Part 19

May 15th, 2155

In the morning Davdan gathered breakfast ingredients, and they carried them to the clearing at Tira's den.

As they arrived a group of Elephant People were harvesting plant life at the clearing's fringes, and two of them were aerating and fertilizing the grass in the clearing.

Their leader approached them, a tall woman whose black hair was cropped to a half inch long, most of her torso covered in bandoliers of tool pockets. She spoke without preamble. "You should have called us before this. In another two weeks all the grass here would have been dead, and you would have been dancing on bare soil. Then we would have to deal with erosion. We will return here every day until this ground is healed, and you will minimize its use until then. After that, we will have to treat it twice per week for as long as it has to endure the amount of foot traffic you have been subjecting it to recently."

With that she turned and walked away, giving them no chance to respond.

Those of the Green Band were mortified that this had happened before Leader Sandor and Shinra.

"Huh. Herbivores." Sandor chuckled, breaking the mood. "Those who care for the grounds of our Elders' Enclave in Rangoon are quite fanatical, though expert in their trade, and miss no opportunity to caution us about over-use of the paths."

"Still, she is right, we have been abusing this ground, and I am sorry that it was brought to our attention before you." Tika admitted. "I will wake the others, and we will go to the den that was Midor's."

They sat on the logs and waited while Tira, Menak, Jela, and Naz awoke and washed up, then they enjoyed the short walk through the forest morning.

When they had settled before the den, lounging on the grass as Davdan prepared breakfast, Tira addressed them, her smile broad though slightly sheepish. "We have an announcement to make. As you know, love has grown between Menak and me, and between Naz and Jela. What you probably do not know is that my love has grown as much for Naz as it has for Menak, and Jela's love has grown as much for Menak as for Naz, and these men feel the same for both of us. I have even fallen in love with Jela, and she with me, with an intensity I thought I would never feel for another woman. And though Naz and Menak are not directly sexual with each other, a bond has grown between them that is closer than brotherhood.

"As to the Challenges for mating rights, one night Jela and I were awakened by being kissed and caressed by the other's man, with his knife at our throats, and were informed that we had been successfully hunted for mating rights. And that seemed just fine at the moment, and still does!

"We wish to proudly announce that we are a mated quartet, and we will make this relationship legally formal.

"We have decided that we will have a bonding ceremony and a gathering to celebrate it in a few month's time, and then we will honeymoon for a week or two in Tahiti.

"Both of the children we will have, that we are pregnant with already, will call both Jela and I mother, and they will call both Naz and Menak father. Since we will birth them almost simultaneously, we will both suckle both children, and Naz and Menak will likewise bond with them equally.

"Wow! Congratulations Tira-Mother!" Tika said, and stood to give her a hug.

Hugs were share by all, and all congratulated the happy quartet.

"I hope you do not wish me to call you Jela-Mother," Raz grinned, or I would have to consider Jena to be my sister, and I think that would feel unpleasantly incestuous!"

"Mmm, thinking of you as my brother feels very pleasantly incestuous!" Jena teased, rubbing her breasts on his chest.

"Jena, you are as kinky as an Amsterdam sex tourist!" Raz told her, aghast at her teasing.

Everyone joined in a laugh at that.

Tika checked messages while she ate. "I tell you, techs are crazy!" she suddenly announced. "I have developed a following among their young, like I was a pop star or something. Millions of them are writing to me to tell me how much they adore me and idolize me. I have licensed my picture to clothing and printing companies, and I am making almost ten million credits per hour from poster sales, and almost as much again from merchandise and clothing with my picture on it! And right now the recordings of my fights last night are the most viewed entertainments throughout the solar system! My income from them has increased constantly since the fights happened. Publishers of every type wish to interview me, though Teen World has offered the most. They would give me one hundred and twenty mega to talk to them for an hour if I give them my first interview, even if it is not exclusive!

"The strangest thing is that thousands are having their skin and hair and eyes depigmented, so that they will look albino like me, like my appearance is a fashion statement that has become the latest fad! For some reason that really bothers me. It is like techs wearing the status signs of Tiger People without having earned them. And without my inherent resistance to sun damage, they are risking burns and cancers from forgetting to apply sun lotion on even one sunny outdoor afternoon. I am going to tell them all that I do not approve of it. There is little else I can do to prevent it, beyond threatening to punish them for it if they step onto wild land."

"What are your plans for today, Tika-Love?" Tira asked.

"Well, Zherri has already submitted her territory to me without combat, and hers is the only one I will take in our zone. When I first decided to take the Shiva Region I had pictured walking from territory to territory, fighting each resident or accepting their submission without combat, one by one. But, after last night's fights, and after considering it further, I have decided that I will try to take the entire region today. If I must, I will go to each of the five trading posts today, and meet the challenges for each zone there. But I will start at the Lakeshore zone's trading post, as it is most geographically central to the region, and if I am very lucky, all will gather there when the challenges begin. I will invite them to do so. It will contribute to my greatness if I can take a whole region in one day. I am sure it has never been done before, or even anything close to it."

"Ah, Tika, you lovely girl!" Naz laughed, busy at his screen. "Despite your recent accomplishments, and all the bets I have won on them, there are still an amazing number of gambling fools who think you cannot do it! I tell you, it is like stealing from infants!"

"I am glad you think so, but we know that the world is a complex place, and I may lose. You should also prepare yourself for the possibility that I may lose, Naz, and I may even be killed. Even against one who is only Serious, if I had a growing pain as bad as my worst one at a critical moment in the fight, I would lose. Who knows? I have not gone into heat since that first time, though I have felt an increase in my lust at the most fertile day of my cycle, and it is only three days away. Perhaps I will lose my mind with lust, and suddenly rape some man in the middle of a fight, my opponent or a bystander, and be stabbed to death as I do so. And if I do lose, it will probably be because of something we would never have expected and could never have planned for."

"Tika, your honor is great." Naz grinned. "Your concern for my feelings and financial well-being do you proud. And you are right, rare and unexpected things happen. I could be struck by lightning on the way to the challenges, and then I would not care if you won or lost, but I will not worry about that either.

"You are in a considerate mood to so caution me this morning, rather than last night, when there was actually some tiny but realistic chance you could lose, because you faced world-class fighters. But there is no one in the Shiva region who is ranked, or even Magnificent. There are two who are Excellent, and even that is statistically above average. Four hundred and twelve territory holders are Hazardous, and the rest are Serious. You must admit as an informal fighting judge, not one of them has any significant chance against you. Even if you fought them all sequentially, you would still have enough endurance to beat the last one."

"Please, Naz, do not talk like that." Tika said, grimacing with a little shudder.

"Sorry, Tika. Anyway, none of the serious gamblers whose records I respect are taking this bet. Only fools, but there are still plenty of them."

"Ah." Tika nodded, her mood still pensive. "I hope the rest of you do not mind, but I ask only Pina and Slin to come with me for moral support. I think if you all came, some would be even more intimidated by the greatness of this group than they would be by me alone, and some would think we planned it that way, and that would be disrespectful to the Shivans."

"That is noble thinking." Sandor agreed. "We will watch your video with rapt attention."

"As will the rest of the world!" Pina exclaimed. "Tika! Have you checked the news nets?"

"No, just my personal messages."

"Some of the Shivans have reported the Challenges you have posted in their zone to the news nets! It is the lead story on every network! The major Asian networks and affiliates are carrying it as continuous coverage! I would say the Shivans are doing everything they can to increase attention to this!"

"Well, we will finish having a nice breakfast." Tika nodded. "Then we will go there. I will show them something interesting enough to justify their attention."

"You know, I still cannot believe I am sitting here with all of you!" Slin stated in amazement. "I am eating breakfast with Sandor, honored High Elder, Leader of the Council of All Tiger People! It is like living in a movie!"

"But it is a nice feeling I think, my lover?" Pina teased, as the rest chuckled.

As Tika, Pina and Slin arrived at the tube platform beneath the trading post of the Lakeshore Zone of the Shiva Region, they were surprised to be greeted by Loral, in the company of three Elders of the Lakeshore Zone.

"Lo Loral!" Tika smiled in greeting. "What brings you here today?"

"Greetings Tika." he nodded respectfully, and smiled. "I present Mazor, Leader of the Council of the Lakeshore Zone. We work closely, as Leaders of the Councils of adjoining zones, and she is a friend of mine of many years. She has been nominated by the Councils of the Shiva Region to speak for their people today. Since events at our trading post last night went smoothly, she has asked me here to advise on dealing with the crowds and the media.

"Mazor, I present Tika, Leader of the Council of The White Elves, and their Champion."

"Tika." Mazor nodded, her voice and expression neutral.

"Mazor." Tika returned, imitating the other's manner.

"I will not speak to you of what you will attempt to do here today until we are before my people." Mazor announced as she turned and led the way up the stairs to the trading post.

"Ah. Perhaps you could tell me why you have gathered the attention of the news nets?" Tika asked as they followed.

"My people will not walk away from this empty handed, whatever the outcome." Mazor assured her. "We are using your notoriety to draw the eyes of the world to us, and we are making vast fortunes granting interviews. Each of our fighters who draw blades with you today will be wealthy beyond their imaginings from the billions who view the recordings."

"Have all the Region's people gathered here, Honored Elder?" Pina asked politely.

"They have, to the last infant." Mazor nodded.

There were none waiting above who were not residents of the Region except the dense cluster of reporters on the trading post hillock pointing their recorders. Tika could also see the large lenses and parabolic microphones of many recorders placed in the trees that surrounded the clearing, and far above them hovered dozens of flyers emblazoned with the colorful logos of the news nets, recording aerial views.

The Shivans were gathered around a circle of open ground only twenty feet wide before the door of the trading post. They had carefully arranged themselves so that they were all as close as possible, packed tight together, those near the edge of the circle sitting as low as they could so that those behind could see. There were almost nine hundred of them, and every single one, from the eldest to infants, glared at Tika with fierce defiance.

Tika was un-nerved by their unified show of aggression for a moment, then Pina whispered to her.

"Be strong, my love. They will all fear you when the day is done."

Tika nodded, firming her resolve.

"Since you are issuing Challenges, it is your place to speak first." Mazor stated flatly.

Tika nodded, and stepped forward. "People of the Shiva Region, I feel it is my responsibility to do a great thing. I will bring a new kind of people to the world, a People of White Elves like me, whose achievements will benefit us all. Like all people, we have the right to live in a land where the customs are suited to us, and since we are new, we need a new land with new customs to achieve our potential. Though displacing the people of this Region is not a thing I would have chosen to do for its own sake, it fits my plans to do so, though I have no disrespect for any of you, and I am within my rights to do this. Therefore I have challenged each of you, with honor, for your territories.

"You have seen the territories I am offering, and you know they are of high quality. As you know, I am offering the choice of them to those of you who choose to submit without combat. Since I am far more dangerous than any of you, it would be both honorable and wise of you to do so.

"Among you there are one hundred and eighty-three elders who have dens in this Region, but who do not hold hunting territories since you are retired. As there are no elders among my people, and will not be for decades, I welcome you to stay. You will be expected to take part in our life and society, to share your wisdom and experience with our young, and to enjoy their love.

"I know that some of you will choose to fight for the honor of your zone, and of your region, despite my being more dangerous than you. I respect that, and I do not plan to be unnecessarily cruel in defeating you.

"I have challenged you in order, ranked by your fighting ability, beginning with the most dangerous. Let the first of those who will fight me come forth."

"Tika, you want to be new, yet you say you still wish to be of The Tiger People." Mazor said with some derision. "So, we are Tiger People, and we hold one territory, and we challenge for the best territory we can get. Things work themselves out, with the best fighters and hunters holding the best territories. It is unheard of and dishonorable for one of the Tiger People to challenge someone who is significantly less dangerous for their territory, since the more dangerous fighter would almost certainly win a territory that was significantly inferior to one they already held, or were capable of winning. Having no chance in a challenge for your territory by someone who is far more dangerous is not a hazard that Tiger People are expected to face in this life! Yet that is what you have done! You, who hold the status of Magnificent as a fighter, ranked tenth among all Tiger People and probably under-ranked at that, have even challenged those among us who are only Serious!

"We therefore demand that you abandon your dishonorable and foolish plan, and withdraw your challenges!"

"I will not." Tika firmly told her.

"In that case, we ask that you agree to give our fighters the first move, so that they will at least have some chance to defend their homes."

"I agree with your point that they should have a chance." Tika nodded. "I had already decided to give them the first two moves."

"Since we agree on that, will you give our two who are Excellent the first two moves, those who are Hazardous the first three moves, and those who are Serious the first four moves?" Mazor asked.

Tika considered that for a second, then nodded again. "I will."

"We have your word on that, concerning any challenge between you and the Tiger People of the Shiva Region?"

"You do." Tika said, a little irritated and suspicious that she had been asked for such clarification.

"All right then." Mazor nodded with a tight little smile. "Know this. We, the Tiger People of the Shiva Region of the Great Indian Forest, will not give up our homes to you! None of us will submit without combat! You know in your heart that we do not deserve this, as none of us has disrespected you or dishonored you in any way! You know that every wound you give us will be unfair in every way! And those of our fighters who happen to lose to you will not go to the med or seek treatment for their wounds, but will gather at the edge of the fighting circle, bleeding and moaning from the pain of the wounds you have given them so unjustly, where you can see and hear them clearly!"

"I see." Tika nodded as her face grew hard. "You know from the public inquiry in Houston that I have an artificial inhibition against hurting groups of people."

"So we saw from the recording, judging by the reaction you had when you spoke of it with great Leader MacSanchez." Mazor nodded. "Unless you had the dishonor necessary to fake that reaction while lying about it to the face of the Leader of All People, we think that when there are six of us standing here bleeding and moaning from the wounds you have given, you will be affected enough to diminish your fighting ability. Perhaps when there are thirty of us bleeding and moaning from the wounds you have given, or one hundred, or two hundred, you will not be able to fight effectively at all! Eventually it will affect you so much that you will lose, or withdraw your remaining challenges! If you withdraw them, those of us who have not fought yet will then challenge you for territory until you do lose! Even our children will challenge you, and we will see if you are cruel enough to wound them! One of us will defeat you, and that fighter will scar you until you are ugly, as punishment for your affront to us today! After you have healed from that, we will challenge you in sequence, using the same strategy, until we have won back every territory you have taken from us, no matter how long it takes!

"Now, you see that we will not allow your plan to work! Again, we demand that you give up your unjust and foolish methods! Admit that it is hubris and arrogance that drives you to this, for you are what you are because you have grown up as a child of the Tiger People! All your little White Elves will thrive from growing up on the territories their mothers now hold, among well-established Peoples with well-developed social systems! They will not thrive from growing up in a new, untested and unstable social system, so they do not need their own homeland, or their own customs! You are only eight years old, no one will hold it against you that you foolishly attempted this one horrible thing, if you stop it before it is too late! Withdraw your challenges now, and there will be peace between us from this day forward!"

Tika glared at her, the Hate blazing from her face. Mazor shifted her weight and almost stepped back from it before she controlled herself.

"I will have you know that while I was a child of the Tiger People, I was shunned and ridiculed for being different, though I never once treated anyone else with the slightest disrespect!" Tika growled. "I am what I am, not because I grew up as Tiger People, but because I had the incredible luck to be born to a loving mother who is Magnificent, and was twice incredibly lucky to become part of the Green Band, a group whose every individual member has more greatness that all the residents of this region combined! And, because I am a White Elf, and that is something you cannot fully understand!

"Furthermore, I will have you know that at this moment, I am the greatest trainer in the world! I am now the fight trainer for everyone else in the Green Band! Even my own trainer, the great Honored Elder Davdan, most Magnificent of the Magnificent, who by her record is obviously the greatest fighter who ever stepped into a tournament, whose training and love I treasure as much as that of Tira-Mother, has asked me to be her fight trainer, and I have improved her fighting far beyond what she could have achieved without my help!

"Jena is the greatest Adolescent hunter in the world, and Jela could be Grande Master Champion of Hunters within the year! Raz is now among the twenty best construction engineers alive, and Pina here among the best twenty cosmologists, though they are nine years old and both far ahead of their age group in fighting and hunting! Those four are still rapidly improving, and will continue to do so for a long time before they reach their potential! Yet they will tell you that I will surpass them at their own specialties within the year, and will most likely begin to train them in those areas as well!

"By the time the first of The White Elves are born, I will be the greatest trainer there is in every field of study! I will need to gather them in one place where it is normal to be a White Elf, so that I can train them myself!

"I will not change my plan, and I will take every territory in this region, today!"

She turned from Mazor then, and spoke directly to the crowd of fierce Tiger People, and a few of them faltered in their defiant poses or flinched away from the raw aggression blazing from her, and the murderous expression she directed at them.

"Now, you are right about one thing. If I had to wound every one of you and see you all bleeding and moaning together in a group only ten feet away, it would probably traumatize me for the rest of my life! Still, it would not stop me from doing what I had to do today, because I have another emotion that is unique to White Elves, and I can use it to temporarily over-ride anything else I am feeling!

"But, I will not have to do that! Since you are going to be stubborn about this, and are not reacting as I had anticipated, in return I will not treat you as I had planned! I will show you just what kind of greatness you are facing! Bare your blades, and I will fight you with no weapon, unarmed like you were children! And, I will still give you the first moves I have promised! I will defeat you all without injury, using submission holds, knockouts, and pain overload! And I will hurt you a lot, for though I am inhibited from wounding or injuring groups of people, I have no problem with causing you all a lot of temporary pain! I will not have to face a group of wounded Tiger People when I am done, I will see an uninjured group who have been humiliated! And that will be just fine!

"I will not be balked by such as you, nor will I be forced into anything dishonorable or evil! Today will see the end of the Shiva Region, and the establishment of the Region of The White Elves!

"Now step forward, Shanji, most dangerous of the Shivans, and fight or submit! I will waste no more time here!" And with that, she threw off her pack and knife belt at Pina's feet and took her stance, fists cocked, scanning the crowd, her whole body clenched and almost shivering with unspent energy.

Shanji stood at the edge of the circle, and drew his combat knife with a grin. "Even the Grande Champion could not withstand my attack for two moves while unarmed. I will cut you badly." he laughed as he settled his tall and lanky body into his stance.

"The Grande Champion could not, but I am not the Grande Champion yet." Tika growled, and turned to Mazor. "You will officiate! Begin it!"