COTN House of Karen Part 5

A mother's love

Kiring sat there in the Hall looking at the once beautiful place where many people used to congregate here. There were the long tables at the sides with the layout fitted for a King, with the many chairs and small table near it which one can indulge in the layout offerings. There is the central high backed chair which the Head of Council sits whereas the back of it is the hidden doorway to the alcove which the Head of Council can rest. Beneath the flooring is the hatch to the tunnel that leads to the lake.

That chair still sits there but its empty of anyone sitting there. There across the left is the spiral staircase which leads to the next level above. Its the private level of the High Council for resting. There are times, that person may need to remain her for days and the private level served as personal chamber. It was here where Kiring finds her mother's remains, as she has been partially consumed by the serpent who held her there; Pipa.

Kiring knelt down to the flooring watching her mother's remain including her intact head with the braided hair on it. She looked to be in shock and there is the bitten off neck wound which could be the fatal wound. Kiring bowed her head to the ground to ease on the pain that is coursing through her body now. She screamed out loud in the Tower.

"Kiring, you may come out now. I know you are hiding in the chest there." Kiring crawled out and smiled at her mother.

"You been away for two weeks now. I missed you." She ran to hug her mother. Orina also missed her very much but this task as Head Council requires her to focus on her task than family.

"Ouch, that hurts." Kiring points to the hilt of one of the four daggers at her waist belt. The mother was alarmed and she checked for any wounds on the young child, but Kiring laughed at her.

"I was just kidding. There are no cuts." That gave the mother relieved and she pulled her daughter to the sitting bench nearby. Before she sits, she removed the belt with the dagger and placed them next to her. Orina turned to her daughter and stoke her hair.

"Do you want me to re-do your braids?" The mother needed no reply as she undo the strings that held the braids. Her daughter moved slightly to turn her back to the Mother. She likes it when her mother pampered her with such love. Today, she is more than her usual self. She removed the small serpent from her pouch and showed it to her Mother.

"Mother, I found this in the chest. Is it yours?"

The mother reaction was quick in grabbing the small serpent and throwing it out the wall opening into the lake below.

"Why did you do that, Mother? I would had kept it as a pet." Kiring was starting to cry when her mother once more cuddled her.

"That was a dark eye serpent. Its dangerous and if you are bitten, you would had died." Orina held her daughter closer.

"Mother, it did not bite me. It did crawled up my hand and onto my face but it did not bite me." The mother refused to let go of the daughter for some time, and soon she was re-braiding the hair again. She told the daughter a caution to remember.

"Not all serpents are deadly although their kind are known to be one. To you, and also me, they could be our friends, but you need to know who is their mother. If the serpent' mother do not like you, then the serpent would bite you." The mother reached down and bit her daughter in the shoulder causing her to giggle and squirm below the mother' bite. "So be careful who you pick as your friend."

"There is one other thing." Orina continued. "These daggers were given to me by your father for my safety. They were given to him by a great wizard to protect himself. It points are deadly to all."

Kiring looked at the small daggers and then backed at her mother.

"Hush, my child. There are more. Your father has many enemies as well as friends. He feared those who claim to be friends when they are enemies. Once day you would know. I would leave it in the wall for you the truth. It would be on a side panel that only you know. Come with me." Orina pulled her daughter to the wall beneath the sunlight that evening. "See this marking".

Its not a marking but more of a wall crack line that resemble a serpent coiled up.

"It can only be seen when the sunlight heats up the wall surface. Push it hard." Kiring was asked to pushed with her hand. It open to show a small compartment. "When I no more with you, seek your truth here."

Kiring wanted to asked more but they heard footsteps on the spiral ladder. Orina closed back the wall panel and carried her child to the bench. She placed her finger on her lips to tell Kiring to keep silence.

"Jarek, would you be kind to take Kiring back to her chamber. She sneaked in again as usual." Orina lead her daughter to Jarek. That was the last day, Kiring get to see her daughter before they executed her as she was told then.

Kiring looked to the sky and see its almost evening when the wall on side of the tower gets heated up. She ran to it and saw the fading image of the serpent on the wall. She pressed at it and the panel slowly gave way. She reached in with her right hand and retrieved a leather pouch. Inside the pouch was a scroll and the waist belt with the four daggers.

Its mother' gift to her.

The scroll reads as here.

My daughter Kiring, if you are reading this then I am already dead. I am not sure how I would die but it would not be my own people, the Karen but by your father' friends. His name is Ricken and he is also known as Set.

Set is the King of the Serpents, and he reigns wisely with them. He evaded many wars with the others but of late, there has been many attempts to usurp his position. There is one young pretender to the reign; his name is Malent. He has been pitting his skills against Ricken' associates. Malent wants more than the reign, he also wants to reign over all the others including our own kind; the Karen. When I was writing this scroll, you father have died during the war partially by poison and later slay by Man. He tried to avert the war but someone started it and he failed to end it.

Malent soon took over the reign as King of Serpent. He may also be your lover now; as we are all pre-destined to be Set' bride. 

Bear with me, please. I know how you feel now. If you are still with him, then prepare to leave. If you are estranged from him, beware of your safety. Once a person takes over the reign, his personality is taken over by Set. They displayed most of his qualities; anger and untrusting to anyone, including his own lovers. Just as he coupled with you, his influences have overcome yours. You are becoming his version but if you stay apart from him, you may revert back to your real self.

My biggest fear is not Set but his other brides. He has no less than three at any one time. They would destroyed each other for his affection. Its the way of the serpents. I was once like you, and I removed one of his other bride by deceit. She was flayed alive and her skin as a rug at his feet next to his throne seat. After her death, I distanced myself from your father although he came often to see me. I made him break the bond between us and I engineered my ascent to be the Head Council of the House of Karen. He is now almost my equal or so I thought it was until he died. I also lose my previous serpent powers although I could still communicate with them.

More to it, the bride I destroyed, was Lord Netsu' cousin and once his lover too. I never met Lord Netsu but I was told he is vicious too. He tried to kill me in an ambush, but I was saved by a creature who flies. I did not know why and who was the master of the creature but it saved my life. It was also my first view of a Gryphon then.

I fought the war as a Karen but I did not expect the price to be so high.

After that war ended with Set, I received this gift from a stranger who appear before me in the chamber. He gave me the daggers and he told me it was from my love, Ricken.

Ricken had him made those daggers for me. He showed me how to use the daggers and said that I am wear it at all times. The toll on the war soon caught up with me. The House condemned me to death and I did not defend those charges. My love is dead and I would be too.

Since my execution as announced to all in the House of Karen, I was actually rescued by Jarek who hid me in his tower. He loves me too and he did not want to see me die. He kept me alive against my will. When I was told they were going to banish you, I collaborated with Jarek for your exile. I saw you leave that day with Malech as it was my wish you joined the Spellbinder. Jarek argued for your exile and he won that argument with some help of mine in producing some embarrassing facts to the Council. One which only I would know. The Council agreed to your exile and raise Jarek to be Head Council.

I could not avert the destruction of the House later in the next war. Lord Netsu was too powerful with his Man army and he had helped from the new Set. The attack was swift and soon all was destroyed or left scattered. Jarek was injured in the fight and I brought him here to recuperate in solitude.

The rest you probably know by now. Take care, my daughter. Seek your own destiny.

Love, mother.

Kiring looked at the mini daggers on the waist belt. She took them out of the small scabbard, and placed them on her palm. The daggers moved by itself an attached to her four fingers like an extension of it but these ones have a length blade that juts out by double her finger length. She thrust her hand on the floor and the blade sink into the flooring with ease. Then she noticed the area where she sank the blade; it became a dark circle of her hand size and then cracked into dust.

"Thank you, mother. Set would never come back again. They would all be dead when I reigned over the Serpents with my children."

COTN Book 3; A peruse into some of its contents....

A sample of what brewed up in COTN Book 3 ( now in progress at page 27 over a three days intense write..... )

Merin was her name; smiled at the handsome Elf in the pool. She reached out to pull at the metal gloves and then her boots. She then reached for the hem of her gown but she stopped there.

"Its not fair. I can't disrobe just like this. You are covered beneath the water." Merin spoke up.

Trigo on hearing of her complaint then climbed out of the pool. He sat himself by the side of it displaying his naked body to her.

"Would this do?" Trigo asked of her as he held out his hands wide.

Merin on seeing her lover sitting there in his glory took the initiative to removed her gown. She pulled it over her head and dropped it by her swords. When you first looked at her, you would be taken aback by the layer of furs that covered her from beneath her breasts to her thighs, but once you get used to that look of the fine coat of fur there; you would find her very appealing to the eyes as her body shape accentuate all the beauty of a woman.

Merin stepped into the pool, and wade her way over to Trigo who still remained seated on the side. She reached up to hold him and laid her lips on him.

"My liege and leader, would you joined me in the pool?"

Trigo slided down into the pool and reached out for his love. He clasped her into his arms and kissed her on the lips before dragging her down into the water.

Their love session soon completed as both Elves laid on the green moss beneath the ridge. She laid her legs over his while her head rested on his right shoulder. His hand was rubbing her left waist towards her hips as they rest their body.

"Trigo, how fares the Nations?" Merin asked as she was concerned on the influence of Man and hey might invade the Nations like before.

"Its fine. Our pact of over five hundred years still stays in favored of both and I doubt they would invade us." Trigo laughed. "Or we of them."

"But you did it on me" Merin replied as she grabbed his love tool which was getting to be edgy again.

01:00hrs Day One past landing at Killrock 1.2

1.          The Mesa Top 

Basilus did not stop there; he rushed for the second Research Center. There were two Draconian in his path, but he did not pause in his rush there. He shot them from his hips with the PH375 with a concentrated blast. It was then he saw the hidden rotary gun mounted next to the center. It was manned by a single gunner and the Draconian was moving the gun to shoot at him.

The shots went past his head as he ducked down. There were no cover so Basilus rolled to the right to avoid being shot. Mira saw his predicament and took a shot at the gunners on the rotary gun with the PH750. Basilus rolled on further before getting up to run again. Mira had taken care of the gunner and this time he made it to the Center. He stood there with his back to the Research Center wall. He looked back to Pete who was using his PH375 on the guards assisted by the snipers. Both sides are dug in and firing over the cover.

Basilus took out another explosive and placed it toward the center before running back towards his own men. He saw his second section coming to assist.

Basilus was happy with the assist as this meant they can encircle the Draconian. He was working out his new strategy moves when he saw more Draconian reinforcement arriving from the Production Lines.

"Micheal, we have to stop the new wave. Production Lines to your eyes right." Micheal acknowledged back.

Micheal dispatched Tasha and Andrei to assist the Leader while he took on the rest to assist Pete. While the two sibling provided a cross fire with Basilus, Micheal and his other men hit the rear of the dug in position of the earlier Draconian.

Basilus counted twenty of them trying to reinforced the ones at the dugout but they are without vehicles. That means they are slower in moving. He looked to the rear and noticed that all the other Draconian are holding up at the Production Lines and the Settlement.

"Squad Five, convened on Pete's position." Basilus gave his order. He took up his PH375 and fired off the remaining clip dropping down two of the Draconian while running back to the Draconian mounted gun. He got behind the gun and fired off a few burst to bring down the reinforcing Draconian. On seeing the new firepower, the reinforcing Draconian withdrew and left the ones at the dugout isolated.

Basilus met up with Micheal' men, and nodded to them to pull back for Pete's location. As he was running back, the dugout Draconian also retreated for that position. Basilus re-routed the squad to the Draconian dugout as it offered better cover there. When he reached there, he saw the dead Draconian lying there; he wondered how these Draconian cam be so hard to kill. They can take up to five shots into their body before dropping but their brash bravery spur them to fight on and that mount up their dead casualties. These Draconian once worked up its emotions, would charge into a heavy fire with no more thoughts of its own safety. They can afford it as the army was replenished by mass cloning. So were the officers but they are cloned separately.

Basilus saw the Draconian personal missile launcher among the pile of dead Draconian. He grabbed it and test its weight. I was heavier than the Thor but its easy to operate. He may see a need for it as it had one missile inside it.

"Leader, all men accounted for." Micheal reported in. It was then he heard the CT guns which took off the remaining Big Banger Bearer. The CT then concentrate their fire on the Vampire Tanks.

Darling, am I obese.....

“Take off your clothes, sit upright and look down at your penis, if you can’t see it, you are obese.”

That was the subject of my conversation with my lover that cold morning as we were having breakfast in bed; under the warm covers of the electrical blanket, with the comfort of the satin sheets caressing our skin beneath us. I know its near to 90 degree outside but who cares; my aircond running cold and the mood was to eat breakfast in the buff here. That was the general idea until the idiotic box of the  second generation TV called the Laptop popped up between us. Honestly, I much preferred my 'laptop' to gyrate and do the belly thrust than having me thrusted me with that article. 

"Henry, I wondered if you can see yours?" My lover patted me on the flatten mesa there. ( Facts of the anatomy; the belly flattens down when you lying down. Other parts may remain upright depending on the brain waves messaging system coupled with the blood circulation hyraulic mechanism. )

"I do." I was honest about it. I do see it reflected in the mirror. ( Facts of adolescent; the days of working up over the length and girth of my anatomy was over. ) I know its there  and when I needed it; its there. For the last decade or so, my lover had been very diligent in observing as well as tending to me there.

"Seriously, darling. Do you see it from up here?" My lover point at my eyes.

"I hardly looked there, as I am more focused on yours." I replied. Likewise I been diligent on my lover in the same longtitude and lantitute. "Won't you consider it a fair exchange?"

"Darling, I am trying to specific. I could be overweight." ( Fact of the what not to speak on during foreplay; never comment on one's body parts. ) I looked at my lover and wondered what was the cause of it. He had always been wider at the gidth and we never do missionary anyway.

"Well, climb on and let me assured you; its not the sight that counts, but the feel of it."

Facts of sex life; lovers need to appreciate more than the physical body parts, they need to know how to endorsed the less appealing parts too.

2013 .... begins now

For the last month of the beginning of 2013, I was flatten with no inspiration to write any tales ( narry to be concerned, I have a few in the archive waiting for publishing. ). I was blank on the sizzling plots and even the lines to add to any titles. I had indulged myself in watching a few shows like Grimm, Walking Dead, Nikita, Revolution, Longmire etc but nothing inspired me. Not even the G-strings to the triangulated patches too. I may do a few lines and then it was all blank. I also previewed the previous materials but nothing inspired me. I even peruse the Library for ideas.

Gee, I felt like someone lobotomize my brain.......Nohing came up for me. Even felt like you hit the jackpot and your ticket was in the laundrette.

But after Valentine Day, I was begotten by the shaft up .... nevermind what and how, and bingo, I got stirred up for the new tale. ( no, darling. I am still a straight guy. It was a manner of expression here. Thrust me not, as its mine to thrust... ) Well, whatever Cupid did then, he must had loaded in the wrong shaft or cleared the channels up there or down there; who knows..... ( overflow could result in brain distortion effects equivalent to a mental disorder. ) as I got thinking on a new tale.

No, its not about a short guy with a pipe and big feet. Nor was it on an old man trying to make his last stand after retiring as Governor. Nor was it about some trained assassin coming back to face his old bosses. Or a bunch of bearded men running across the plains sounded like dwarves but as tall as Man.

The new tale is the next book in the Chronicles of the Nation.

Its Book 3; the New Struggles ( Book 2 done;  a prequel to the characters in Book 1 or should it be Book -1 ). Anyway, the tales would cover the struggles of the Nation after five hundred years, new characters and new twists.....

I won't reveal much now, as that would be a spoiler for the book.

So brace yourself, as we swing into 2013.... and more tales; it all coming to me now ( gazing into my crystal ball....... or was it my neighbor's window. Pay per peek on the exclusive network. ).

P.S......

I saw the Hobbit; the Unexpected Journey and it craned my neck trying to watch the 3D effect. I am sticking to 2D for better comfort.....lol.

Red Dawn 2012; I reserved my opinion.

Cloud Atlas..... I missed the second half; I was asleep then.

Django.....I walked into the wrong hall and ended up watching Hansel and Greta. I felt like being cramped into a oven while the witch looked for the match to light the fire. In other words, it was a long movie to me; just waiting for it to end so I can leave.

Les Miserables 2012; Russel Crowe sings, and even the Wolverine howl better....... The other show I saw of Russel was on The man with the Iron Fists 2012 and thankfully, he did not sing there.

01:00hrs Day One past landing at Killrock 1.1

01:00hrs Day One past landing at Killrock

1.          The mesa named Flat Top.

The squad under Basilus were descending when they saw the squads of Scouts moving towards the staging area. The order given was to harass the Draconian from different fronts. Basilus had Pete with the new recruits while Marc and Mira went on their assigned task. They were going to going to create needed diversion; the first target was the research centers, while the secondary target was artillery guns; Big Banger.

Marc and Mira took up their positions at the halfway point of the mesa' both sniper took their positions and watched their leader went on to the ground level. He told the two recruits to keep watch at the ground level while he moved on with Pete who was holding some of the explosives handed to him by the Mira and Marc. Pete had passed on to Basilus some of the explosives that works like claymores but these works on remote control by the Ranger. When activated, it rises to the air and explode covering a radius of five metres. They are nicknamed 'Frag bomb'.

Basilus half crouched ran to the Research Centre; he did not want to reach it but just to get near it so he can set the explosive towards it. He was making progress with most of the scouts busy setting up the perimeters on the right side of the Research Centre. They were working hard on hearing the comms report buzzing at the attack at the staging area.

Basilus could only managed up to the last twenty metres before he had to stopped. There was a mounted gun setup in front of his path with one gunner on the trigger alert. He can't move forward without alerting the gunner.

"Mira, gun gunner. Can you take the shot?" Basilus called in and awaited the reply.

"Yes." Mira replied and her sniper rifle replied next. It was a head shot and the gunner went down. "Target down."

The shot roused up the other Draconian and were running to seek cover.

"Fire at will." Basilus ordered the snipers as he ran towards the Draconian mounted gun setup. He shot an approaching Draconian who was also going there. 

There were also the Artillery Command of seven crew with the Officer stationed to the left of the Space Port; north of The Production Lines with a Big Banger next to it. There was also a pile of Big Banger projectiles left exposed on the ground. Mira moved her targets towards the Artillery Officers. Mira took the next shot at the one with the darker shade ribbons; the projectile hit the officer in the head.

Marc's was next in turn using the high powered PH750 rifle to hit at the ammo stocks with an explosive projectile. Its was an experimental one; the long projectile comes with a explosive head to ignite ammo storage. The ammo stocks blew up taking with it the Big Banger parked near it.

The other Draconian Scouts alerted to the snipers, started moving in zig zag approach towards the mesa but the going against the one of the best snipers was like trying run in a tight alley. The shots took on more casualties of the Draconian Scouts but they kept on going. They soon came to range of the explosives set by the Rangers Pete earlier. He let them pass on before he pressed the switch. Five disc shaped explosives rose up vertically and then exploded. They are filled with explosive gels when on contact would detonate like a mini grenade. The explosives tore off limbs and armor from the Draconian and killed more than twenty of them.

Basilus by then had covered the distance to the gun and jumped in behind the gun. He aimed it at the Draconian Scouts trying to remove the ammo. The Draconian gun manned by Basilus soon laid on more explosions as he hit at other ammo cases. The gun ran out of projectiles and Basilus got up to run to the Research Center.

He stopped before its walls and placed the explosives facing the Center. He then ran back to the gun position.

"Fire in Hell." Basilus shouted out and pressed the detonator on his greave. The explosion splattered the Centre wall and then blew it to tilt on its side. The Center collapsed forth when the supporting sides gave way during the explosion.

2.          The staging area 

Squad Four Leader Nur looked at her men; all of them survived alongside with Mano who injured in the eye when a wild shot hit his helm visor. The last of the Draconian Scouts were confirmed dead or shot dead if found wounded. That was the order given by the Command Center. She then turned to looked at Toole squad who lost more than half his men. Toole himself died while Squad Two under Perkin' squad were all gone.

Nur looked at Carriers which were landing and upon discharging the troops then left back for the cruiser. She wished they had come earlier.

Colonel Ludwig was in the forefront of the first landing; coming in strong with the rest of the 1^st Ranger Division now mobilized with four CT in support. He called in the first recon squads and offered them to wait for the second company but they declined. They would fight on.

"Okay. Squad Three would merge with One for now." The new orders were given.

"Squad Six to Ten, you are to locate Squad Five. Reinforced them. The rest of you followed me. We got a colony to recover." Colonel Ludwig looked back to his aide.

"When Second Company arrived, move them to reinforced us at the Settlement. Third Company to move to the side of the lake. I want them to be my relief where its needed. Let Company Four stay at the Staging area. If we need to evacuate, I know there would be a staging area." Colonel Ludwig was shouting out his orders as he walked to the CT to take him to the temporary Command Center. Just before he board the CT, he gave more orders to his personal aide, Major Koenig.

"Get the LTT to my command." Colonel Ludwig smiled. "I may need mobility later."

Major Koenig saluted back and went over to the newly arrived Carrier to secure a LTT for his Commander. As he walked to the Carrier, he saw the battered Scouts squads. He was relieved that he's not in the those squads. He was with the main force in a safer zone.

Killrock: 00:00hrs Day One on the planet 1.4

1.          The Scouts

There are no twelve members squad within the Draconian scout, they come in cluster of twenty five personnels with their leader; the Head Scout. The advancing scouts numbered over a hundred units with their Head Scouts'; traveling fast as they moved on those mini disc pods at their feet. The scouts moved in pairs with one in front and the other watching its flank like fighter pilots. They were three kilometres away when the carriers landed. They immediately mobilized within one click and hit the perimeter on the left side first.

Squad Leader Perkins made a sign of prayers and then laid out the ammo clips on the ground. He also placed the PH450 on the ground and raised his PH375 on the shoulder to fire. He looked to the darkness area on the horizon; saw the shades of darkness are moving but he still can't out the numbers. He test fired off in short bursts at the approaching scouts, and his squad followed suit. As the streaks of fire went off, some of it came into contact with the Draconian Scouts on their hovering disc. THe ones which got shot hollered out in pain and the sneak attack was no more a surprise .His volley of fires took down some Draconian Scouts but many more evaded his shots as they rode on their hovering disc.

"Concentrate on the middle!" Leader Perkins shouted as he lowered the PH375 to reload.

Another Ranger holding the XH17 flame thrower ran to crouch next to the Squad Leader. The flame thrower was a preferred weapon of the Scouts to weed out the enemies burrowed into the ground but again limited in use. Its a designed like a PH450 with a larger barrel and instead of a butt stock; a steel ceramic flexible hose attached to the back pack of mixed fuel which provides the deadly flames. The backpack can last a continuos flow of flames for half an hour before its needs to be refilled.

The Ranger named was Lois and his niece. Lois spurt off a long streak of flames from the right to the left bringing down more Draconian Scouts. The streak of flame was like a long ray that shoots out at over fifty over metres, with heat scorching effect on contact. The flame would burned at the armor or flesh which ever comes into contact. The combination of the chemical for this high temperature flame was designed to melt down even armors on tanks. She then dropped the flame thrower when its tank showed empty and unslung her rifle to fire. She fired off in a full burst from left to right watching some Draconian getting shot off their disc while Perkins was reloading. When he took to cover her, the Scouts are almost near them, 

"Damned! They don't stay down." The Draconian fought to the last breath of their life and are resilient to many injuries unless you hit the vital parts. With her gun running of ammo, Lois dropped that and pulled out her PH450. The scouts are at fifty metres and coming in fast so the hand blaster can also do damage at this close range. They could hear the battle cries of the Draconian Scouts before the smell of these unwashed bodies. The mass of the charging Draconian Scouts was intimidating as lighted by the burning flame lights when they came nearer.

\

Lois score with the flame thrower was ten scouts before they overran the position. They zipped over her and caused her to rolled onto the left while Leader Perkins went for his right. Both of them have grabbed fresh ammon for the PH450 and began blasting away on reloading. Lois got hit by a floating disc on her left shoulder causing her to dropped her gun. She held onto her shoulder and saw the Draconian scout hovering over her with the rifle aimed at her.

She did not get shot at as the scout toppled over when shot by her uncle who saw her predicament. She looked over to the Draconian Scouts that overran them and now engaging the rest. She saw her mates getting shot or run over by the scouts with the cleavers spurting flesh and blood. She got up to get up and saw the Squad Leader getting shot in the back.

"Damned you!" Lois grabbed back her PH375 that was on the ground and try to load in the new clip. As she was reloading, she saw the launching of the missiles from the staging area. She smiled at the Eagles missiles coming at her position but she was shot in the back by a Draconian Scout before the missiles landed.

It was Squad Leader Nur saw the approaching scouts and signaled the Eagles missiles to be released. The first batch of four missiles went off in a wide spread arc to the left side of the staging area.

'Fire in hell." Leader Nur shouted out on the comms for the forward Rangers to keep their heads down. She then grabbed the rotary guns and fired away above the heads of the Rangers in front. As the missiles descended, it would explode it fore panel to release the mini bombs that dropped on the advancing Draconian. While her missiles took their toll on the advancing Draconian scouts, Leader Nur had her guns removing of those who are still hovering but she still managed to slipped through.

Squad Leader Toole had set up the landing signals on the area and now had his fifteen Rangers crowded all around him with their back to each other. He saw the approaching Draconian scouts and gave out the command to shoot. They fired their assigned PH375 with a tight volley that brought down some of the scouts. The projectiles in close formation was like a horde of hornets flying with their stings but the speed of the hover disc and numbers soon overwhelm them.

When his PH375 ran out of ammo, he pulled out his PH450 to shoot but some of his Rangers had pulled out their serrated blades against the Draconian mallets and cleavers for the close combat. He blocked a swinging cleaver with his blade and then shot the lower torso of the Draconian with the PH450. When the other half crouched back in pain, Leader Toole swung his blade downwards onto the neck of the Draconian. He hit the Draconian on the left side of the neck and followed through with a crushing blow on the shoulder. He was pulling out his blade when another Draconian came from his right side and thrust the cleaver into his lower ribs at the exposed chest plates before dragging it upwards. He couldn't scream as the life from his life force was dragged out by the serrated blade with the blood and organs spilling out. But the Draconian Scouts were too many and soon they were killed to the last man standing. It was Leader Toole holding onto his blade with one other hand missing. He stood there as three Draconian Scout hovered around him. They are intimidating him like a herded creature but not delivering the last blow.

"Damned you!" Toole lunged at the nearest Draconian and was given the final crushing blow on the side of his head/. The blow crushed his Helm body into his left ears and fractured his scalp. He died smiling as that was an instant death compared to torture by them.

Squad One Leader Mano who was covering the right side came running with his squad to assist Leader Toole squad. The newly arrived squads lined up and threw in volley of shots into the hovering Draconian that was killing the other squad Rangers. The three Draconian got caught in the volley but the remaining Draconian scouts withdrew back leaving their wounded and dead. It was not the Squad which made them retreat but the arrival of the reinforcement from the Frigate.

The staging area was soon lighted as the first wave of Troop carriers including the Heavier Transporter ferrying the division with armor including four Chieftain Tank and one company of Rangers.

COTN House of Karen Part 4

2. Family or Foe's 

Orina was a young girl, when her father told her that she is to meet a young man who may want to court her for his wife. Now Orina was at that time, was still thinking about kicking boys more than to love one. She squirmed at the thought but she has no mother to asked on those questions in her head. Soon the young man arrived and he announced himself to the young lady then in the family Hall.

"My name is Ricken of Vanir. Its a land far from here and yet we are traders so no land is far for our trade. I did asked your father for your hand, but I would also be fair to both of us. We would be given a season to know each other before we decide again." Ricken left that day but he did returned the week later bearing gifts for the lady. He stayed for a day before moving on and often come back. She however take him on her walks and spend time discussing with him on many things.

She did not pay much attention to him when he used to play with the serpents that seemed to come to him. She also did not pay attention to the assorted serpents that seems to be around when Ricken is around. She then saw the bracelet on his wrist. Its no ordinary bracelet but one which resemble a serpent coiled around the wrist. She asked him for it, and he gave it to her. The bracelet uncoiled and slither across the hand and onto Orina'. It moved on and then reversed the head to settle on the other' hand.

"It would protect you from harm." It did on several occasion when she was in danger, but she did not know that the bracelet was also seeping into her body and soul. It influenced her view on Ricken and soon she was married to him. She bored him a daughter named Kiring but Ricken never come back to see the mother or daughter. She did not know that her lover was involved then in preparing a war, but was soon to die before he hand over to a new successor.

Now that new Set is claiming on her daughter as it befitting to marry one that is destined to be his bride. Or brides as they are a few that he had laid claim to.

The first born would be a child hat would be the next bride of the new Set. That was the tradition and it would remain so until eternity ends.

"Now you know the truth of your legacy. You and me, and our daughter would continue to breed for Set. I did not plan your union with Set, but you did it nevertheless. You see, Kiring, we are the Serpent God'." Orina; mother of Kiring looked at her child. "You are hurt, and yet you run to seek the help of the enemy. Why did you not looked up Set or Seti? He would had cured you. Those bites are his guards and you ran."

"Seti created this." Kiring point to her missing limb, and scarred face. "He blamed me for failing to captured Malech. He sent his serpents against me. Some of my children who stood for me fought hard but they are no match for him. They bought me time and I ran for safety. Do your lover do that to you?"

"I did not know. I do not know the new Set. I only get instruction from him. Since the Great War and when I went missing." Orina shrug her shoulders. "Jarek has been monitoring the situation for me while I hide here. Its been years and its worth it when I saw the House go down."

"So Jarek is replacement for father? Do you not love him?" Kiring shouted back.

"Jarek is my true love. He may not father any child with me, but he love me deeper than any lover. Jarek also saved me from the execution. He hide me since then." Orina reached out her hand to touch Jarek on his shoulder. "I trust him with my life."

The double blade sword bearing Jarek' name pierced his heart. Its held by Orina as she twist the sword and pushed in deeper until it cut through to the back. Jarek stared at his lover and it registered confusion on the face.

"I am sorry, Jarek. I have my family back now. You are now not needed but thank you for the years of comfort." Jarek finally slide down to his death.

"As for you, Kiring. I would do what I can to protect you. You are my daughter. Always mine. Never Set or Ricken. They hurt you means that they hurt me too. That I cannot permit. I would fight the new Set who have harmed my daughter." Orina walked to her daughter but Kiring stepped back to avoid her. "Why are pulling away? I am your mother and I love you."

"No, mother. There is one thing I have learned from the Serpent; we developed an unique instinct. Its called knowing your predator before they strike at you. You do not have my mother' scent."

"Then its time for me to remove my disguise." Orina reached for her face and pulled away at the cheek with a magical spell. It revealed a face familiar to Kiring. 

"Pipa!" The previous frail lady now stand up with younger body and smiled at her once good friend.

"Yes, I came here when you went missing. I saw your mother and she was dying. She also asked for you so many times, until I silenced her. So that is one more reason for you to kill me. Set wants you to taken out, but I told him to let me try." Pipa walked to the dead Jarek, and she drew out the double blade sword.

"I am not going to kill you today. I wanted to captured you. Seti and Netsu are in conflict. This means that I need to take some gamble. One of them is you." Pipa threw the sword at Kiring but Kiring had anticipated the move. She jumped to the doorway and ran from there.

"Kiring, come back", but Kiring is already outside. She ran to the right and jumped into water there. She submerged and swam to the hidden culvert under the tower which leads to a tunnel that she can climb into back to the tower at another section behind the Hall. Its a escape path for the Head of Council if there is an attack. Orina told Kiring that hidden room as this was how she always come in to listen in on the discussion. Its a game for her then, now its her plan to get vengeance.

She exit at the hidden room and she took to the hidden doorway panel. She opened the panel and she saw no one in Hall. Pipa has gone looking for her or left the island. Kiring walked to the doorway which she rushed out earlier but she cannot find Pipa outside there too. She leaned out and saw Pipa on a boat being drawn by some serpent but she saw her children. The twins are attacked by a number of dark scorpion and the twins are losing the battle. Kiring wanted to cry out but she held back her scream for fear of alerting Pipa. She closed the door and lean against with her tears flowing freely

Killrock: 00:00hrs Day One on the planet 1.3

1.          The first sight

Basilus halted his squad and went down on his knees to crawl near the top edge of the Mesa. He took up the Ranger issued Viewer and trained it on the scenes below. The viewer looks like a triangle box but one side had the view screen while the other side is the lens. The Production Line and Settlement looks intact and so are the stockpiles. The Space Port wrecked to its foundation and sill in flames with the smoke rising. What concerned Basilus was the scores of Draconian and their armor on the ground. He can see their heavy armor; the Vampire Class Battle Tank with its main gun, three rotary guns; one on the cupola on the top turret and two incendiary gun on its sponson on both side. The tank comprised of ten man crew with a complement to carry four soldiers. There are five of these tanks on the ground. They are moving towards the Settlement and probably on route towards the staging area.

There are also two units of the heavy artillery with its long range firepower through its hundred millimeter diameter barrel; nicknamed the Big Banger, or BB for short. There are also twenty of those armored vehicles with their double mini rotary guns at the rear as its carry troops to the front nicknamed Tiger as they have stripes painted on the hull.  There are the scout units which rode on those mini pods; personal hover discs which allow the scouts to move over flat surfaces but are underpowered to climb up higher gradient.

Those are not what Basilus was most concerned on but the two long rectangle metal command posts being parked near the wrecked space port. Those are not Command posts but Research centers. He had not seen what these center done in other colonies but they were many evidence of unsanctioned cloning experiments and DNA tampering. These were all reported by Intelligence based on finding when the Draconian fought the Rimulan in the last war; another warring breed that survived on some of the far out planets. Sine the Rimulan were defeated in the war, they had allied with the Federation but they are of no use to fight any battles now.

Cloning experiments are banned in the Federation and was the initial conflict with the Draconian from joining the Federation. The Draconian used closing to replenished their lost or missing ones, and they also experimented with other breed to perfect their DNA. The Federation order was they are never to experiment with the Federation subjects.

Basilus signaled Pete to come forth as he was carrying the comm set. He then remotely linked the viewer to the comms and sent off the findings. He also signaled Micheal.

2.          The Staging Area

The carriers carried both the squads to the designated points in the staging area surface upon landing. They had earmarked the area of four hundred metres width by five metres in length. Squad One went to the right while Squad Two proceed to the left. Squad Three went to work on the signals to bring in the rest of the Division. Squad Four rolled out the heavier armaments which include the three sets of the double rotary guns portable units named Weasels at the Staging Area. The Seniors said when someone shoot at you with a Weasel, you wished you were one like the namesake and crawled like one. The squad also brought out two sets of eight tripod mounted missiles launcher nicknamed Eagles; they would fly up and find their target then swoop down in a screaming dive.

"Perimeter One, report in." Squad Four Leader Nur asked for update as he crouched down on his right knee. Her Rangers start confirming their position and then she got the final confirmation.

"I read you all. Now keep those sensors on full sweep." Squad Four Leader replied back. The sensors are good for two hundred metres but the Viewer he had on told him a different reading. "Reading coming in. We got company in ten clicks max."

Across the landing, Squad Two Leader Perkins crouched behind a mound of sands and looked over the top. He does not click on his squad as they are all spaced out behind him. He is a leader which liked to go before any of his Rangers. He took up the viewer and looked at the horizon. He wished he had more of these Viewer but they are fewer left in their storage. Leader Perkins got similar readings on his Viewer.

Squad Three Leader Toole was calibrating the signals when he heard the message. Ten clicks was running it too close; muttered Leader Toole to himself. The Companies would need at least twenty clicks to descent and ten clicks to move for action.

Squad Leader Nur of Squad Four climbed up the carrier that brought her squad and had the rotary guns positioned up there. She had the second and third gun set up a distance of twenty metres from the carrier on both sides. Her second in command, Ranger Ramirez positioned the Eagles on the carrier.

"Do not shoot until you can see their fangs." She told her squad. It was supposed to make her squad Rangers laugh but they hardly did. Then she heard the comms.

COTN House of Karen Part 3

2. Homecoming 

Once Kiring saw her children had settled down, she looked up to the skies. Its getting dark and its also time to find shelter. Stand before her is the cone shaped tower; the place have not changed much since she last saw it. No one is allowed her except the invited and Councilors. The former are the selected few for their skills or knowledge. Jarek was one with the two qualities; he was also a sorcerer. He was once an apprentice of Artoo before he come back to assume the position of Councilor. Kiring also more of Jarek; he was one who once saved her when she fell off the tower due to carelessness. Kiring remembered that day.

The child was six and she is chasing the magical beetle she created at the Tower while her mother is now in conference. It flew past him and into a dark corner hoping to evade its captor. Kiring jumped into the dark corner without realizing that there is no wall behind. She fell through the corner into open space at the height of over ten Man' height and then she felt her fall slowing down. She looked up and saw the hand of someone holding her from falling, but its not any hand. Its an elongated hand of the elf named Jarek, holding her from falling to her death. Jarek pulled her up and back to the level to console her.

"Child, do not tell the others of what you saw today. This is our little secret." It was one secret that she did not revealed.

"Who are you?" Kiring turned to see a person approaching her. He is dressed as a Councilor; the same blue robe but this one is showing signs of wear and tear. "Kiring, is that you? I remember your eye and smile."

"Hello, Jarek. I had come back to my home." She ran towards the once familiar face. He held her and then realized her missing limb and her change in looks. He looked at her and then at the skies.

"Please come in. Its safer there." Jarek led her into the Tower.

It took them the whole night of talking to bring each other up to date. By then, Jarek had stood up and now holding the sword given back to him by Kiring.

"Stand back....... Kiring. You are a Serpent Queen, and that is unacceptable to the House. Kiring, how can you betray your kind?" Jarek held the sword tighter in his hand. "The Serpents killed many of our people and also caused the death of your mother."

:Do not mentioned my mother. Your....My kind murdered her for her commitment to fight the war. We..... The Serpents lose the war then, but the House is not willing to pardon the leader whom they execute. Now don't asked me of my loyalty. It never changed at all. I am always loyal to my mother." Kiring stepped away to looked at her surrounding.

Jarek had occupied the hall which used to be the Main Hall for the Councilors. He had moved the settings to be his own chamber with piles of refreshments and also some weapons. She spied something else; a red silky gown hidden behind some scrolls. Jarek saw her looking at it and he made no attempt to hide it.

"Where did you get that?" Kiring walked towards the scrolls and retrieve the gown.

"Its not what you think....." Jarek reached for the gown but Kiring would not give it up. "More to it, this can be any gown."

"True, but you need not be so secretive on one gown. I never said it was mine or.....mother's but you are so possessive towards it." Kiring glared at him and sensed something is amiss. Its her new serpent traits.

"Fight no more. She needs to know the truth." Kiring remember that voice well.

The figure walked out form a hidden doorway. She is older but she is still as beautiful as before. She is dressed in a plain frock on her frail body as her limbs are not bound by shackles.

"Hello Kiring."

"Hello Mother, or shall I called you Queen Mother. How many of us are there? You planned it all since then. Neppy told me during the trip here that she met Grandmother. I used to tell her a lot of tales about you. She told me you are like me. You also told her there are others like me." Kiring walked towards her mother and then she stopped. She glanced out of the wall opening to look at the lake. She remembered her twins out there.

"She got jealous of Meppy because you took care of Meppy more than her. You always took sides then and still now. I had to tell Neppy to forgive and love Meppy. They are twins although they fight a lot. When did you choose sides?" Kiring' eyes are showing tears again.

"When I fell in love with Set then; your father was Set. No, not the one you love but the one before yours. Once they ascend the throne, they are called Seti or Seti. Like us, we are the chosen brides of Set. We exist to breed for them."