Jena of Atlantis, Legions of Overstar

© 2005, 2014 D.W. Anthony. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/21/14

ISBN: 978-1-4208-3504-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4208-3505-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-3613-4 (eb)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2005901641

Table of Contents

Chapter 1   Jena meets Princess Sumatra Alexi of Ana

Chapter 2   Traveling pains.

Chapter 3   Mathematics.

Chapter 4   Speed and Sonyan

Chapter 5   The Truth about Monsters

Chapter 6   The Flagellate.

Chapter 7   Discoveries in Dialogue

Chapter 8   A Daring Plan

Chapter 9   Exodus

Chapter 10 Flames of War

Chapter 11 Alien

Chapter 12 War

Chapter 13 Resurrection

Chapter 14 Movement

Chapter 15 Legions of Overstar

Chapter 16 War of Nations

Chapter 17 Overstar Ascends.

Preface:

This exciting epic series is being written and illustrated by a retired State Park Ranger, who is committed to providing this entry into the legendary old continent with its tens of thousands of years of rich history. These books are sixty five thousand years ago, before any of the land breakups. This is the early years, when these peoples were still using ruins and structures from an even earlier civilization. Times were rough and almost everyone lived within fortified city walls. The reptiles and other animals were more aggressive and the human races suffered the same kind of injustice and war that we see today. Special detail is given to their devices, religions, customs, battles and countryside. References to plants, animals and materials that exist today are accurate. There were some problems with some of the names, which could read like a two ton Italian pasta recipe, and many of these were shortened to make reading easier. Jena Quinterian maneuvers through this world in much the same any of us would if we were there; with very little education of the times and full of questions.

This interview is included to describe the series:

What does this series do? What is its mission?

Entertainment. Education, and an invitation. The reader can view these as doorways into their own imaginations.

What makes this unique, and not just another tug on the shelf of science fiction fantasy?

This is humor! The characters are flawed and human, and they make mistakes! They get angry, elated, lost and ecstatic. It is also a time period not known to have produced any titles, humorous or otherwise. Atlantis has figured into literature, but not this far back

What is the target audience?

Readers who do not require industry devices to make a book interesting, such as evil themes, erotic, dark or romantic situations. This material is exotic, unpredictable, scientific and satirical. There can be considerable violence, but on the whole, it is straight adventure.

What is the series about?

Development of a civilization on a continent 65,000 years ago, as seen through the eyes of a young woman.

Is it fiction? A difficult question as the answer dictates where it is found in libraries, and the likely readers.

By industry standards, yes. It is available in this form. Information on Atlantis during more recent times of its development can be found from a wide variety of sources, both fiction and non-fiction. There is evidence of this civilization in the form of ruins discovered off the Bimini Islands, and there is written information as early as Plato. There is also much from the paranormal community, including icons such as Edgar Cayce and Ruth Montgomery. The author maintains that everything is accurate, should anyone choose to check it out, by any means possible. This does not detract from the story line itself, or information such as plant use and technologies used both then and now.

So it’s real?

As real as yesterday, and just as hard to prove. A newspaper can be produced with yesterdays date on it, but does that really prove it?

Who is in it?

There were five basic human races, each with different cultural values, and even skin colors. These were heavily mixed in most areas, and there were minimal to no ethnic tensions on Atlantis. It would be fair to say that the continent favored the Brown and Red races, but they were all mixed, even this far back. The books each introduce twenty to thirty new individuals who are from every conceivable station in life. There were also people who were not quite human, and whose origins are not explored. These could be described as aliens or some of the wild clans such as the Troglodytes and Barbarian groups. These people might stand out in a crowd today, although not by much.

Who is Jena? She is female, and…young? Obviously a Ranger, judging by the titles…

Almost everyone had to register their occupation. At seventeen, she lists this as Ranger with a warrior qualification. This doesn’t mean much after the introductory book, as she is pulled into many different roles, as is Sumatra Alexi, the other title character. By book seven, Jena is twenty one. She is a short, fiery, lightening fast girl who falls into elastic situations far beyond the experience of people then. She is not very literate, and is not a tower of intellect, but she is clever and quick. She thinks in a linear pattern, whereas everyone else thought in circular patterns. She has failings; she is near-sighted, and used glasses, not common then. She is impatient and quick tempered, irreverent, ulcer-prone and a loner. She doesn’t own property or do parties. She rarely studies and lacks social graces. She is highly romantic and full of passion, but these things are hidden from others, including the reader for the most part. Her love life is private to the point of mystery and speculation. These things wouldn’t stand out today, but they did back then. Everyone was very…social, within the fortified city walls. She also has unusual luck, whether by the strange jobs she is called to do, or seeing elementals and fairies when it really counts! She is brave, but that went around. She took it to new levels by including endurance, flexibility and the willingness to fight…Really fight.

This linear thinking as opposed to the common circular thinking…what is this?

Everything was concentric then. Thought went around itself, within the city walls. Gossip rotated back into itself over and over again and the thinking was the same way. Few traveled, or wanted to. These were the early times, when people grouped themselves against the world, which conspired to eat them. Conversation could be quite repetitive, with the only difference being the wording. Trying to solve real problems relied on things like prayer and tradition instead of imaginative thinking. Creativity was really just colorful editing of existing material. Jena thought in a linear straight manner. She went from one point to the next, and then finished it. This left a coarse and almost brutal impression on others. It didn’t look as if she enjoyed the dialogue as much as she did the solution. It was projectile thinking that went beyond social grace, and it was often difficult for her to grasp the difference.

First person account, or third?

Third! Although the reader is not quite as comfortably placed eighteen inches behind the characters head, as in most books. The focus might be brought in closer to see how a doorknob works, or how the firestarter kit functioned. And then the view might go distant, to figure out why the wave pattern changed on the oceans surface to indicate a different landmass. It’s something like finding a quarter on the deck of a sinking ship. Who would notice, unless the writer pointed it out?

What is the format of the books? How are they laid out? Short chapters? Tiny print? Illustrations?

School textbook. 12 point font. The layout is an illustration for each chapter title page, sometimes more. The illustrations are freehand by the author, and are very accurate. They exist in color, but these books are shown in gray tone, which is like a newspaper photo. The resolution is fine enough to get some very specific detail in them, and some of them are quite engaging! The text is even and traditional. The grammar and syntax is probably Junior High School, which makes for easy reading. These books can be read out loud for a very good effect. This is rare. Check it out, pull your favorite book and start reading it out loud to your favorite cup. It is amazing how many words you have to delete or glaze over to make it understandable. There is considerable effort to make these books readable. The ideas may be complex, but the delivery is not. Next, it goes from chapter to chapter. Minute by minute. There aren’t any time portals, or skipping around to other characters. They go from one event to the next. The time frames vary, but they are all very short. The longest is twenty eight days; the shortest so far, is only one day. They are around a hundred thousand words each, average. The later ones are more. The chapters are all about the same length in each book, as they tend to cover time periods and not specific events or locations.

What was Atlantis like, sixty five thousand years ago?

A detailed map comes with the seventh book, Crystal Torch. At the time, Atlantis was divided into ten provinces that were defined by natural barriers such as rivers or mountain ranges. The interior had volcanic activity and earthquakes were common, as were meteor showers, although this is a rumor, so far. The hour-glass shaped portion of the center of the continent was not claimed by any sovereignty, and was known as a wasteland. The eighth book will find out about this, and the sixth book resulted in a small freed slave state in the southeast. There were many threats to life then, especially from the reptile groups, and it was this that resulted in all of the heavy fortifications and walls around the cities. These have all been on the coast, so far. This was for trade, travel and safety. Probably all of the cities were ruins of a former civilization that existed for many tens of thousands of years before this one took them over and rebuilt them. Nothing is known of these ancient people. Atlanteans were body conscious party folks. Good health was taken for granted, and there was generally plenty of food. Everyone had pets of every description. There were no roads. Wheels existed on toys and machines, but not usually for travel. Book six describes a three wheeled, self powered vehicle, but this was unique. The driving force during this time was chemistry and hydraulics. Neither is described in intimate detail, but it is intriguing material. The chemical reactions produced magnificent light shows, and powered everything from household light fixtures to manufacturing. It went well beyond what we do with it now. The hydraulic systems were immense, and not many people then knew of them. They had platforms on the ocean shores that were driven by the tides and could produce incredible power, when integrated with the sciences of hydraulics and chemistry. This would have been useful material a hundred years ago, in our own time before petroleum took over, but now this technology is found in science fiction fantasy books.

How much of these books are technical detail?

Probably more than most books of this type, and only because it is so fascinating. The fastest boats for example, had a set of sails held up by balloons. One city that Jena visits has a communication system set up that uses copper tubes filled with pressurized air that sound was sent through. Armor was used, and it was made from all kinds of things. Wood ash, calcium from oysters, tree sap, and another reminder here that it was the chemical actions that took place with the joining of these materials, and not the visual image that comes up with the name. Alchemy is a better term for it, although this suggests wizards, and there are none of these. So every now and again, the reader dips in for a closer look.

Where does anyone come up with this material?

The best of all books throughout history have always reached higher and deeper than anyone wanted to give credit for. It is not enough to say that is the imagination, or promptings from ancestral ghosts, or unconscious memories of some past lifetime. It could be these, and it could be much more than that. To define it; lessens it. It is something like reaching into a collective conscious of all information that is not any one color or religion. Or, for some people, it just works. Some people grow great gardens and have great babies. Some people dream a lot. Anyone could come up with this material, if they wanted to…A short walk through any library would be a great start.

How long does it take to write a book?

If you can think it, you should probably try. The folks swirling around in your mind might just make a difference in your life, as you put them into some form of print. It is easy to think that the primary audience of this series are the people in them. These books happen very quickly, at twelve to fifteen weeks each, with all of the illustrations and both front and back covers. The first book only took five weeks…but it has only one illustration!

How many titles are in this series?

There should be thirty, before Jena’s grandaughter Selene has a series of her own.

Who is the author?

A retired State Park Ranger who is married with five children and lives in Post Falls, Idaho.

Other titles by author/illustrator D.W. Anthony:

Jena, Ranger of Atlantis

Jena of Atlantis, Rangers Quest II

Sumatra Alexi of Atlantis

Jena of Atlantis, The Finger of Power

Jena of Atlantis, The Fire Eye

Jena of Atlantis, Legions of Overstar

Jena of Atlantis, Crystal Torch

Jena of Atlantis, Parallel Lines

Chapter 1 Jena meets Princess Sumatra Alexi of Ana

Out at the new school at the ancient ruins. It was night time, lamps were lit.

Look, I’ll tell you what, said Jena, stopping to wash off at the fountain, If this is really a princess, I should wash off some of the bat guano before I go in.

Iana shook her head no, We don’t have time! Her fleet leaves the capital city in the morning. You have to hear what she has to say about the legions of Overstar or something like that. Oh! There are the templar guards of her province now! Jena, this is too important to worry about guano.

Believe me Iana, after what I have been through, a little wash down won’t hurt the world, said Jena, slapping the dust off her ceramic armor plate. I’m nineteen now, old enough to care.

Jena, do you have any idea how far these people came to see you? asked Iana excitedly.

Uh…no, said Jena, thinking it out, Why would they want to see me anyway? I am just a captain in the army of the province of Ibu. And a new one at that. This last campaign was not exactly a stellar performance, it’s not like anyone would want me for that. And I just came in from it, so this princess couldn’t have heard anything about it. Look! The templar guards just walked right past us. I am just another lizard whomping tumbler to them. I haven’t had a bath since the civil war, and you would all be happier if I did. Now let go of me, and let me find a puddle of water bigger than my foot to fall into.

Jena! cried out an older man of some bearing, You have returned! What a fine thing! We should talk, you and I. And soon, but now there are a lot of things going on, and the most important at the moment is that you meet this ambassador from Ana, as soon as you can. Now let’s all find her right away!

Valerian, I can’t yet, groaned Jena, still trying to get her field gear off, You can’t believe what I have come through, to get here. Really, just let me wash this awful stuff off.

Her old friend and mentor looked at her closely, Well, maybe a little splashdown wouldn’t hurt much. Iana, can you get the students over here with a bucket of water?

Now Jena looked at this retired magistrate, and current agent of internal affairs of the provincial government. I never did find out what you do now, Valerian, and why you wouldn’t just sit around eating chocolate monkeys and sesame seeds. This must be pretty important for you to be this far outside the fortified city walls. I guess this also means there is a large army escort around in here somewhere.

Oh, yes, he said with some excitement, But not just for me. We have the Grand Councilors of the Temple itself with us. And we have the Princess of Ana.

Whoa, wait, said Jena, pausing in the armor removal, The Grand Councilors themselves came out here? In the flesh? Out to this new school amongst the ruins? In this old valley on school road 552? How many of them are there, for real? All four?

Valerian reddened, All four. Of course. This is an issue that threatens the very core of the nation, Jena. We must address it at every level, and there was every prayer and hope devoted to your safe return. This is a most wondrous and dark moment for us all.

Sure, said Jena, "But the Grand Councilors again. Are they eating here, as well as blessing everything?"

Valerian tried to look pious and wise, but he knew that Jena had it figured out already. He had been there for her in the past, and had been a part of most of her adventures in the beginnings. This was one of the really fine men in the province. A steady, hard working sincere man. A man of faith, and conviction. And he would have to tell her, The Grand Councilors are there for us all. In all places, Jena. And they are here for us now, to lead us in the faith.

Crackers, man, said Jena, splashing the water freely, So they are not eating here. That means they are statues, right? Some kind of incense soaked icons of greatness?

That would be about right, he admitted with some admiration, You will need to address the icons, for the others to see before you leave. This must be very soon Jena, hurry. It was not easy for any of us to get this far from the capital city of Mara, even with the army escort. You have no idea how scary it is for us out here. Even the sounds assault the ears. Some of these sounds turn out to be just bugs, but can you imagine! And the dust is just awful. It lingers and lurks around every strange bush and tree. The earthquakes have come to some conclusion, for the time. This is a fine thing for all of us, and the oracles think it will last.

Jena paled, part way through the standing bath, Not those people. Are they real?

Oh yes, very much so, said her old tanned friend in his fine robes, they have traveled here from several different locations to confer among themselves. I would like to think that this is good. But the news from them is not. I am not a part of that news, but I do know that there is something very large happening, that is out of our control.

More lizard attacks? she asked.

No, not this time, he said, putting some figs in her pockets. Jena’s young friend Mon and Iana were putting figs in a special belt Jena had made, just for figs. This was food on the move, and Jena got the feeling that she wouldn’t be spending the night in this familiar school complex. Valerian continued, You should meet Sumatra Alexi, she will tell you more of this unusual event. It is not volcanoes or windstorms either. It’s not even a strange and usual disease.

Attack of the popcorn monster? she asked, as they quickly cleaned her armor and gave her a new shirt. She hadn’t even taken off the distinctive high boots favored by travelers and campaigners of the times. These were usually leather based, with ceramic or metal plates sewn into them for protection.

I seriously hope not, said Valerian, failing to catch the joke. We don’t need any of those. Did you run into anything like that, on your last mission? Popcorn monsters, that doesn’t sound right.

No, she teased, I meant to say pudding whippers, those things with the sharp tails.

Jena! snapped Iana, Your poor friend here has come straight from the highest levels of our government, and you know how much he hates to leave the city. This is important. We are here to escort you right away back to Mara, the capital. Sumatra Alexi wanted to come with us, she has never been in this part of the continent, and she especially wanted to meet you.

Me? Why? And what is a princess doing this far out of the pastry parlor anyway? asked Jena, buckling up the armor. This interesting multi-colored plate was given to her by a couple of army colonels from the province of Tier. That had been a difficult job, up in the mountains; she and her friends had barely escaped with their lives. She hadn’t had a chance to even look it over yet.

Valerian spoke up, This is apparently not the usual nobility crowd. Ibu doesn’t have much of this, because of our constitutional government. Her province is made up of leading families in power. Very different. Far fewer people there make the decisions. We all know how many of us it takes to light a lamp here.

Valerian, you are losing me with the details. Why is she different?

Valerian and Iana looked at each other. Was that a secret nod? They couldn’t possibly have known much about this far off, obscure princess. And she couldn’t have made much impression in one day. Iana answered, We had never heard of her, or anyone in her province, until earlier today. She was expected, of course.

Right, continued Valerian, She was sent as special ambassador from her province. That one and the one next to it are having serious social unrest. There are…

Crackers, I can’t keep up with all that. What is so special about this cream puff? barked Jena.

Perhaps you should try one, came the most musical voice Jena had ever heard in her life. It was like silver chimes. The voice came from behind, and naturally Jena was petrified. She was plenty brave, and the first one out there in the face of danger. But she was always getting off on the wrong foot with people, and in the worst ways. She hoped that this was just the chef or something, but she knew that normal people would never have that kind of angelic voice. The other students finished the final touches on Jena’s outfit, and slowly turned her around.

There stood Princess Sumatra Alexi.

Jena’s mouth dropped open. Iana gently reached over and shut it. Mon poked her from behind. Valerian cleared his throat. Even the blue dwarf Barb, Jena’s warrior companion had nudged her to speak. But it was the fine princess who broke the awkward silence, There is no doubt that you are Jena Quinterian, the warrior.

Everyone listened to the water drops fall from the roof edges outside. It was beginning to rain in the dark. The lamps flickered, the moths danced. Fingers twitched, eyes tumbled up and down and all around. Heads bobbed, toes searched for little puddles of sweat in the sandals. The silence swirled around them like cream sauce on a potato.

Ranger, actually, said Valerian, with the rank of captain in the northern army of Ibu.

Yes, added Iana, and she was also ambassador to Valante, the island empire. Well, except she wasn’t sent there, we just ended up there on a shipwreck, because we were headed to Baktia, and got lost in a storm and the ship sank and we got stuck in a crematorium with this really old king was on this crypt–

But the young girl Mon had punched Iana from behind, Jena stomps lizards, and rescues runaways like me.

And Barb said, Aye, look, this is the bloodiest monster masher going, princess. Just let me tell you–

Valerian raised both his hands, Stop, all of you. Jena, meet the princess.

Jena didn’t do anything. The fingers of both hands curved uncharacteristically upward, like a dancer, or those gift cards that have fairies on them. This was surprising; normally the caustic fighter was in there with too many words of her own, and here she was, just taking in the vision. At least she was staying vertical.

Sumatra Alexi was the same age as Jena.

She was from a cultivated, highly educated family. She was a fabulous artist, and musician. She could tell stories and squeeze smiles out of the crabbiest little child. She was magic around crusty smoking old church prelates, or strange foreign ambassadors. She could even imitate bird calls, and fool the birds. This was charm at its magnificence, and showed what a person could really do with it, if they were trained to from birth. And if they wanted to. And Sumatra did. She had a formidable memory, and enough working brain cells to speak in several languages. All of this would have been just a lot of syllables to Jena, but it came in this package of such radiance that it blinded Jena. Her eyesight was pretty bad already, and here all she could do, was not fall over.

Don’t fall over, Jena, whispered Mon helpfully.

Er…Princess, Jena has just come in from a rough mission, explained Valerian in his best authoritative voice, And she is exhausted, as you may guess. I hope you can forgive her…momentary silence. Normally, you would find our young captain a truly engaging experience to talk to.

Oh yes, added Iana, She is very spunky. Right Mon? Barb? Wouldn’t you say she was spunky?

Barb coughed, Spunky alright, sharp as a sword from Tier. I remember the time she carved off a lizards head so fast, it made me dizzy. The head snapped up into the air, spinning its bloody veins out like a bowling ball with ketchup on it. The little snapper sprayed all of us, and there she was, off onto the next one with her bloody–

Somebody bopped Barb from behind to stop. One of the temple prelates from Ana stepped into the light, this one had the usual two-mile long name, but let it go at Ben. He was one of the very few people other than Jena who wore glasses, I must urge haste. We need to leave with the tides or the ship will never make it back in time. Really, the situation is extremely urgent, and not just for our province. This deadly plague will quickly spread to where we stand.

Plague? asked Mon, looking worried, Jena? I thought he said it wasn’t a disease!

Valerian stepped in close, It is not a disease, at least, not of our bodies. But His Eminence Ben is correct, this is deadly. Perhaps not so much for Ibu, but the problem is intense, Jena. Can we get on with this? Jena? Is she awake? Has she ever done this before?

She’s just a little… said Iana, then in a sharp whisper, Jena! Snap out of it!

Jena looked stunned. She looked like she was in pain, or deep shock. Her brain had overloaded, and she was having trouble putting the pieces back together. This was quite the new experience for her. It sounds silly now, but people didn’t get out and meet other types very often, even though there was a thorough mix of the races among most of the cities. It was not the race that confused her. It was the type of personality. Jena had never seen someone like this. Sumatra was not holy and sacred, like Ibis Arana of Baktia. Sumatra was not venerated and wise, like the Grand Councilors. She was not even beautiful, in the classical sense. She was well rounded, with chipmunk cheeks and big round watery brown eyes. Her fingers were short and manicured, unlike Jena’s tree root, veined hands.

Sumatra stood quietly, not moving. She understood Jena’s dilemma, and was going to take the extra moments to let it work out. She was covered in a robe, so no one knew what she was wearing. She was one of the richest and well-placed actual princesses of the nation. That meant lineage, they had taken great pains to chronicle her family roots to many hundreds of years earlier. Maybe thousands, none present ever got that far into it. She probably had guards that could kill boulders between their hands, they would have been the best trained on Atlantis. Her people deeply loved her, and it was only her desire to get out and know the world, that they would even let her pass.

And Jena knew all this, before being told a single word of it. Before hearing anything more than the one line from the princess herself. Jena was slammed into a world of such immense proportions and culture, that it twisted her around. Still looking straight at Sumatra, Jena squeezed off a sideways comment to Valerian, "Can we really…do this?"

Valerian smiled like hot honey, Do what, my dear Jena?

Jena’s hands went into fists, shaking with fury, Can we really look like that? Like her?

Valerian pretended that everything was warm as fresh milk, Look like Princess Alexi? Would you like to look like the princess? Would you like a robe like hers, Jena?

"No, you zit! she said through clenched teeth, still staring at Sumatra, I didn’t know us humans could look like this! Is she genetically engineered?"

Jena you dink! said Iana, pinching her, She’s right here! Talk to her!

Jena, she’s normal, said Mon dryly. She’s just like us, but more.

Prelate Ben and a couple of others pressed in to make things happen, but Princess Sumatra Alexi held up her hand for quiet, and she took two steps toward Jena. She was still holding her left hand up, palm out, and she reached her right hand to take Jena’s right hand. The classic handshake we use today, but it was not normally done then. It would have been a severe breach of etiquette to touch someone this directly, so soon. Atlanteans were all giddy and fun about touching as much as they could get their fingers into it, but there was far more protocol to it than now. This was entering into a person’s private space, and it was unusual. There were as many rules as spiders have, on another web.

Jena wasn’t put off by it. The princess had a warm soft hand, and Jena looked down at it, in the lamplight. She held her hand under it, and lifted the princess’s hand up for a closer look. She was nearsighted, so there was plenty of detail there. She was surprised that there were no rings. Even the monkey merchants had rings everywhere that didn’t chafe. She looked at the fingernails. They looked like little pink mirrors, so highly polished that Jena could see her own bent broken nose in them. She turned the hand around, and studied the palm. It was so unlike her own. This one was pink, and had a million tiny lines in it. There were some longer, stronger lines, but it looked like hay. Lines everywhere. It smelled good, not like the leather water bags and grub sacks Jena carried everywhere. Suddenly there was a drop of water on Sumatra’s palm. Jena frowned, was there a leak in the roof? There was another drop, and Jena’s stomach dropped to the floor. They were her own tears.

She quickly let go of Sumatra’s hand, I…I am so sorry, mam. I did not mean to leak on your hand or anything. I didn’t know…I mean, I didn’t know that any of us could look like you. Do. Like you do. I thought we were all just dusty. Or dirty. Or stinky, like up at the temple. Or boozy like Barb.

Sumatra laughed, and Jena said, Great Cats! Listen to that, it’s just like ice cubes in a glass!

Look, fighter, said Sumatra finally, I am not a mam. I don’t sell perfume, so mam doesn’t work. And my role here is messenger, not princess. The rank gives me the access I need. It allowed me, of all my peoples, to get here the fastest.

Jena frowned, but Sumatra’s curiosity got the better of her, and she came closer to look at Jena’s armor. She asked, This is very different. Will you tell me of it? Ana is not a warlike province, we are diplomats and librarians. But I can tell you, that I have never seen anything like this. Is it yours?

Jena, Barb, Iana and Mon erupted in laughter. Jena got a hold of herself first, and replied, Well, excuse us. Normally a warrior goes through a long process of bonding with his armor. If he chooses to use it. I do. Most of us that are not actually in the army, have it custom made. I have never been able to afford that. I just happen across it, or someone gives it to me. Tier is the most military of all the provinces, and they developed it. They gave it to me, on the condition that they get the credit for the last mission I was one. Fine with me, I don’t need the victory. You just have to give speeches and that. See, these shoulder pieces pivot inside the breastplate, they don’t lay over the top, like ours do. And this is made of a composite material, it’s not even really ceramic, like some of ours is. It even has a lady shape to it. None of ours does.

Do you like it? Does it ride well? asked Sumatra, lightly tapping it.

I haven’t battle tested it, but it…rides well. That is strange thing for a princess to say. Only a warrior would say that, even the soldiers don’t know about that, said Jena, wondering about this new person.

Would you like to test it? To try it out? asked Sumatra.

Sure, eventually, said Jena, wondering where this was going.

How about right now? asked Sumatra.

You mean… I run into a wall many times? Jena asked. Mon laughed.

No, said Sumatra gently, I mean, you take interest in a mission to save the continent.

Oh, well that, huffed Jena, Now, if it isn’t reptile attacks, or natural disasters, would this be a war? Armies clashing in the dirt and all that? I don’t do wars. I have been in them, and they are the dinky wink stupidest things I ever lost any time in. I don’t recommend war for my worst enemies, and I have some. I wouldn’t go to a war if I came out the other end rich and safe. I can’t stand them, the noises hurt my ears, and my glasses clog up. And believe me, absolutely everyone there is as completely lost as dust. Lost as dust, I tell you. A puddle of stupid, none bigger in your life.

That part of you, I did not know, said Sumatra diplomatically.

I kind of figured you had read up on me, said Jena. Why?

We will get to that, first, tell me about your battle experience, please, said Sumatra.

That’s it. Everyone is lost, Jena said firmly, There is no gain to it at all. None. The first one I ever stumbled into, I found this officer tied to a tree. He was a prisoner, but he would not let me free him, because as a prisoner, he had immunity and rights. Freed, he was just an enemy again, more likely to be killed than taken prisoner. So I left him. And he is probably still up there, all dressed up in his bone suit now, because the armies got lost again, and went the other way. And left him there to feed the ants. That was my first few moments into the battle of five armies. It gets worse.

Please, you tell it so well, go on Jena.

"Well, then I meet this general who is leaking off his drunkenness, while his young army men are getting minced by the other armies. I got into a little roll with him, and took his blade. That made him madder than being caught with his fly open, and he tried to have whatever soldiers weren’t getting killed, try to kill me. That made me mad, so I ran away. I never did anything to those men, and they were going to run me through with their spears, just because I didn’t bark like they did when that general called. I didn’t look any different than they did, some of them were even short like me. And some brown, too. Although that could have been the dust. It was brown, too. I just didn’t have their uniform on, and they were going to send me to the ancestors because of it. Is that about as stupid as you can smash your brain into? And they traveled there to do all this! They went all the way up into these mountains to horse around with each other, and claim victories! Like idiots! Do you know that the Barbarian race won’t even do that?"

The Barbarian race can get very violent, said Sumatra quietly, I know something about it. But they do not organize themselves into victories and campaigns like we do.

Princess Alexi, we must insist that we depart immediately! called out another unnamed prelate of Ana.

Sumatra hardened, and her people instantly sensed it. She was stronger than she looked, Not yet. I have to know something first. Late or not, tide or not. I must know this first. Now Jena, tell me, have you had other war time experiences?

But Princess, cut in Valerian, These are all documented. Her army records, you had access to all of this…

And even Barb jumped in, Other experiences! Hot doggies, I should say so! You should have seen–

Sumatra cut her off by holding her hand up for silence, I have read the documents. I know the facts. I want to hear…what Jena says about it.

Jena wasn’t sure what this radiant person was searching for. In some ways, it didn’t matter. Jena was not too good at bluffing, and she had nothing to hide. She went through her memories, Oh, yeah. The army we came across, out looking for us. It was another one of those mixed up things, where chief big boy gets irritated about something, and tells chief almost big boy to go out and hunt down Jena and her group. Of course, chief almost big boy doesn’t do it, he sends out a hundred and one weenie men, led by chief little boy who doesn’t really know the score anyway, and we get away. I guess that isn’t really a battle, is it? You mean people wars, right?

Sumatra quickened, Yes, exactly. People wars. Go on.

Jena steeled herself, and leaned into Sumatra, Ok, princess. I wasn’t going to do this, but I will now. I don’t know where this is going, but you are going to get it anyway. The biggest human war I was ever in, wasn’t even on a battlefield. It was in the highest temple of our province. The innermost Temple Chambers, during the worst reptile attack in history. One army was made up of all the generals, commanders, and civil leaders of what remained in the city. The other army was me, and I was fighting them for what I believed in. I knew that the lizards had strategies and plans, it was not just random attacks. I watched them, and learned their ways. But I could not convince the commanders to change their battle plans, because I was not one of them. I lost.

Fascinating, so they did not listen to you at all? asked Sumatra.

Not a bit.