
hands, gasping for breath as she looked up at him with an adoring gaze. He
leaned down and captured her right nipple in his lips. He sucked and
strummed the nipple, enjoying her violent response. She held his head in
place and massaged his hair, as he sucked like a babe feasting on it's
mother's milk.

"Oh yes," she gasped. Jabur slid his spare hand down to touch her
crotch. He first ran his hands through the pelt of hair above her pussy,
then slid it down until it cupped her warm, sweetly scented lips.
"Oh, oh, eeee," she squealed, lifting her mound to meet his hand. He
soon found himself holding his hand in place, while she lifted and humped
his hand with her small, delicate petals. In a moment the smell of sex was
strong in the tent. He knew she was ready.

"Roll over," he whispered. She knew what he wanted. She immediately
rolled over and rose to her knees. He first kissed each firm ass cheek, then
he cupped her breasts in his hands while leaning forward and inserting the
tip of his cock between her warm pussy lips. She pushed backward, impaling
herself violently on his rigid member. He again found himself remaining
still while she rode back against him, violently pummeling his hips with her
tight little ass.

A warrior, regardless of sex, could not afford the luxury of fat. And
the few who had it, lost it in a prolonged battle as the river battles had
been. The longest battle they fought was the first battle, which lasted for
over ten hours. That was a lot of exercise.

Their level of fitness certainly enhanced the quality of their sexual
lives, if the myriad of cuts and bruises did not interfere.

"Oh yes!" Bandy screamed as she pummeled Jabur with her hard little ass.
He was sliding smoothly in and out of her sticky little hole. The sound of
wet pussy lips grasping his hard cock was very erotic. The sight of one of
the most beautiful women in the village, down on her hands and knees before
him, was even more erotic. Jabur knew this first time would not last long.
The feeling of her firm little cones in his hands was wonderful. They were
so hard and hot. He tried to stimulate her nipples with his thumbs, but it
was not easy as she bounced forward and back.

The way the bed swayed helped maintain their tempo. The bed was
constructed of sticks and rawhide, covered with furs. The looseness of the
rawhide straps allowed the bed to sway easily beneath their weight.
"Yes, fuck me," Bandy howled. Jabur heard some comments, and a little
laughter, coming from outside the tent walls. But it was natural. In a
community of tents, the sounds of sex routinely filtered into to other
tents. The sound alone was usually enough to stimulate other couples into
further sexual acts.

Bandy suddenly stopped, frozen into place. Jabur felt his hackles rise.
He looked around for a sign of danger, then listened carefully, but heard
nothing.

"What's the matter?" he finally asked.
"No... nothing, nothing at all," Bandy said in a strained voice. She
again began sliding forward and back, but this time she did so at a more
sedate pace. She occasionally slid back against him and wiggled a little to
get more penetration, before she slid off him again. Her moans were lower,
more controlled. Her tempo was more sedate.
"Are you all right?" he asked again in concern.
"Wonderful," she gasped, allowing her head to hang down. She rocked
gently against him. He began ramming his cock savagely into her pussy, as he
felt his balls beginning to burn. He knew his time was near. It was only
seconds now before...
"Oh yes," he hissed. He redoubled his attack on her sweet little pussy.
Mashing her ass cheeks in his hands, he pounded away until the orgasm struck
like a dam bursting.
"Ahhheee," he howled, vibrating against her tiny ass, with his cock
pressed hard against her ass cheeks for better penetration. It felt
wonderful, heavenly. The moist heat of her pussy was fantastic.
She waited patiently as he emptied he contents of his balls into her
moist flesh. She looked back and smiled, waiting for him to wilt behind her.
Finally he stopped jerking and pulled out reluctantly. He looked at her with
shame.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"For what? I will simply have to wait," she said with a smile. "Or???"
"Or?" he asked.
"Have you ever seen two women make love?" she asked with a smile.
"Only you and Nessay."
"Nessay? Oh yes, her," Bandy said as if she just remembered her life
long friend and lover. Jabur frowned. He sat up, looking down at Bandy as
she spread out on the bed.
"Women lovers have a problem. It occurs every month, if you get my
meaning."
"Sure," Jabur nodded.
"Well that can be very inconvenient. Two women spend half their lives
waiting for the period to end. One week for one woman, and one week for the
other, unless they are lucky enough to have them at the same times."
"Yes, yes, I know this," Jabur said impatiently.
"You do? Oh well, I am just leading up to a request. You see there are
ways of having sex, even though the period is upon them. If you will allow
me?" she said, climbing back to her hands and knees. She turned Jabur over
on his left side. He looked at her quizzically, while she straddled his body
and rested her tiny pussy on his right hip. Then, as he rested, she rode
gently forward and back on his hip.
"That feel kind of nice," Jabur agreed. He felt her wetness on his hip.
It was hot and pleasing.
"It's wonderful," Bandy moaned with her eyes closed. She rode that way
for several minutes before she began to increase her pace. Her breathing
came rapidly, her efforts more urgent. It took only a moment for Bandy to
grab his rib cage and ride herself to her own violent orgasm. She cried out
in a restrained voice, moaning and biting her lips, until her orgasm
faltered and ended.
"Oh, Jabur, that was wonderful," she sighed, leaning forward and kissing
him soundly. "It's the best sex I've had in a hundred years," she gave him a
sly smile.
"Right," he said sarcastically. Bandy's face went through several
changes, then she fell to the furs in complete exhaustion.
"Are you alright?" he leaped forward to sit her up.
"THAT BITCH, THAT EVIL OLD BITCH!" Bandy screamed.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, concerned over her sanity.
"That old witch shared my body with me while we made love," Bandy said
in outrage. "I'll yank every hair out of that old cow's head," she screamed,
jumping to her feet. She stormed out of the tent starting an uproar. She
jumped back into the tent and picked up her clothing. With a sheepish
expression she began dressing.
"That sneaky old witch," Jabur said with a new respect for her powers.
"Maybe I should talk to her as well. That gives me an idea."
"GENERAL, GENERAL!" Willa said, running into the tent.
"What is it, Willa?" Willa looked from Bandy, who was still dressing, to
Jabur.
"Spies have infiltrated the camp. The water is poisoned," she said,
looking at the bloody bucket.
"Don't worry, we didn't drink any," Jabur said shyly. "Empty the wagon
and have somebody get more. Send them upstream, I don't want blood in it."
"I... I already have," she said, looking down at Jabur's nakedness. She
smiled sheepishly and left. But she left the distinct impression that she
would like to be next in line. Jabur would remember that. Willa was a
strong, and not overly beautiful, woman, but she was very sexy.
"I need food," Jabur said as he dressed. He left the tent, only to find
that the cooked food had been poisoned by the water. It had all been dumped.
"Blast this," Jabur suddenly yelled.
"What?" Willa said from the rock where she had begun sharpening her
sword.
"I said blast this. And blast Ladax while you're at it. He couldn't lead
a sing-along."
"He is the general of the armies," she pointed out as she continued
sharpening her sword.
"Why?"
"Huh?
"Why? Why is he the general of the armies? Who appointed him to that
position?"
"His father, and his father before him. The position has been passed
down since the dark times."
"What if I don't recognize that authority? What if I promote myself to
general of my own army?"
"You can't do that?" she snorted.
"I can and I will," Jabur said, tossing down the branch he was holding.
"Get the army ready for action, we are succeeding from the Neve battalion as
of now. I'm going to see Rush," he said, stalking off toward the high mound
in the center of the battalion.
Jabur was coated with mud from his knees down, as he climbed the hill
where the Neve command resided. Jabur saw Rush looking off toward the Sachan
army. She suddenly turned and looked at Jabur. Ladax also turned. His face
clouded with anger. Her's turned red in embarassment.
"Get back to your place," Ladax said with a haughty look.
"Go to hell, moron. I'm here to see Mother Rush."
"Get out!" Ladax screamed, grabbing the hilt of his knife.
"Pull that knife and I'll kill you," Jabur said between clenched teeth.
"Somebody should have done that long ago, it would have saved thousands of
Neve lives. Rush, I'm here to discuss that plan, which our moronic General
decided to scrap. Can you get me Shinys?"
"Oh course," she nodded.
"No!" Ladax yelled.
"I've had about enough of you," Jabur said, half pulling his sword.
"Go to sleep," Rush said, waving her hand at the back of Ladax's head.
He slumped to the ground. They ignored him, allowing him to lay in the mud.
"He serves his purpose," Mother Rush shrugged apologetically.
"The Shinys?"
"On their way," she pointed to several dozen riderless Shinys.
"Oh, I'll need more bowmen," he gasped slipping and sliding as he ran
down the hill. "Thanks," he called, waving over his shoulder.
"You are welcome," she whispered. The sound of her voice reverberated in
his head. "And you didn't disappoint me," she whispered only to herself.
Sixty-seven golden Shinys filled the skies over the Neve lines with
bowmen and women sitting astride their backs. At the suggestion of one
female warrior, each carried a full quiver of arrows, and a leather pouch
filled with fist-sized rocks. The rocks had been her idea. An arrow can be
deflected by a metal shield, a rock would flatten the shield and the warrior
beneath it.
The leader of the Sachans showed his fearlessness by hiding at the rear
of his lines in a bright glowing red tent. He was daring spies to infiltrate
his lines and destroy him, knowing full well that it was impossible, and
also knowing that they would try. He had not planned on an aerial assault.
The Sachans did not live in Mother Trees, so they had no Shinys. The aerial
attack was a complete surprise, and brought about utter chaos, especially
when the Shinys hovered over the bright red tent. Jabur smiled through
clenched teeth as he saw the people milling below, suddenly intent on
protecting their leader. Jabur raised his right arm, then lowered it with a
jerk in the motion for attack. Sixty-six screaming arrows rocketed toward
the red tent and the milling masses around it. Dozens feel. Even at their
great height, they could hear the screams of pain and horror. The glint of
hastily raised shields nearly blinded them.
"Rocks," Jabur screamed. He shouldered his own bow and dug three large
rocks from his bag. He raised his arm high and dropped it, releasing his
rock. He nearly lost his seating as he tried to follow the trajectory of the
rock by leaning over the side. With an embarrassed start, he grabbed the
saddle and dropped the other two rocks by accident.
More screams of horror and pain filtered up to them. Suddenly the entire
encampment began to run. They ran without food, shelter, or weapons. They
simply ran in complete horror, not knowing where they ran too, or how they
would survive. A wave of movement on the Neve side of the river signaled the
attack of the ground forces. The camp was mainly empty, but the Neve
warriors took the opportunity to burn and pillage the Sachan encampment.
After one more hour, the Sachans were scattered, weaponless, and destitute.
Sachan hunting parties began spontaneously in the nearby Neve Mother Trees.
Hundreds of Sachans were hunted down and slaughtered, the females placed in
bonds.
The Sachan empire was broken. After centuries of war, fear, and loss,
the Sachans were no longer a threat.
Jabur led his Shiny down to the mound where Mother Rush and General
Ladax stood watching. Smoke poured in black columns from the Sachan
encampment on the far side of the river, rising high up into the sky and
partially blocking the sun.
"You are missing out on all the treasure," Ladax snarled.
"My own troops will look out for my best interests," Jabur smiled. "I
expect a female slave or two out of this engagement," he added as he
approached Rush and squeezed her arm.
"It looks like the people have a new General," Rush smiled, looking from
Jabur to Ladax.
"Hardly," Ladax growled.
"A General can be elected or reelected after a great winning battle,"
Rush reminded him. "Shall we hold the election now, or will you step down?"
she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
Ladax cursed under his breath and stalked off.
"The Sachans are beaten, there is no longer a need for a General," Jabur
said, although he stood a little taller.
"Oh, but there is. One benefit of being a witch, is the ability to see
the future. There will be a need, General Jabur."
"We will see," Jabur said in a patronizing manner.
"Yes we will," she said smugly, "and one of those female slaves is
mine," she added, with a sly sideward glance.

.