Ashes of the Realm - Juliette's Dream (27 page)

Julie looked up at Scotty and nodded, “You’re right, of course. I didn’t think it through.” She smiled, “I need to go prepare our home. Pick a good spot with a view of the stars.”

Scotty felt his love reaffirmed, “I’ll go help you, love. Vring, I’m sending you back to the three mountains. You need to assist your people in getting ready to leave. Tell Bleath we will start them moving in four days.”

“Thank you, White Hair. I’ll see you then. And thank you for the honor of using our name.”

Vring disappeared. Julie looked up at Scotty, “Boy, Anglo really keeps his scanners on you.”

“Thank the Creator he does.” They walked hand in hand to their home.

Thousands of the Zord had left for their home world. Scotty watched as parents carried their young hatchlings with them through the teleport screen. The remainder would be gone within another day. Vring was standing beside Scotty and watched the exodus with him. “White Hair?”

“Yes, Vring?”

“I believe there is one you should visit before we leave.”

Scotty looked up at Vring, and Vring said, “Grang.”

Scotty’s brow grew tight and he felt his rage start, “Give me one good reason why.”

“You need to see what happens when you make decisions. You’ve never gone to see him. I think you should.”

“There’s not enough time to get there before you leave.”

“Are you really going to stand here and say that? You can go wherever it suits you instantly.”

Scotty thought, then hit his com, “Anglo, send Vring and me to the Magrum’s bunker.”

Scotty climbed the giant Zord, then they found themselves high over the blasted bunker. Vring had become quite adept at coming out of a teleport field, and he instantly caught the air in his wings and began circling. Scotty looked below and saw the huge Magrum sitting in the field, pulling weeds out of a small clearing. He looked and also saw one of the biggest Torg he had ever seen sitting next to Grang.

Vring said, “Grang saved that Torg when it was a few hours old. It appears to have adopted Grang.”

Scotty looked and saw hundreds of decayed carcasses of Torg scattered around the giant field. Suddenly, a giant grey cat charged out of the woods. Scotty looked at Grang, who lifted his bowgun and fired it before the cat had moved more than fifty yards into the field. The arrow struck the cat in its nose, killing it instantly when it penetrated to its brainstem and severed it. Scotty was amazed at the speed the Magrum exhibited. Vring said, “You and Jingo are slightly faster. No others can match his speed.”

They continued to watch as Grang walked to the cat and placed his hand on its head.

“What’s he saying, Vring?”

“Great Grey Warrior, I am sorry for your death. I pray that in the life after this one we may be friends. Forgive me for taking your life.”

Scotty watched as three grey cats walked out of the woods and stared at Grang. Grang knelt and bowed as the three cats pulled the one killed into the woods.

“Vring, what’s going on with the cats?”

“They have decided to kill Grang, but only in a fair fight. They recognize him as a worthy opponent. It seems they may only send one of their number after him once every seven rotations.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“About six months.”

“Take me down.”

“We need to let that Torg see us, White Hair.”

Grang looked up and saw the circling Zord. Bravo stood, roared, and started pawing the ground. “Settle down, Bravo. Go home.” The giant Torg stared at Grang, then looked up in the sky. It turned and walked over the hill of the former bunker.

Scotty shook his head at a Torg that followed instructions. Scotty dismounted Vring and held his bowgun in his left hand. Grang placed his bowgun on the ground, along with his quiver. He stepped back and assumed a kneeling position with his head bowed.

Scotty just didn’t know what to make of him. Grang said, “Have you come to end my misery?”

Scotty could not stop the rage he felt. He thought this Magrum would be long dead by now, yet here he was. Grang said, “You had every right to have killed me two cycles ago. My crime was unforgiveable, and you should have ended my life.”

Scotty stared at Grang and said through clenched teeth, “What do you mean, unforgiveable?”

Grang looked up, and Scotty saw misery on his face, “Your flying friends put the images of my crime in my mind. They also shared the memories that all of you had of your mother. They filled me with the suffering and horror I caused our slaves by killing their loved ones. Those memories haunt me every night. Madeline was the closest thing to the Creator on El Prado, and I ended her life. My misery knows no bounds, and I suffer for my crimes.”

Scotty looked at Grang and said, “You could always walk into the forest.”

Grang looked at Scotty with a look that was unfathomable, “To end my life quickly would be a dishonor to the ones I killed. I should suffer, and to shorten it would not be the just thing to do. Only you can end my pain. You have the right to take your vengeance on me and remove some of your suffering. That is something Madeline would allow me. Anything else would be a dishonor to her memory.”

Scotty said, “Vring, show me his mind.” Suddenly Scotty was assaulted by a depth of misery that was overwhelming. Scotty fell to his knees. No one should endure that much pain.

Vring said, “We have looked at your communities’ memories. One of you named Timmy has a memory of one that reminds us of Grang.”

Scotty looked up at Vring and said, “Who?”

“He was one named Dorg-Ross.”

Scotty bowed his head and looked at the ground. Grang watched him for an hour. Scotty’s tears fell to the ground as he wept for the mother he had lost too soon. A cat stuck its head out of the woods. Grang snatched his bowgun up and the cat withdrew. “White Hair, are you all right?”

“Yes, I am Vring. For the first time in many cycles, I’m all right.” Scotty stood and said, “You’re coming with me back to my community. You will be given your sentence there.”

Grang stood and said, “Thank you for this mercy. I don’t deserve it.”

“No, you don’t.”

Grang gave a shout and the giant Torg came running over the hill. It rushed up to Grang and licked his face. “I worry about my friend. If I’m not here…”

Scotty punched his com, “Anglo, can you take this Torg to a place where he will be safe?”

“I’ll move him to a herd on the southern continent. The hot tropical band will keep the cats in the northern continent. They won’t tolerate that much heat.”

Grang rubbed the giant Torg behind the ears and hugged his neck. He stepped back and the Torg disappeared.

It reappeared in the middle of a huge herd of Torg on a broad grassy plain. The lead male came charging up to challenge the newcomer and saw Bravo’s immense size. It skidded to a halt and quickly lowered its head. Bravo turned and kicked dust at the creature and it scurried away in submission. The giant Torg looked up at the sky and roared its sorrow. It was many years before it found happiness again.

“It looks like you’ve got a teleportation device.”

“We do. It was on the Searcher that destroyed the planet.”

“He was right to do it.”

“Anglo, send us to the community.”

Scotty climbed up Vring and Grang said, “I’m not worthy to ride this noble creature.”

“Hand me your bowgun and quiver, and mount!”

Grang handed Scotty the bowgun and quiver and climbed the giant Zord. “All right, Anglo.”

They disappeared and Vring caught the air currents and screamed. Julie looked up and wondered what was going on. She watched the Zord get closer. It had turned off its color shifting and she caught her breath. “Grang! Oh, no!”

Scotty and Vring landed in the clearing, and Grang climbed down to a rapidly growing crowd that showed its anger toward him.

Julie ran up and asked, “What are you doing?”

Scotty looked in her eyes and she didn’t know what she saw. Something was different. That’s when Jing and Samuel showed up and stared at the big Magrum. Jing looked at Scotty, “Is he here for a reason?”

“Yes. Be patient.”

Jing stared at Scotty and then nodded to Samuel. They turned and moved to the front row of the gathering communities and sat down in silence. Those that had arrived watched their former leaders and decided they should also be quiet. After half an hour, the three communities had gathered, and all sat in silence.

Grang stood the entire time with his head bowed in silence. Scotty looked around the gathering and said, “Vring, I want you to share Grang’s thoughts with our communities.”

Vring sent the big Magrums thoughts to everyone present for ten seconds. Scotty looked around and saw most of the women were crying. Even Jing and Samuel were shaken by what they saw. Everyone saw that Grang was praying that Scotty would end his suffering with an arrow. Samuel said, “No one should suffer like this!”

Scotty looked at Julie, who refused to wipe away her tears, and he said to the gathering, “I know.” Scotty walked up to Grang and said, “You’re right.”

Grang looked up, “You’re going to end my suffering?”

“No, Grang. To end your suffering would be a dishonor to the one who valued all life. I’m going to give you the opportunity to atone for your crime.”

Grang lowered his head, “There is no possible atonement for what I’ve done.”

Scotty looked at him and said, “You aren’t the first to say those very same words.”

Grang looked up with a puzzled expression.

“Before the Holy Realm was started, my home world was in a life and death struggle with 800 planets. The Cainth were a vicious warlike species, and they were given the honor of attacking us with more than 2,000 starships. The Admiral of the Cainth sent two hundred ships to a small Human colony planet in advance of the main invasion. Following his orders, the Cainth Warriors rounded up the colonists in all of their communities, pulled twenty percent of them out, and herded them into the center square of each town. The Cainth troops then fired heavy blasters and killed them all.”

The gathering listened in silence. “Later, after their fleet was defeated and the Humans invaded their home system, the two species found peace between them. The Admiral that ordered the executions placed himself into the Human’s hands so that justice could be done. The leader of the Humans, Thomas Gardner, who later became the first King of the Holy Realm, forgave the Admiral and charged him to work his entire life to make up for his atrocity.” Scotty paused and said, “The planet where he killed the colonists was Ross. The Admiral’s name was Dorg.” Scotty looked at Jing and nodded.

Jing stood and said, “The Admiral never forgave himself. However, he was the reason the Algeans stopped their war. He was the one that saved the Dremel from annihilation. The Heroes Park on Ross was named after him and the planet loved him. His funeral was the largest gathering in the Realm’s history. I bear his last name proudly. as do many of my people.” Jing looked at Grang and said, “He died still feeling the guilt of what he had done. But to the Realm, he was its greatest hero.”

Scotty looked at Grang, “And now I charge you, just as Thomas Gardner charged Dorg-Ross, to go and atone for your crime by working your entire life to make up for it.” Scotty turned and faced the communities, “Admiral Dorg added Ross to his name to always remind him of his actions, and to make him remember what arrogance and power can do to a person.” Scotty looked at Julie and then turned to Grang, “From this day on, your name will be Grang-Robbins. You will carry the name of the woman you killed to remind you of what cruelty can lead to. You will be my brother, not only in name but in spirit. I know my Mother wouldn’t have had it any other way. You will be the one responsible for my safety. Jingo has duties and, though he has sworn to look out for me, I need him elsewhere.”

Jingo said, “He’s not qualified. I can’t let you depend on someone that can’t do the job.”

Scotty handed Grang his bowgun and quiver. Grang clipped the quiver to his belt and looked at Scotty. Scotty turned and pointed over the crowd at a house at the edge of the clearing three hundred yards away. “I want the first arrow in the column closest to us, the second arrow in the center column, and the third arrow in the far column. I want them hit in the center of the columns.”

Jingo looked at Scotty, “Get real. I don’t think we could make those shots.”

Scotty said, “Are you ready?”

Grang took a deep breath, “You’re not going to kill me?”

“What do you think Madeline would say if you asked her to do it?!?” Scotty shouted, “Now!!”

The bowgun fired so fast that it sounded like one shot. The crowd listened and then heard three loud twocks.

Scotty looked at Jingo and said, “Go and see.”

Jingo turned and walked away. Hundreds followed him down the path and when they arrived, there was an arrow in the center of every column. Jingo looked at the distant Zord in the clearing and looked back at the arrows. He walked back up the hill and said, “Ok, it’s his job.”