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  A'un K'Zar rapped the table five times with his great knuckles. He had no need of anything more solid. "This meeting, with the Queen's blessings and consent, will begin. It is closed to anyone else that attempts to enter this sacred circle."

  "Aruuuunnn!" the group growled, screeched and hummed, combining their energies to close the circle. The Queen's blessing followed, silent on one level but heartfelt on another. They all knew when she had finished the blessing.

  "I want to start this meeting by stating what we all have noticed!" A'un K'Zar started gruffly, not using mindspeak since it did not carry the emotion of anger as well as he wanted to, "This place is a black spot on our honor and integrity as…."

  "Don't drag it out, just say it!" E'un J'Ara shouted at him outraged. "It's been contaminated! Commoners can visit it without any side effects, and I don't mean to put down the honorable teachers you have summoned, my Queen…"

  The Queen nodded for him to go on.

  "Let me handle this, Honorable E'un J'Ara," A'un K'Zar interrupted. "We need to do something about this."

  "And clean it up," I'un R'Sey, the hostess spoke quietly.

  The others nodded.

  "We all feel the touch of the Ju'n in this and for that, we have banned them from this meeting until we reach an agreement on what to do with them," A'un K'Zar spoke.

  "The whole clan!" N'un H'ana the centaur said, stamping his feet and snapping his tail in agitation, causing those around him to move their seats out of reach of the swishing tail. "The whole clan has fallen! It does not bode well for any of us that should have noticed something amiss in traveling across their lands or touching a ley line."

  "Who would want to travel across their lands? When was the last time they opened their doors to a weary traveler or offered a ride anywhere? They always say they are busy. Even their young are very unDrosuan," L'un E' Loo mentioned. Others nodded in a mixture of morose and resentment.

  L'un E'Loo raised a limb to be noticed by the Queen. "We have all heard your announcements and we all agree that we have been lax in living the compassionate way. I have sent the elders of my clan out to all our villages to help those who need encouragement and reminders, on all continents we reside on."

  The others nodded and affirmed what L'un E'Loo said. However the Queen shook her head and held up a hand. The noise halted abruptly.

  "In my speech that you referred to, I will admit it was the longest I have ever delivered and hope it is the last." She gave a small smile, remembering that a smile to some species was a threat.

  The members showed the proper response of amusement, some smiling and others nudging their neighbors.

  "However, I would like to reiterate one important point. We need to dissolve separation of people by species and clan. I read in the early times of Allint that villages were composed of mixtures of species, and clan separation was something that was more of the norm on the other continents. I believe our behaviors have encouraged separatism from each other, and disdain for those we refer to as commoners. In shonae villages, towns and farmlands, they do not live segregated as a species or clans as much as we do.

  I have also overheard that mixed species that do not fulfill some type of member total are not recognized as clans...such as the Elf and Human mix or the..." she stopped, having got the point across.

  "Do you mean we are to have no more clan elders?" R'un K'Anda of the Dwarfs rumbled.

  "It would be a milestone," she admitted with a big smile. "How do you elect those to represent you now?"

  V'un C'Luna laughed. "Whoever can best me in a contest of Tori'unmp!"

  "Not many will want to fight with you!" V'un C'Luna the pan retorted. "I'll pipe you to sleep!"

  The others laughed, for he was the chief piper of his clan.

  "WE see this contamination of Allint done by some very influential entities many of whom are members of the Ju'n clan. However it is to be treated following the Way of Drosu," she reminded them. "So, how do you propose the handling of this problem?"

  The group looked at each other but offered nothing, knowing their Queen had more to say.

  "As High Priestess, my burden upon you all is to be Justice Makers. I will leave you all to work out what is right for members who have stumbled. When the moon is at its zenith tonight, I will return to hear what you all have to say." Each member and their retainers felt as if she had looked into their hearts.

  "My heart to yours," she blessed.

  C'Lea paced the courtyard watching her mother as she played in the water. As Guardian of the teachings of Drosu, she researched all philosophical ideas that were not Drosu, which meant she lived that teachings way of life during her study. It was her responsibility to know various belief systems in order to empathize with the people on Arnica. It was from one of these old beliefs that she understood what her mother was holding. Additional help from her spirit guides, and the spirits of her ancestors, were summoned to give her mother further support in holding this 'appalling' creature. The monks projected a bubble of protection around the courtyard to prevent anything from entering or leaving, down or up.

  The hairs on her arm stood up as another type of energy attempted to separate from her mother's. It was dark and bulbous. Then her mother turned to the entity and exerted her will to pull it back toward her. Where the creature had loosened itself, the flowers in the garden near the Queen Mother wilted. C'Lea concentrated on her mother, sending waves of love and strength. The creature, perhaps not finding a way out, returned to her mother. Once again, her mother sat down and resumed her drawing of circular patterns in the dirt, adding water from a small can and studying the way the water wound around the spiral pattern.

  C'Lea waited.

  One of the monks came hurrying toward her. "It has been held. We have succeeded. We know of it now."

  C'Lea looked back at her mother and nodded.

  He was disappointed that they could not do more.

  "Let her out of the bubble. Some fresh air will do us all some good."

  * * *

  Ten days later Commander O'Malley was waiting for Queen M'Lu to finish with her early morning business.

  "Come, Commander. So what did I interrupt you from this time?"

  "Your humble servant left his unworthy troops in the middle of a dressing down."

  Queen M'Lu laughed. He was referring to the new recruits from the other continents. Recruits chosen for training showed talents in manipulating the unseen. When the Queen Mother was still ruler, she, her consort, and her commander thought it best for these young souls to be trained with the high standards of a Kiuzi warrior.

  The young men and women soon learned that it is an honor to be chosen for the disciplined life of a Kiuzi trainee. Kiuzi are warriors of the highest caliber of warfare training, some rising from the mundane duties to sprit realms. The commander and his staff weed out those that will not rise to the higher training ranks. Those that fail do not leave humiliated but rather skilled and trained in something they can make a living at.

  "How do they look?"

  "A few good hopefuls in this bunch. Most seem to be just looking for job training.

  We found a few that were spies for the dark soldiers… easily spotted."

  "How did your Kiuzi take your orders that the trainees are to accompany the traveling students?"

  "Very well, my Queen."

  Her raised eyebrows encouraged him to elaborate.

  "I did not feel any inquiries. Kiuzi obey their Queen's wishes without question. As for the trainees, they showed a great deal of enthusiasm for the opportunity. They want to emulate and live the life of Kiuzi amongst the commoners." He chuckled with a deep and rumbling sound. "Their pride at mimicking a Kiuzi is going to bring them rude awakenings as they shall find it isn't as easy as they think. As for the 8th and 10th levels, they are restless, but they are not yet Kiuzi. This is good for their training."

  "Of course," she remarked dryly. "I have two more jobs that need your immediate attention."
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br />   The commander's left eyebrow rose with the right pulled low. He purposely did that to make the Queen laugh, taking delight in reminding the young girl that life did not need to be so tedious and serious.

  "The visitor that is a Kiuzi warrior." She studied her commander to see if he resented her announcement that the off-worlder was a Kiuzi. There was only curiosity.

  He nodded for her to go on.

  "How do you feel about training her to our ways?"

  "Why, my Queen?"

  The Queen knew he would do it because she had instructed him to, but she could feel his need to know why it was important to deviate from tradition. "She is every bit of a Kiuzi – but one from the old days. Remember the tales of the old warriors?"

  The commander nodded. The Queen was alluding to the times when the original Kiuzi were made up of people who were more involved in material matters than their Drosu Masters. They were dedicated to protecting the masters, and if it meant giving their physical life up to prevent a master from becoming contaminated with something on the mundane world, than they would do so willingly.

  That included taking another's life.

  Nowadays, the Kiuzi were dedicated to the Queen and under her direction and rules. By her direction they were to learn all matters of warfare, both on the physical realm and spirit. Their task was to not seek violence to defeat the enemy, but to find another way. The House of Gei's motto was "Know your enemy as well as you know yourself, and show both, discernment and empathy."

  The Queen scratched the tip of her nose, a sign to the commander that she found the situation amusing. "Like her bondmate, WE must keep her safe until she is needed to fulfill her destiny with the dark soldiers. But she must be a full Kiuzi warrior or Arnica will suffer from her instinctual reactions. She has visited many different planets as a soldier, living a very hard life, always at war… taking lives for political reasons, and suffering for it."

  The commander nodded with understanding. "Family gatherings have many recounting stories of life shortly after the 2nd war. There were many warriors that were in battle for so long they didn't know how to be among non-warriors. They lusted for the taste of blood and violence. We lost many members to this darkness."

  "You understand very well," she said.

  "What of her mate?"

  The Queen's lips curled up into a smile. "Her mate is like autumn's leaves, green eyes and orange hair. They both hear mindspeak and the Kiuzi warrior's bondmate practices the compassionate way."

  "So, not just a Seer. Good thing you didn't mention that at the meeting. Her mate being a Kiuzi warrior was bad enough."

  The Queen giggled as a young girl would, and then continued in a more serious note. "Do you have a warrior to introduce her to OUR ways?"

  Their eyes met with understanding.

  "You don't know where and when they will appear?"

  "The veil will not be parted to show me. Something is protecting them. I do know they will arrive separately and at different locations, on the same continent. When they are on Arnica I will be able to sense more. Remember that each is accompanied by a Sha'Kar, so be most careful, my commander."

  "I would like to see just what stuff these off-worlders have to call themselves warriors."

  "Commander O'Malley, you should be careful what you ask for. If they are accompanied by Sha'Kar, they are also being mentored by them. My second request."

  The Queen paused, "J'un L'Gro is assigned to one of the trainee groups."

  "Yes, a detachment from the 10th level."

  "Were you aware that L'Gro trained for the Sacred Jester's role since he was a child?" The commander shook his head. "It takes incredible skill to tap into minds without being detected. It is a sacred role that requires a person to be above personal agendas. He failed the first test."

  Commander O'Malley lifted an eyebrow. "It must be a well-guarded secret. Not good for someone who studied all his life for the position. His family must also have been affected."

  "The Ju'n elders believe they can teach anyone to fill any sacred position."

  "Your majesty, I had thought that these positions are announced by the Oracle at the infant's presentation in the temple."

  "Yes. After L'Gro's failed his testing he traveled. When he returned five ers later he trained to be master teacher for Kiuzi trainees at 10th level, again challenging the established structure."

  "The final level one needs to pass to become Kiuzi," the Commander affirmed looking thoughtful. "After studying jester tricks, and then five years of wandering the other continents, no doubt practicing his skills on the unwary, that leaves him with more skills in manipulating minds than I would care to have for someone I have not cleared. I don't suppose you would happen to know who his mentor was for his trip."

  "His father."

  "J'un L'Setti. He no longer lives on Allint." By the commander's tone, he was happy he did not have to waste his time with L'Setti's constant demands for meetings on matters that were of others responsibilities.

  "He no longer lives. He died a few months after L'Gro's return to Allint." The Queen made a blessing sign, and whispered the blessing on a soul that had passed over a threshold.

  "I was away when he took over the task of training the group he has. Odd that his father should die. He wasn't old."

  "The leader of the clan at the time was J'un Shapa and his explanation was that L'Setti was on a spiritual retreat and became entranced while sitting on the edge of the cliff and fell."

  "You don't believe that entirely?"

  "He was taking a hallucinogen."

  The commander's eyes opened wide. "Did clan leader J'un Sha say why he was tripping?"

  "He did not say he was tripping. It was through my own investigations that I realized he was reverting to the old days of using hallucinogens."

  "So…" The commander shifted uneasily. "Just what was your majesty's second request?"

  She pursed her lips, trying not to smile. "I want you to step up L'Gro's 10th degree group's program. Keep them off balance and began their reeducation. Most of all, keep them from their mentor, L'Gro. He has been ordered to appear before the new magistrate of teachers by the next full moon, giving him plenty of time to prepare himself, however, I believe he will make a move to reclaim the trainees and leave Allint with them. I don't want them to be pawns used for canon fodder." The young queen looked up at her commander frowning. "Did I use that term correctly?"

  The commander nodded, grinning. "Yes, my Queen. An old military term, but still used by the rank and file. It is very apt for this situation. Well, this is an assignment that I shall relish. That group calls themselves Stalking Greou. I think it's time they go on their singu and meet with this spirit guide of theirs. I have just the leader for the singu. Group leader Maori. He and his troop, the Blue Mumbua, are assigned to work with the traveling monks. I will combine the two groups for their singu."

  "A singu. That indeed is stepping up their lessons." She was quiet for a few moments, then nodded. "Group Leader Maori is a good pick for leader."

  "I suspect the Blue Mumbua have met their spirit guides already," the commander shared, barely suppressing his pleasure. "Their close involvement with the monks has escalated their training. Two days ago, the monk Falore, their guide, has requested they be tested early for Kiuzi status. I gave them clearance to visit the caves to select their crystals with Falore acting as their guide. I will send the two to the dark lands of Dlecore."

  "Dlecore? You are certainly going to have a seasoned group if they survive that experience." She smiled then. "Dlecore will be a further test in Blue Mumbua's leadership abilities by how they interact with the Stalking Greou group." She pursued her lips and nodded at her commander's choice. "Those that pass through this trial..." she left the rest unsaid.

  The commander bowed to her, honored at her acknowledgement of his plan.

  Queen M'Lu smiled. "At the level they are, they should not fail, regardless of L'Gro's influence. But if some should, everyone
learns something from their mistakes.

  Select new mentors from Ittisu's school for them."

  Commander O'Malley looked doubtful.

  "You think they are too isolated in their monastery to know how to interact with people with real problems," she spoke for him. "It is a handy belief to use to our advantage. The Black Alliance and their supporters do not feel threatened when they are used as provo judges, and that illusion is maintained with the restitutions they met out.

  Restitutions that are humorous leaves everyone involved satisfied at the outcome. The Sacred Jester is their mentor." She smiled when the commander looked further surprised.

  "When some of them are used as mentors to the 10th level trainee, the Black Alliance agents will believe they are naïve and not up to the task, and therefore will not be so vigilant with monitoring their mentoring or singu."

  "They have eyes and ears in Kiuzi business," O'Malley started heatedly, seeing the image of Ju'n sympathizers in his regiment that the Queen had projected to him.

  "It is a few misguided captains." Her invisible touch on his forehead reminded him to be present and inner calmness was restored immediately. "You have ten that are working for the Ju'n, each with good intentions. It is the errounous proverbial ancient belief that the results justify the means. They feel WE are not handling the Black Alliance with enough force and that set them up for L'Gro's manipulations. If they knew they were part of the network of agencies that the Black Alliance was using, they would be horrified."

  Commander O'Malley frowned, for it did appear that he was not vigilant with those under his command.

  "We learn as we go. It has been a long time that we have had to fight the enemy within our camp. A rotation of duty would be a simple resolution. The captains at the monestaries can be replaced. I understand it will mean whole families being resettled and many will feel put out."