The Puppeteer: Part Eleven

      He had only a moment to dwell on Kai's fate, as the battle soon took up his attention again, but he moved with the practised grace of a Master. What was the point of heavy weapons when his own two paws could do just as well? He moved with so much grace that none could touch him.

      Ahead he saw Tzu's banner converging on Atunra's. His blue and gold, hers Shenkuu red and gold with a purple stripe. Magical attacks rained down on the General, and only a few magicians stood to face the onslaught. Tzu was fighting dirty, but technically he could not lose face if his troops overwhelmed hers, despite the means used.

      He hurried forward, weaving among the press, and occasionally fighting a pet if it was the fastest way through. The only time he faltered was when a flash of light blinded him momentarily. He paused, heard the cries of surprise from other pets, and kept his ears cocked in the slight chance that he would hear a potential attack amidst all the noise of battle.

      "Master Shadow," a paw tugged at his own. It was a familiar voice. Ajuro prided himself on his memory, and he sifted through his mind until he found the right face. It was the young magician who had been trailing Kai around.

      "Yanh," he murmured to himself. "Was that you?"

      "Yes, sir. I tried to aim it at the other pets, but it doesn't really work like that."

      "Good. That means you can see. Can you guide me towards the Lady General?"

      "Yes sir." The paw guided him, and after a while he found the white light behind his eyelids fading. He blinked several times.

      "I saw Master Kai get hit," Yanh said in a small voice. "Do you think he's okay?"

      Ajuro remained silent, thinking. He realised that his silence was being taken the wrong way and smiled, even as he disarmed a pet trying to hit him with a mace. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine." He had only had the chance to examine one fallen magician, and the pet had just been deeply unconscious.

      The Cybunny continued to trail him through the press, and finally he forced his way to the General's guards, chopping a pet on the neck with his paw and sending her slumping to the ground. The guard he had helped gave him a grateful look, recognised him, and made enough room for him to squeeze past.

      Atunra was not utilising her guards very well. Most of them were behind her. The few who were at her sides were fighting frantically to keep up. Tzu's banner was less than fifty metres away, and he could almost see the royal Yurble in the press of bodies. Then Tzu came into view, his katana clearing a space in front of him as he strode forward, a fierce look in his eyes.

      There were heavy footfalls and Ajuro tilted his head slightly to catch a glimpse of Shuva behind him, the Grarrl parting pets as easily as both Generals. There were a few minutes of fierce fighting, then the two banners met in the centre of the field.

      Ajuro looked frantically around for magic-users as he fought, but only Yanh was left. He knew almost every one of their magician's faces, but it looked like they had been dealt with. Tzu had disadvantaged hundreds of his own soldiers with his ploy, but now he was left with a dozen magic-users when it really mattered.

      The Yurble knew it, too. His gleaming white teeth were bared in a smile as he strode up to Atunra, his magicians clearing a path for him. Her teeth were gritted in rage. If she were taken then the battle was decided. She raised her katana in preparation for his attack.

      *

      Being invisible was an unsettling experience. But it was incredibly useful.

      He moved through the lines of fighting pets, every now and then nudging a pet out of the way or forcing their weapon to unbalance them so he could slip through. He was still disorientated by not being able to see himself, but if he focused on his goal and not his body he moved well. And his body was something he was good at not focusing on.

      The clothes Ajuro had given him were lying discarded on the hillside, far from the battle. He had used them as a puppet, safe behind the invisibility spell Yanh had given him. His aim had been to be noticed by the enemy magicians so that they would attack him and think he was defeated.

      But he was not. Instead he was weaving carefully through the enemy, moving closer and closer to where the General stood. Around him pets fought, some desperate, some caught up in the rush of battle. He could see now why Shuva hated violence. It was sickening. What was the point of this fighting? There was none. The Emperor looked after his people well; Tzu had no right to challenge his authority.

      He passed by his giant Puppet, pets hanging off the sides, and was tempted to make it move an inch, to frighten the pets around it. But no, he could not reveal himself just yet.

      He reached the centre of the battle, where the fighting was fiercest, but as he approached General Atunra's banner there was a strange lull, pets pausing in their fighting to watch. He moved closer.

      *

      Ajuro knew there was nothing he could do despite his speed and skill. Tzu's magicians would just hold him back. He could only hope that his reports were right and General Atunra was as skilled as Tzu.

      They all watch Tzu's katana move in a graceful arc. Then it stopped. There was a brief flicker of surprise on the General's face, and then the blade slowly curled in on itself until it was useless. Everyone who could see what was happening waited in hushed silence as Tzu's face mottled with rage. Atunra looked astonished, but Ajuro felt a sudden hope.

      Something touched his shoulder gently and he froze as he heard a whisper in his ear. It was Kai's voice that spoke to him, unbelievably.

      "Close your eyes. You'll know when to open them."

      He was loathe to close his eyes and miss anything important, but he obeyed, scrunching them shut. He felt Yanh give a startled jump beside him, and realised Kai was now speaking to him. He began to have a hunch what was going to happen.

      A moment later there was a flash of light through his eyelids. Pets cried out in shock, and he heard what he hoped was Tzu's cry of rage. His eyes snapped open as soon as the light had faded, and he leapt into action.

      He crossed the space to the first magician in five bounds and quickly knocked him unconscious, then turned to the next, who had managed to protect himself from the unexpected spell. But even he only had a second to register the attack before Ajuro pressed on the back of his neck. The pet crumpled.

      He registered the ground rumbling and saw that Shuva had taken two huge steps and smacked a pet on the back of the head with his blunt blade. Only three of the dozen magicians had managed to stop the spell affecting them, but now two were unconscious. The third raised his hands to cast a spell but was unexpectedly yanked backwards by the collar of his robes. He choked and reached for his throat, and in that time Ajuro closed the distance between them. There were still half a dozen pets left, but something brushed past him, making his fur stand on end, and he saw them fall, stunned, their fur smoking slightly. He glanced behind him to see Yanh with his paws up. That was one pet he would keep an eye on if they won this battle.

      He looked around, saw pets blinking their eyes as they began to recover. Saw Tzu standing, still fighting with his wayward katana. The Yurble's magicians had protected him from the blinding spell, but he had been unable to press his advantage with Kai keeping him in check. General Atunra had stumbled back a few steps, katana still held defensively despite being unable to see.

      A murmur began as pets gained their sight and saw the unusual scene before them. In a minute the tables had turned: Tzu's magicians had fallen; Kamikaze was standing behind him, separated by only a few soldiers. Then Kai materialised from nowhere.

      The rock he had been holding fell from his wing, settled into the grass. All eyes were on the Hissi as he stood there, his heart beating in his chest for everyone to see. He was facing Tzu, General Atunra safe behind him.

      "This fight ends now." His voice cut through the silence his appearance had left in its wake. "You have no right to Throne, no right to any loyalty when you would kidnap Shuva Kamikaze's sister and use her against him. Not when you waste the kingdom's resources and tear families apart. Not for your dreams of glory."

      Tzu dropped his weapon at last, realising at last that it was no use to him. He glared into Kai's bottomless eyes, teeth bared.

      "It ends when I win!" he roared, gesturing his pets forward.

      There was barely time for any of the pets to move before Kai made a gesture. Every weapon in sight pulled itself from its owner's grip and shot into the air in a swirling mass, like a flock of Tomamu circling before landing. Kai did not discriminate against the Emperor's pets. Every weapon, even Shuva's giant katana, was pulled into the sky.

      Across the battlefield whatever fighting was still going on paused as soldiers stared up at the weapons that cast mottled shadows onto the pets waiting below. Then there were cries of surprise as Kai's spell moved outward, pulling blades and clubs and bows from limp hands. They joined the ominous cloud, until a thousand weapons floated together.

      Ajuro watched Kai's face. He could see beads of sweat glistening on the transparent skin, saw those wings shaking, but Kai made one last effort.

      "This fight ends now."

      The weapons came down in a wave, all towards Tzu, who ducked and covered his head. But none hit him. Instead they hit the earth around him, churning the grass and dirt as they drove down. Pets backed away, but Kai's aim was perfect, a perfect circle around the cowering Yurble. When at last they stopped falling they were piled a metre high, and Tzu finally looked up, his face shocked.

      Kai swayed slightly, then toppled over. Ajuro rushed towards him, as did Shuva, but neither of them were quick enough. Instead it was General Atunra who reached out to catch him and lower him to the ground. The Hissi said one more thing, before he lay still.

      "No one else gets hurt."

To be continued...