Stolen Hearts; Chapter Ten

The shriek was silent but it defended Cala as tens of people in the village all cried out at once, their thoughts piercing her mind. It was sharp, quick and chilled Cala to the bone. No one had spoken but all too many were thinking the same thing and she could hear it all. The shaded figures formed stealthily throughout the village courtyard, they were a yard away form her at most.
She’s here.
Where is she?
Is that her?
They must want her badly.
Eight NEX just for her!
What the hell has that girl done now?
Shush! Here they come!
The NEX were striding towards Cala with no hesitation. Cala started to feel the iron grips on her heart. She felt the numbing consciousness somewhere deep inside her. She smelt the wood smoke from their damp clammy skin.
Then she saw Apollo, just a figure in the sky.
Apollo! I…I

Cala almost whimpered. She could see him now, his wings gliding through the air like knifes, his muscles rippling in the wind. The NEX weren’t advancing any more they had stopped to stare up at Apollo too.
"Go, he can’t come back with you," the lady realised Cala still hadn’t left. Cala looked bemused as she started to push her down a narrow lane away from the NEX.
"What are you talking about?" Cala spat as she was shoved vigorously in the back several times. The lady rolled her eyes and kept pushing.
"That horse in the sky is yours, is he not?" She rasped not needing an answer.
Cala said "Where I go, he goes!" and she gasped for breath as two NEX transported to the end of the alleyway cutting off their route.

The lady swore as the NEX stood there staring at them eerily without moving "You stupid girl. You should have checked where he was first, before flying right into the NEX!"
Cala dug her heels into the soft dusty road and turned round to face the lady. They both exchanged scowls before Cala quickly muttered icily "It is not your job to criticize my life. I have been exiled into the company of a White boarding school. So I therefore knew nothing about the recent goings on related to the whereabouts of NEX or for that matter my horse! I only know that Xandu, or anyone else, will never, ever get their hands on Apollo!"

The lady looked around and pulled Cala through an open door to their left "You’re never going to get him back Regina. You and him, you’re from separate worlds now. He needs either you and war or no you and a herd. Believe me when I say that, the Whites your with won’t allow Apollo to be within ten miles of you!" She was scurrying away now through the house. Not urging Cala to follow anymore, just leaving.
Cala scowled once again noticing the fact she had still been addressed as Regina - princess, gritted her teeth and ran out back up the lane. Apollo needed her just as much as she needed him. All that mattered was that they were together again. Sad as it was, he was the only family Cala decided she had. "You don’t even know me," She called after the woman half heartedly. Cala glanced up and down the alley, the NEX had seemingly vanished.

Back out in the town centre pandemonium had broken out and she spotted the NEX once again. The villagers were running and yelling. The NEX were confused and Cala guessed they would soon start attacking anything and everything. Cala searched the sky for Apollo but he was nowhere to be seen. Rapidly arrows started falling from the heavens and Cala saw the centre of the perplexity. A group of ragged figures were trying to tether Apollo to the saddle of another winged horse while the others held the NEX back. They must have scouted him and tried to seize him before the NEX.
Rebels! That was why there were so many NEX about!

Unfortunately Apollo was having nothing to do with them because, Cala knew, he was searching the crowd for her. Their eyes met and Apollo reared up, throwing the figures off balance. Cala ran forward, the NEX were too bemused with all the running villagers to notice another one.
The Rebels had formed a circle around Apollo trying to herd him away from the town. Cala then did something that can only be described as a whistle, except it was louder, shriller than and as sharp as a scream. Apollo pricked his ears and tried to surge forward once again. The Rebels had no chance of holding him but they had all arrived on horseback and their winged horses stood their ground pushing Apollo back. Nevertheless they knew Cala's whistle.

Without second guessing who had produced the noise, for only she could, or would for that matter, they mounted their own horses. Cala reached Apollo and clambered on in one swift movement. She barely had time to grab his mane before he shot off. They barraged through the crowds and she couldn’t help grinning.
Apollo kept giving gleeful bucks as they galloped along with the other Rebels but she could feel his burning desire to run and just keep running until the two of them where safe. They dared not fly or the NEX would sight them in seconds, on the ground the NEX lacked any amount of speed. The gallop was fast pace but Apollo never once tried to slow. She stared down at his rippling coat, smooth, glossy and pitch and his long wild hair. Cala had decided on the spot that going along with the Rebels was the best thing to do at that moment.

However Apollo was stronger and faster than the other winged horses, with years of battle on his side and soon he was urging his way to the front. Cala ended up riding side by side a Rebel captain called Atoc. She had met him before on several occasions, the last one being in Shiyan. He was dressed in the rags of a Gergothian as were the others, Cala had to admire them; they were resourceful and clever. When Xandu comes to hear of the attack he, of course, will know it was the Rebels. Although his sergeants and army generals would probably all dismiss it as bandits trying to get their hands on a horse they could sell for money.

"Thank you," Cala spoke with real gratitude. Atoc nodded solemnly, he didn’t need to talk, so like most rebels he didn’t bother. Though he liked Cala for a reason he was yet to establish so he exchanged a few words with her as they galloped, still at full pace, towards the mountains.
"Your horse is strong and he does not tire easily,"
Cala nodded "He is a great horse, and companion. I will never leave him behind,"
Atoc considered what she had just said for a while. "You think he can go with you?"
Now it was Cala's turn to consider things. Atoc was referring to whether the Whites would let her keep him with her. When she had been searching for him Cala had told herself that they would have to let her keep him. That she wouldn’t give them a choice, but now she had to accept that Atoc was right, and so was the Gergothian lady. Apollo and she wouldn’t be able to stay together.

Her silence gave Atoc his answer and he went into a deep reflection again. Cala lay forward onto Apollo’s neck. She loved him more than anything else in the world and she was scared to admit it, because if he ever got hurt Cala would be at a loss of what to do without him. Her eyes started to water but with the wind blowing in her face they soon dried up, Cala hadn’t shed a tear since she was seven and doubted she ever would again, all her eyes seemed proficient of was watering.
It took thirteen hours to get to the Rebel Mountains, traveling up the last stretch of the Normid River until they reached Lake Rosa and continued north along the River Seehk, into the mountains and out of Black territory. They were nothing exceptional, in fact if you looked at any set of mountains they would look just the same as these. That was why it was so hard to find.

"You and your horse will stay tonight and possibly tomorrow night as well," Atoc said as he finally slowed his horse into a brusque trot. Cala nodded, it was not wise to argue with a Rebel, especially not with Atoc. "You and your horse will rest. Then, Cala, you will train. Your body needs to learn how to store its power instead of averaging it down I can see and we must not have the Rebels most powerful ally losing her energy. Also if my superiors agree, which I have little doubt they won’t. I propose to you, that Apollo be introduced into one of our herds. He would not be used, it is a wild herd I have in mind,"
Cala looked up sharply at the last bit. Atoc was a quick, crisp man but he had more compassion than any other she knew. She nodded slowly as her eyes started to water again, this time she shoved them back hard. It was not appropriate to have watery eyes.
They were heading towards a waterfall in between two sharply rising mountain sides. Cala knew they were about to walk straight through it and that the solid rock face behind was a hologram. Again, she couldn’t help admiring the rebels. Apollo stopped as they came towards the crashing water. The other horses and their riders all carried on walking not even bothering to glance at them. Apollo wasn’t scared of the water roaring down in front of them but he had sensed his rider’s discomfort.

Cala dismounted and walked towards his head. They both turned away from the waterfall and looked out across the jagged mountain range. It was stunning, the peaks were topped with crunchy ivory snow and the sun was setting behind them. Apollo nuzzled Cala in the arm. She knew he was thinking the same thing; freedom was becoming harder to come by. Cala swung herself back up onto his secure shoulders and urged him through the water. It was freezing cold and made the mud on her rags run down her arms and legs. But Cala didn’t care; she had found her horse once again.

*
The Rebel Empire was small in comparison to the two nations. It had only one official city, as far as Cala knew anyway, but this city out shone any other by far. It was called Kieranda. Everything was made of white or black glass and the designs spread from ceiling to wall and wall to floor, they never ended.
The city was built into the sides of two mountains so it had several different levels. It had water trickling through groves in the floor and larger amounts cascading off different levels into pools below where children would drink from or bath and animals would cool down. Cala loved its winding paths and its rising platforms that took you from one level to another. She knew that there were only seven rebel families that occupied the city but they were rather extensive. The large part of the city was for the rebel fighters. They were men and women who had been exiled or hunted in their own nations. A couple of them were bandits or ex-soldiers who wanted to fight for their own freedom. These men and women usually integrated into one of the seven families by marriage.

The city was also full of winged horses. They were used in farming, combat and leisure. Apollo seemed to get on ok with them. However Cala could tell that they were going to find it hard to put him in a herd since Apollo was a born chief and rather obstinate about it.
Atoc showed Cala around the streets of the city, introducing her to the faces they met along the way. Cala had stayed in the city a few times before so she remembered the main streets and lanes. However it was always nice to meet the people, every one from the baker called Morris Thatch, to the widowed seamstress, Silvia Fox, seemed to remember her from previous visits.

Silvia was the aunt of Andrew Fox from Scorpion’s House strangely enough Cala discovered. She had promised to make Cala a dress for the evening dinner which Cala had graciously accepted once Atoc reminded her she would need one for special school occasions anyway. He then showed Cala to her room.
Cala had been given a room near the top of the city where she could look out over the mountains. She had been able to wash and was given clean clothes. Cala had asked to be let alone for a while, she wanted time to think over her situation. After all it was pretty confusing; she hadn’t stopped traveling in what felt like months.

Atoc had visited once in the night to tell her Apollo would be accepted into a herd the next day and to give her a bowl of soup and some bread. Cala hadn’t spoken a word since being shown to her room four hours ago. Apollo had been put in a paddock with several other horses to see where he stood in the social structure of a herd, which after a monstrous fight with another male horse, was decided as nothing less than a leader.
Now it was five in the morning and Cala was up and dressed. She didn’t feel like training her body to do anything today. So she had wandered over to the window and just stood there looking down on the city and the mountains beyond. It was a beautiful place to live and Cala often thought of running off to live in the mountains but she wasn’t ready for that yet.

"You like this city don’t you?" it was a boy called Jason Barvu. He was the son of Atoc. Cala had always had an affectionate side for him. He was fit with long black hair that brushed across his brow in a side swept fringe, at the back it laid flat against his head and crept sneakily down the top of his neck. He had light brown eyes and the cutest smile Cala had ever seen. Unlike his father Jason was extremely cheeky and loved to mess about. Cala knew though, that Jason was one boy who didn’t seem the slightest bit interested in her. Cala smiled, she liked that.
"I’d like any place the Rebels were," Cala said, a grin spreading over her face. She was surprised to find he just shrugged and walk up to join her by the window.
"It’s not the same as it was when we were little Cala. Things change," Jason wasn’t smiling he was looking straight down towards the arena where a group of sixteen year old boys were preparing for a combat lesson. Cala guessed Jason was probably friends with most of them. She scowled, he should also be down there with them she was sure, but she wasn’t going to push it.

"I'm the same," she said stubbornly trying to catch his eyes. He didn’t look at her.
"Your about the only thing that is," Jason turned to stared straight down at her. He was two years older than Cala and about a head taller. Cala tried to search his eyes, he was hurt. But he wasn’t letting Cala see why.
"What’s different now that wasn’t eight years ago?" Cala spoke straight at him. Jason looked away as if it was her that was causing him pain. They stood there for several minutes before either of them spoke.
"Jason," Cala rested her hand on his arm to reassure him but he still didn’t look at her "Nothings changed,"

He pulled away "Exactly its eight years later and Whites and Blacks are still at war. Cala you don’t get it! Eight years ago you were at war and I was training to stop it. Now you’re here fighting for god knows what and tomorrow I’ll be out there trying to stop a war we both know can’t be stopped,"
Now it was Cala's turn not to look at him. She stared out over the mountains.
"Why?" this was all Cala could say. Jason was different; he had always made Cala happier. Now he was talking like a soldier who had already lost. Jason was still staring out the window with Cala.
"People grow up Cala. I'm sixteen now. Its time I started to fight,"
Cala shook her head "No, I meant, why did you have to go and change?" she walked away from the window backing away from him as she did so. "Jason, war changes people. I know that, but you…I hoped you’d always stay the same,"
Jason shrugged "I’ve not changed. Its just I'm not allowed to… Cala I want you to know I’ll always be your friend,"

Cala had an urge to hug him but she was angry. Why was he acting so stupidly? A shadow fell across the doorway.
"I thought I told you not to come see her! Get downstairs and start training like everyone else," it was a tall man with bulging muscles, long dreadlocked hair and a shaven jaw. He nodded at Cala "Atoc is waiting for you to train. He’s in the arena next to mine,"
Cala followed him down and jogged off when she spotted Atoc. She was glad to be away from the man who was now yelling at Jason to do one hundred push-ups. Cala hoped she wouldn’t have to do that. She could, but it was extremely boring.
The arena was made of some sort of extremely bouncy tarmac and sand. Cala liked it, she and Jason used to play on it when they were little. Atoc nodded, it was his way of acknowledging someone without wasting words. Cala nodded back and chanced a glance at Jason in the other ring. Atoc coughed politely "Forget about my son Cala. He has been told to do the same with you,"

"Why?" Cala was shocked at this piece of information.
"Rebel warriors aren’t supposed to have any relationships outside of their unit during war time," Atoc said. Cala was about to retort back but she could already see Atoc didn’t like it any more than she did. Cala stood and waited to be told what to do.
The training was fairly simple, Cala showed Atoc as much of her ability as she could in the first session, even if she was occasionally creating unwanted craters it the arena. Then they had a short sparring session in which she gained a nasty cut on her arm. It had been her own fault, Atoc had been on the floor and Cala thought she heard Jason cry out in pain but it had been another boy who was being beaten with a large stick for messing up a routine. Cala had been too disgusted to notice Atoc get up and aim at her. She had narrowly escaped having her arm chopped off, for here nobody holds back in a fight.

All in all Cala was enjoying herself. The more power she used the safer she felt. Her power was steadily coming back and she could feel herself placing safety nets to stop it from falling whenever her power increased as Atoc taught her how. Cala soon reached level five again and the last safety net was placed. They would last for a year or so, by which time Cala could redo them herself, alone.
It was coming to the end of the day and Atoc had suggested a couple more minutes of sparring to cool down. Cala had agreed; she liked all the unusual ways of manipulating energy Atoc used, they were something different to your everyday soldier. Half way through the sparring session however the boys next door were told to stand against the arena fence and watch. Cala didn’t mind but it made her a little more self conscious, and when she realized that Jason and the big man from before were watching she almost lost her concentration.

Atoc was coming on a lot harder than he had ever done before and although Cala outclassed him by far he wasn’t giving her any time to think about her moves. Soon she was feeling trapped and decided to take the fight into the air where she had the upper hand. Atoc didn’t take the bait and decided to stay on the ground where he was steadiest. This didn’t matter to Cala, she had the higher ground and that was all the advantage she needed. The fight was now in her control. The boys below stared up with respect.
Cala was two years younger than them and was beating a man who no doubt was a legend to them. The big man at the side was sneering at Atoc. Atoc was laughing so Cala took the hint and decided to turn the fight back into a game. It was all coming to an end when suddenly a black jet soared past inches from Cala’s face.

Atoc stopped fighting and looked at the line of boys to see who had dared it but all of them were staring up at Cala who had seen where the shot came from. She was extremely angry but nobody could see why. After all they were rebel fighters and were brought up to expect the cheap shots and dodgy moves that prepared them for a war in which there were no rules or second chances.
No matter, Cala was a Black at heart and those who knew her well never braved to forget it. She had no respect for the slyness of cheap attacks, as a Black warrior who fought with respect for life and the art of war. Nobody would even think about shooting somebody in the back; it was a disgrace in honor. This man stood below her had just shown he had no respect for her honor and that was something that incensed a Black more than anything.

Cala surged the energy around her and terrifyingly burst into red flames but they were turning blue as she started to descend. Cala walk towards the line of boys and kept on walking, Cala's flames were now black and everyone had to stand back and shield themselves from the heat they were producing. Cala walked straight up to Jason.
"Cala don’t, for a rebel it’s just a joke," Jason whispered panic stricken.