A Path Through Destiny by Wolfheart (books to read as a couple .TXT) 📕

for you?”
“A human soldier isn’t fighting for any one man; he’s fighting for an entire nation. He is to understand that we’re doing our part here.”
Even Regneric understands! He’s gone with his people!
“Please, Kasumi, listen to him.” Akira’s voice surprised her. Cursing her dull human ears, Kasumi turned around to look at her poor lover.
She was still dressed in healing garments, and smelled strongly of healing herbs.
“How’s Leon?”
“He’s faring well. If you’re concerned for the troops, cast your mind’s eye out and see.”
“She has.” Daichi laughed. “Four times now. My mages don’t even have to use their walkie-talkies now! She’s constantly giving them mind-orders.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
The leader sighed. “I guess I’m just used to fighting…”
“I know. But can’t you be grateful when you’re not?” Aki’s tone was harsh. The Commandant looked closely at her.
“You’re glad I’m safe with you, right?” She soothed. “Come here, meus amor. I’m sorry for all the times I worry you…” Kasumi wrapped around the concerned Priestess. She slipped inside of her mind, trying to ease it, when something caught her attention. Aki tensed. “Why haven’t you…?”
“Later.” She told her lover quickly. “I’m trying to understand them.”
She’s not telling me her visions now? What’s going on?

The ground shook slightly. Kasumi braced herself and Aki until they stopped.
Another bomb had fallen.
Kasumi let her mind reach out for the soldiers and warriors. She found a mind of the enemy aiming for Regneric’s head. Growling, she sent feelings of fear – of terror – something was watching him. It was against him, and it was malicious. The man began to shake and quiver. He dropped his gun and ran screaming.
Regneric turned and shot him in the back. The man fell dead.
She reached into his mind and sent a feeling of warmth and strength; everything would be okay, so long as he fought hard. The Lion Demi sent her thanks; he’d felt her.
“Kasumi?” Daichi sounded confused and irritated. It broke the trance a little roughly.
“You just gave me a migraine.” She snarled. “Thanks.”
“Oh. You were doing it again. How fares it?”
Aki was leaning against her, purring. Kasumi let her joy wash over her before answering. “From what I saw, we’re winning. I’m going to go see Leon.”
“Are you sure?” Akira sounded uneasy about it.
Is she losing him?

“I need to speak with him about his second in command.”
She frowned. “Can’t something like that wait?”
The leader sighed. “He’s a friend, Aki.” She told her quietly. “Is he that bad?”
“I don’t want him getting stressed out.” She looked at the table. “And you’ve not drank your tea!”
Grumbling about it, Kasumi grabbed the blasted cup and downed the honey and feverfew tea in a few gulps. “Is that better?” She asked, only slightly irritated.
“Yes. Now you can see him.”
She began to head off.
“Um…I was wondering…” The man began before she could follow the Priestess.
“What?” She snapped.
“You keep saying meus amor. What does that mean?”
Sighing, she growled out “Not that it matters to you, but it means ‘my love’ in Latin.”
Then the warrior-leader followed her lover to the tent quietly. Kasumi stared in shock at the man on the cot. The powerful, sure man she’d known since her cadet hood laid beneath four blankets. His skin was pale, and his face was hollow. The scent of infection hit Kasumi’s nose.
“Leon!” She gasped. Kasumi looked to Aki for explanation.
“Whatever I use, the infection won’t heal. I’ve prayed to Gaia, but…”
Perhaps…this is his time.
“Come over here, Kasumi.” The Lion leader waved her over, his voice rough with more than age now.
She bowed low in respect to him and obeyed his request. Kneeling, the Cheetah Demi wondered at how their races were enemies once, when he was such a good friend now.
“We fought once, you know…” The man began roughly. “And have killed many of our comrades…”
“And now we fight as one, in a war that will unite man and Demi.”
“I hope so…”
Aki cleared her throat.
“Right.” Kasumi sighed. “I come here to tell you that your son fights bravely. He seems certain now.”
The Lion looked over at the cheetah with pride. “Thank you for showing him courage.”
“It was the same courage you once showed me, Leon.”
The image of another bomb splitting the Leon ranks from the Mages made me shiver.
“What is it?”
“I’m needed.”
He nodded. Rising, Kasumi left the tent and returned to Daichi.
“The bombs separated Rank 4 and 2.” She informed the mage. He sighed.
“Great. Just perfect. Alright…can they regroup?”
“I think that’s what they need us to help them with.” The Ambassador barely held the growl from her voice.
“Here.” She showed him how they’d been separated on the map sitting on the table. “What if they move this way?” The Commandant drew on the map with coal slits – as most Demis preferred during war. “And re-group here? Medics will tend to the wounded and dead. They will need to bring them back, and can take this route here…” She finished.
He stared at it thoughtfully. “The medics will be better going this way, won’t they?”
He countered her line.
I swear, he’s doing this because he wants to argue! That doesn’t even make sense!

“Why? That would take longer.”
“But they’ll meet up with more groups.”
“Who are in process of winning?”
They glared at one another for a moment. Then it clicked.
“I know. We’ll go both ways; half the medics will circle around and take the injured from the far group. The other half will take the injured from the Ranks of 2 and 4.”
“Fine.”
Compromise. Wow. I didn’t think humans were capable of it!

“Great.”
Kasumi passed on the message to the right troops. Then she surveyed the area with her mind.
We can definitely still win this. It looks like we’re gaining ground.

She tried to push on coldly from the dead. It was something that wasn’t avoidable. War meant losing men and women to the enemy, as it meant killing the enemy and removing comrades that felt the same about their side.
“Commandant Kasumi?” A female Lion Demi asked, bringing her out of her contemplation.
“Yes?” She shook her head, clearing it of the cobwebs thoughts.
“There’s a boy requesting you at the border. He’s wearing your colors, but isn’t Demi.”
“Ah. Show me where; he’s a servant I saved from an abusive palace master.”
She nodded and escorted her across the snow-laden camp to where two male guards were watching Alex. The kid had a look of both resolution and terror.
“Alex?” Kasumi called. “What is it?”
He rushed over to her, bundled to the tooth in warm clothing and still pink-cheeked.
“There was a message from the palace!” The boy told me without formalities.
“Oh, really?” She snorted when he paused.
He looked around nervously.
He’s shivering and exhausted…

“You know what?” Kasumi picked him up and put him on her shoulder. “You need to warm up before Akira scolds me for letting you end up sick.”
There. Now I won’t be crossing any of our master-servant lines, but he won’t get sick.

“Oh…shouldn’t I walk?”
“I won’t risk her tongue, child!”
The others around them chuckled in both the truth and the fact that Kasumi clearly loved Aki. Kasumi quickly took the human child into her own tent. Then she poured him hot chervil and feverfew tea, adding a little sweet leaf for flavor and any tummy ache he had.
“Any bruises?” She asked quietly while he took the tea, looking confused but relieved.
“No. Um…shouldn’t I be doing this?”
She shook her head. “No way. You’re cold and tired. But that tea will warm you up and give you energy. Now drink it while you tell me the message.”
“Well…” He blew on the tea. “This one lady came aboard. She was panting really hard, and looked kind of like you, except that she was really strong, and didn’t have the tear stains. Oh, and she was white.”
“A Snow Leopard Demi?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. But she had a name…um…uh…Tonya. That was it!”
“What?” Panic spread through her.
“Yeah. That was it! She said that the Princess is to come back to the palace! Whatever means possible. She also said that ‘her troops were holding their own.’ She told me you didn’t need any more information, and even though I told her you’d want to know why the Princess needed to come back, she wouldn’t tell me! All she would give me is that it was important for the High Lord to see her daughter.”
No!

“Thank you, kid. Is that all she told you?”
“Yep.” He took a sip of his tea just as Akira came in. Behind her was Regneric.
“We won; the Russians pulled out after your plan worked.” The Lion looked exhausted, and was bleeding from wounds Aki hadn’t had the time to look at.
“How many are gone?”
“One third of the Mages are injured or dead. There were half of the injuries from the Leon troops.”
“Good. Let Aki tend to the Lions, and work with Daichi to arrange proper healing with the troops from Japan. Then see to your father. Aki, I need to speak with you before you start treatments. It’s about the High Lord.”
She nodded. Then she turned to the Leon second-in-command.
“Gather all the worst in my tent. Take those who are injured but not critical to their own tents. Those who aren’t bad need to rest tonight; I’ll see them tomorrow.”
“Alright. I’ll split them into groups.”
And he was gone.
“What is it?”
“The High Lord is ill. She’s so ill that she’s requesting to see her daughter.”
“What?!”
“I need to get back to Japan. Quickly. And to send a message ahead. This battle…the only thing it did was cost us planning…planning and time.”
“We won…”
“But nothing has changed.” She growled. “Except the health of the very Leopard that is running this war.”
She paced for a moment. “Tend to the ill. We’ll need to talk about your vision on the way home the moment we can leave.”
Alex yawned.
Akira glared at me.
“It’s chervil and feverfew tea. He’s not hurt; just cold and tired.”
“You’re not sending him back tonight.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She lied.
I probably would have. And she would have chewed me out…
“I thought not. Because you won’t want me angry, will you?”
“Never.”
She turned and left without another word.
Fine. Be that way.
“Where do I sleep?” Alex asked quietly.
“In this.” She indicated her cot. “Because Aki has been treating patients, she’s taken up another tent. We’ll share a bed tonight; there’s not one free and you’ll fall ill alone.”
He finished his tea while I wrote a message quickly. She handed him the letter.
“Leave when you wake up with this and give it to the woman named Kaide. Understood?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Now get your ass to bed.”
He curled up and was asleep in no time, even with the chervil running through his veins.
He’ll be up in a few hours, ready to go. I’d better get some sleep, too. It’s late...what a meaningless game these humans play. What was the point in the Russians fighting today? It gained nothing for either side. It just cost the both of us time we can’t afford to lose…

Chapter Eight
The Americans Strike

Sauda scented the air, tense and uneasy, in the palace halls. Behind her were two other Jaguar Demis, their fur a dark orange with rosette black spots instead of black,