Ciata: High Citadel

[Ciata]

In the high citadel of the Ciata, perched on top of the central and highest mountain in the region, two figures stand outside a medical room.

Boris Kratos the head of the Raja Borah, "So, he will live?"

Auma Horaios the head of the health department, and top doctor, "Yes, he was on the verge of death, and should have died, but it appears the sacrifice was not in vain, though he is still in a comma.........what about Sicarii?"

Boris, "We've found blood and fur scattered at the site, but no sign of the body. To make sure we're putting up bio-shilelds on the room, just incase. I'd also like you to do some testing on the samples we found, to see just what the affects and side affects of the Morning Star are."

Auma nods, "Thank you, I'll do my best of course."

Boris, "What are the chances of him being able to return to duty?"

Auma, "At all? I'm not sure at this point, there was some damage to the brain and spinal cord, as well as most of the rest of his body, but with the Divine Ray, it looks like most of it can be healed, what damage is left though, especially psychological I can not tell. We should inact the interim plan as we are not sure, and anarchy right now is the last thing we need."

Boris, "Agreed. I've also got Silverbane and his group keeping lookout and an ear out for and sign or word of Sicarii. How is Rowan?"

Auma, "He's recovering quickly of course, he should be able to be on duty within 2 weeks, what about Reana and the child?"

Boris, "After she made sure he was in care she finished the process at another center near the border, maybe some good may yet come out of this all."

Auma, "Yes, I hope so....."

[Ciata]

News Flash Across Ciata

*In light of the recent injuries to the Diacanos, the council has come together to elect an interim leader untill the time that Opalance Calaminion may return to duty in good health. The Spiritual and senior advisor, Kohen Lucias, has been appointed to lead in the Diacanos' absense, aided by the other advisors.

Kohen Lucias' first statement was to calm and reasure the people that their government was still intact and their country safe.

"Dear people, there is no reason to fear. Your Diacanos is safe and begining the process of healing, as should we all after such an event. No other members of the government have been harmed at all despite rumors to the otherwise, and the foundation and grounds of our clans remain untouched and in peace. I ask that you bide your time, and wait patiently along with us for the full return of our leader and go about our lives as if nothing has changed, because very little in actuality has, though we should all remember the sacrifice of the Raja Borah to keep our leaders alive in a tragic incident. For now though, do not fret or be dismayed, our people and clans are safe as is our Diacanos, thank you."

[Ciata]

However inside the Citadel, all is not well. With Sicarii believed to be confirmed to be still alive, and now possessing a nuclear weapon, it is in near chaos, which is quickly nearing outside, in the country itself. suspesions of new members and clans recently arrived from Shimandu, and the hostility in return, combined with a change of leadership, and the weakining of the Raja Borah needed to control it all. The frail economy is in a downfall, new members of the country can not find jobs, and the leaked out threat of a nuclear attack only adds to the confusion.

Inside the meeting room of the council, the advisors have been meeting to decide what shall be done to attempt to combat this threat of anarchy.

Dorian Alton, the buisness advisor, "....We need ta remove sanctions on foreign trade an lessen de environmental protection an employment laws so we kin make jobs fer the new citizens of the country. Without jobs, there is no food, without food, people starve, if people are starvin, they revolt an everything gets worse."

Auma Haraios, health advisor, "Even though we need food for all of the new people coming into our clans, there are few areas to grow it in, we are mainly desert and tundra, and relaxing labor laws will only create long term injustice and unrest. What we need is new land to grow it in and build new communities in."

Pesha Oren, environmental advisor, "Nay, we kinna destroy out job security an rights an the environment, we will lose our ver future! What we need to do is perfect and impliment our terra-forming technology in inhospitable places we have already."

Boris Kratos, leader of the Raja Borah, "We will have no time to do any of this if the chaos that enues continues! The Raja Borah are not enough and not equiped to control our own people which are getting more numerous an dangerous by the day. We need to look into forming a seperate police force of lesser trained and enhanced individuals to govern and watch over the people."

Nasi Arabah, advisor of the southern clans, "If we are going to make any kind of force it should include substancial ammounts of memebers of clans asside from the Ciatan, which the Raja Borah is nearly entirely made up of by the way."

Through all of this, Kohen Lucias just sits in the Diacanos' chair shaking his head, "Oh dear, I dont know what to do. Auma, how is Opalance healing?"

Auma, "He is healing externaly, but there is still some internal damage that is fairly severe, and he is still in a comma."

Lucias, "Oh, I wish he could be here now, I'm no good at this type of thing, I dont know what to do...."

[Ciata]

For Opalance the last two weeks have been spent swimming in light and darkness, speckled with images and memories throught. An image of he and Michael as children, running, laughing, and playing, then turning around to see him standing there, menacing, with an huge ball of energy, about to destroy him. Then it is a picture of him and Cy, spending of of countless nights just sitting and talking about endless issues and life. Cy sitting in a chair across from him talking, then he freezes, and explodes in a flash of light, then darkness. Then of Kohen Lucias leading a church service, Jonan listining carefully and trying to not be distracted by Michael talking with a girl in the back, turning around to tell him to be quite it is then Sicarii about to cut the throat of Saprine in the Citadel. Screaming a silent cry in his mind, Jonan lunges to stop him, only to never land, but in a freefall, spinning in the air, falling, falling, reaching out for anything as the ever present light begins to fade. Then, he reaches out, and grabs something, or someone, and is jerked back to the world of the living by a starteled scream.

He opens his eyes, his real eyes, to see and finally trully feel reality again. Looking around, he discovers he grabbed onto the arm of a young, female, Chit-Raka, or cheetah, who apparently was a nurse, checking his wounds. She stands there, trying to calm herself down from the fright she just had, the Diacanos in a comma suddenly grabbing her arm. Opalance stares at her for a moment, trying to remember and make sense of this, then he notices something about her, something about her eyes.

"Who are you?" he asks

She responds, one hand still in his grasp, the other still on her chest, "I'm Celeste Ra-Tara. I was chosen to be part of your hospital group while you recovered. Try not to move too much, your still healing."

"It's hard to breath." he states, while finally letting go of her arm.

"Yes, you had a collapsed lung, it's still mending also. Now, I can see you can move your arm alright" she says with a smile "Now, can you feel your legs?"

"Aye, I believe so."

"Now can you try to move your toes?"

he does

"Good, it looks like the spinal damage wasn't as severe as we feared. Now, how about the rest of your sense?"

"Well, I can see you fine, an hear you well, and your wearing Winter Mist perfume."

This causes her to blush a bit under her fur, which Opalance could slighty sense the anxiety and embarisment that went along with that coming from the Diacanos and the thought of something else.

he smiles a bit, "Dont worry, I won't be testing mah sense of taste, I'm sure it works fine."

that brings more blushing and finally, "Well, I had better go tell Auma that your awake now, I'm sure everyone will be very excited to hear."

"Alright, do come back though."

"Oh don't worry, you wont be alone hardly, if you need anything, just ring for it with that." pointing to a pad on the side of the bed, and with that she walks out to room quickly to go share the news.

[Ciata]

......"alright, now breathing excersizes to get that lung back into shape and increase it's capacity..."

The Diacanos is going through excersizes and stretches as part of his daily re-hab, working his way back into duty much quicker than expected with the help of his physical therapist Celeste Ra-Tara the Chit-Raka or cheetah, whom he made sure stayed on for a while longer.

*a nock at the gym door*

Opalance, "Come in."

it is Boris Kratos, the leader of the Raja Borah

Boris, "Sir, I've come in regards to your personal security and the need of a new bodyguard after Cy's passing. I just wanted ta tell you you kin come down whenever you wish or just look through the data in your files to pick a new one, or if you don't want to I will for you."

Opalance, "I'll attend to this afternoon, and yes, I am feeling much better."

Boris, "That is good to hear sir, is there anything else?"

Opalance, "Oh, no, I'm fine right now, but is there any new word on....Sicarii?"

Boris, "I'm afraid none. We have just begun to send our Raja back out into the other countries to resume their intelligence work an nothing concrete has come up yet."

Opalance, "I understand, you may go attend to your other buisness, thank you."

Boris, "Thank you sir."

Boris turns about face and exits the gym promptly.

Opalance, "It's strange though, it's like ah kin feel him, though he's not close by, ah almost sense his thoughts.....Celeste, do you suppose that it could be from the explosion?"

Celeste, who has gotten used to these types of questions lately, "I suppose it is possible somehow from the energy that was shared there from him that you two could become linked somehow, though I'm not sure."

Opalance, "I hope it's just a feeling though, because if not, then we're in for more trouble...."

[Ciata]

Another morning in Ciata.....

Celeste, Opalance's personal nurse enters his room to wake him again this morning, as she has the last few weeks he has been recovering. The Chit-Raka is a perfect specimin of her species, which are naturaly thin to begin with, she is doning her nurses garb, a simple white robe, not unlike what the Diacanos wears when out, rather plain, though with her it only softens her features.

"It's time to rise sir."

Opalance sturs, still sore in spots from his numerous grave injuries, half not wanting to get up.

"Come on, you have a busy day today. First your therapy and this afternoon conferences with the Kohen about that Isaiah and then budget meetings with the other advisors about all their projects."

Opalance finally begins to rise, his thick frame stretching under the sheets. He groans,

"Oh...why can't I jus' have one day off fer a real vacation?"

Celeste, who is readying his breakfast,

"Well, I think you've used up all of your sick days of late, not that you really are supposed to ever use them."

The Ciatan finally gets out of bed and pulls on an under shirt and goes about his morning stretches and replies,

"Well, a little break now an then would be nice, jus ta have some real type of recreation that doesn't involve visits and dedication cerimonies."

Celeste, "Well, I guess that's part of the job. By the way, Boris is still waiting for a reply on your new body guard."

Opalance twinges at the mention of that,

"Well, I don't really feel like havin' one at the moment. I know that is part of their job an all, but they couldn't stop Sicarii anyway, an any other threats wont make it to me, so....."

Celeste has finished setting up his morning meal and leans on the bed that still waits to be made,

"Well, I do guess your right, after all, if your not safe here, then where could you be?"

Opalance begins to go through his Karate katas slowly, his tight muscles, bored of confinment, relishing the excersize,

"Aye, and they are needed elsewhere with all the other threats and needs throught the clans..........what?"

Celeste turns her head and blushes at his feeling her emotions again,

"Nothing, I just like it when you say "aye" is all."

Opalance grins, "Oh. That's good to know"

He finishes his first set and stops for breakfast.

"Well, I suppose the day wont be too bad, afterall, it's just budgets and Lucias, no real threats."

Celeste, standing behind him, smiles and repeats, "No real threats."

[Ciata]

Kratos storms into the Diacanos' chambers flanked by other Raja Borah in the middle of his finance meeting and reports,

"Sir, we have been informed by one of our Tinisian agents that Sicarii is headed here after making an attempt on Izix's life last night. There was also a mention of another assassin that is supposed to make an attempt on your life. We are here to secure your inner sanctum and clear it of any other personel to ensure that the assassin is not one of our own."

The other Raja begin to usher out the accountants and search and seal off areas of the inner rooms.

"Sir, just to be safe of any chances of inner betrayal, we will clear the inner room and seal it off, though we will have Raja posted all around the citadel."

Opalance seems a bit stunned by all of this all of a sudden when things seemed to be getting back to normal, but he makes one request that Kratos can not really deny,

"I ask that my nurse, Celeste remain in here, in case anything medical might happen during the seal off time."

"If it is your wish sir, she may remain to watch over your health, but we must seal off the inner room as quickly as possible."

Everyone but Opalance, Celeste, and the Raja sealing off the room and putting up the energy barriers and searching leave and soon the Raja also leave, shutting up the doors behind them.

Finding themselves alone all of a sudden, the two just look at each other for a few moments. Opalance speaks,

"I wanted you in here to make sure you were safe. He won't think twice about harming anyone, even you, and I want to make sure you stay safe."

She draws closer and looks into his eyes and responds,

"Thank you, if it weren't for your care, I would have never been able to fullfill our plan."

Opalance's brows crease in momentary confusion, then his eyes widen with realization, then shock. He gasps, and looks down at the curved blade protruding from his stomach. He mutters,

"...Celeste?"

"It's Azazel, demon of the desert."

".....but.....why?"

she smiles, "I'll leave you to wonder that for the rest of eternity." and she draws out the blade and plunges it in him again. As he slumps down to his knees and falls to his side, she goes to the door and shouts,

"In here! The killer is in here!"

and as the guards rush in, she makes her escape.

[Ciata]

In a remote town in northern Ciata called Achaia, an area childrens pool closes down after a rather normal day in the summer. Two Ciatan put up the equipment and have a usual after-work conversation.

"Well Washiso, how was your second day back at work?"

"Well, I guess it went fine, it's still strange though."

"Nothing coming back huh?"

"No it t'aint.......uh...."

"It's Silvanus remember? Or well, I guess you dont, but I'm sure things will start coming back eventualy. You seemed to do fine watching the kids though."

"Well, watching over people just feels right, especialy the innocent."

"Well yeah, it's all you've done for the last 5 years."

The young Ciatan who recently got out of the hospital missing his memory after an accident pauses his chores, half because he has no idea where a life ring goes and half because he has more questions,

"Yeah, well....what did I do before this, like before I guarded here?"

"....well.....lets see, I remember you did some odd jobs before, like worked for a video recording company for a while as a camera man for a few years, and you also spent some time in a monastery, which explains why you are so good with the scipture and martial arts which seem to be the one thing you didn't forget."

"Anything else about me you remember? There isn't much at my house."

"Well, you never were big into collecting things and letting them sit around, or pictures for that matter. I guess you got that from your time in the monastery, not owning much, but not much besides that. You've always been pretty quiet about your past and don't talk too much anyway, just watch the kids."

"Yeah......"

----------------------------------------------------------------


Meanwhile in the High Citadel Kratos, the head of the Raja Borah and Lucias the high priest are having a conversation.

"So...everything went fine with it, still no problems?"

"Yes, everything is fine, the fur patterns traced, retenas duplicated, DNA masked......everything, and the memory is still clean."

"I still dont understand Kratos why you did it, it just doesn't make sense to me."

"I had to do it, it was my duty."

"To get rid of him?"

"No, to protect him, no matter how."

"But how is it any better now?"

"Listen, before he had the five demons after him, and a rebel army likely to target his head also, now he is safe, if out of the picture, but his life will be spared and he can start a new one."

"But dont we need him to help us?"

"No Lucias......our time is up, our way of life over. Opalance was kind and compassionate, and for that the people he trusted have turned against him time and time again, and now.......it is over. The Raja will die, the elders be swept aside, and the High Citadel of our old ways will fall."

"But Opalance always said that if you believed in anything at all you would be willing to die for it."

"And we will"

[Ciata]

In an enemy camp less than two miles from the High Citadel a Chit-Raka messanger comes to inform one of the shady leaders of the rebellion, a now nameless panther.

"Sir, the last attacking wave has failed and the artilery bombardment seems to still have no affect on the defenders."

"Blast it all, that's the 3rd wave today trying to take that damn place, and the 14th this week."

he turns his head to the mighty towers and shakes it

"What are those things made of that they last out this long? But no matter, I've decided to end this battle so we may go to another, more important one."

"Sir?"

"Tell all our forces to pull back now and get at least 10 miles away and mobilized towards the monastery, we're going to nuke this place and get it over with."

"Uhh.....nuke the high citadel?"

"Yep, and all those blasted defenders in it, Raja and all."

-----------------------------------------------

An scant hour later the High Citadel, the former capital of the Clan of Ciata disapears in it's own mini-star blast leaving no other place left to take than the Shuey Baw Monastery.

[Ciata]

The Last Testament from the High Citadel of Ciata

Lamentations 4:17-20

"Our eyes failed looking in vain for help. From our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us. We were stalked at every step, so we could not even walk in our own streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end has come. Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky, they chased us over the moutains and lay in wait for us in the desert. We, the chosen, our very life breath was caught in their traps. We thought under his shadow we would live among the great nations. We were wrong"