One Who Gets in Our Way
December 14
Morning rolled around as always. After a night of dreamless sleep, Wilhelmina slowly opened her eyes. She expected to hear the birds chirping again, but she didn’t hear anything.
Huh. Weird. That’s never happened before.
She looked around and saw Friedrich still asleep, but Ilyana was nowhere to be seen.
Now where did that girl run off to this time?
Before she could think of anything, she heard a distant rumbling, followed by the wood of the
ger quivering ever so slightly. It felt out of place in such a remote village, but for a city girl like Wilhelmina, it was something all too familiar.
Car engines. What are cars doing here? Takomaan doesn’t have cars. And what’s that whirring in the distance. Wait…helicopter blades? Frak, something’s up.
Ilyana ran into the room. “Ms. Wilhelmina! We need you at the square, now!”
“Be right there, dear!” Wilhelmina was already changing into her outfit.
Friedrich stirred awake. “What’s going on?”
“Ricky, stay out of this, it’s too dangerous!” Ilyana said.
“I think I’m the one who’s supposed to say that,” Wilhelmina said, “It goes without saying, Ilyana, but you’re staying here.”
“I want to see!” Ilyana pouted.
“I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous for a six-year-old.”
She ran for the exit, only to stop and look back. Enonon’s case still sat under her bed, right where she had left it.
Hmmmmm…
At the central square, most of the adult villagers, along with Izinchi, Gebhard, and Samir, had already gathered by the time she arrived. Two off-road recon cars* had drove up the road from the main entrance. Inside, Wilhelmina noticed a flash of blue-green: the familiar hue of Yavdian Army uniform. Each car had a driver, an officer riding shotgun, and a machine gunner manning a .50-caliber turret in the back.
Those turrets are big. Large magazines, long barrels. Emphasis on both intimidation and raw overwhelming firepower. Roman design and doctrine. Used to see them all the time on the news when Schröder launched his little adventure in Mexico. And again when they sent troops to “monitor” the protests that sprung up after we started bombing Tenochtitlan. Franz wanted to cut and run as soon as the troops came out, but I convinced him they wouldn’t shoot us. We were lucky it was 2003 and not 2033, or else Franz would’ve been right and we would’ve been very dead.
A gust of wind blew past Wilhelmina, briefly lifting her hair and tossing some dust on her glasses. She looked up and remembered the whirring she heard earlier.
Just as I thought, it’s coming from a helicopter. An old Siam-era Val. Named after the elder Frank’s codename. But instead of the usual Heer insignia, there’s the Yavdian Army symbol: the Yavdian national insignia—eight black dots set in a circle against a dark green background—with a lightning bolt crossing over a horse hoof inside the circle. I think that’s supposed to symbolize the dual Finnish and Mongol heritage of the nation. I don’t blame them for buying a reliable and easy to maintain model from the Reich, but could they have landed, you know, outside the village?
The helicopter landed, and several Yavdian soldiers jumped onto the ground, Roman assault rifles in their hands. They quickly spread out, forming a perimeter around the helicopter and cars. Once the area was secure, a large Finnish man climbed out.
This must be their commander, judging from the rank insignias on his uniform, the different color trim, his beret, and that sword he’s got at his side. Seriously, what kind of officer still carries swords these days? Guy looks to be the vain type. Mid-forties. Light beard, probably shaved to meet regulations. Mustache also shaved to meet regulations; nothing as silly as Dad’s. Narrow eyes, always darting across the crowd, looking for threats. Receding blond hair, some hints of gray at the edges. Puffs out his chest, like Han and Zhao always do. Not getting good vibes.
“Attention, villagers!” the commander announced over a loudspeaker. “I am Commander Otso Bielke of the Yavdian Army. We are here to restore order and continue resisting the invaders following the cowardly ceasefire. We were directed here by a distress call from a Yavdian battalion that took refuge here.”
The villagers murmured to each other.
Samir…did you send that message?
Wilhelmina looked at Samir, who looked alarmed but also shamed at the same time. He broke eye contact and looked at the ground, fists clenched.
“As has been done elsewhere in the greater Southern Ural region due to recent national instability, martial law will be declared in this area,” Otso said, “Under the obligations of martial law, I hereby order you to lend us peacekeeping forces any and all assistance, be it with funds, food, supplies, or housing, in the name of national order.”
The villagers again murmured to each other, now very confused. Noticing their reluctance, Otso adopted a harsher tone. “Failure to comply with these orders can and will be interpreted as high treason against the Yavdian nation. For acting in the interests of the Jerusalemite invaders, the punishment can include the death penalty.”
Now the villagers were panicking, shouting various things in both Finnish and Mongolian. Otso waved his hand at one of the car machine gunners, who fired off a quick burst of gunfire at a nearby wall. The villagers screamed briefly and then shut up, cowering behind walls and dropping to the ground.
What the hell?! What kind of commander are you, going around like this?
Samir stepped forward and saluted. “Uh, hello, Commander Bielke. Private Samir Tetchu, Yavdian Army 20th Infantry Division, 53rd Battalion, reporting. I was the one radioing for assistance a couple days ago. If I may ask, what is the point of such…heavy-handedness?”
Samir, thank you for at least trying, but I don’t think he’s going to listen.
“You dare question a superior officer?” Otso’s voice rose. “That is an insubordinate tone and attitude,
poika! Especially for a soldier under my command!”
“…your
command?!”
Otso nodded. “Yes, since the 20th Infantry Division has been wiped out, as you say, I am taking personal command of you and your men and reorganizing you into my own units. You are to carry out my orders immediately and without delay.”
“
Orders?!” Samir said.
“Yes, to requisition supplies and funds for the war effort.”
“I think there has been a misunderstanding.” Gebhard stepped forward and gestured at his tattered Roman uniform. “General Gebhard Remmele, Megas Domestikos of the loyalist Kaiserliche Heer. Military leader of the Roman government in exile.”
“Name’s Izinchi Ochimeca.” Izinchi strode forward behind Gebhard, nervously waving. “Senator for Lothian, Caledonia. I’m the
civilian leader of the Roman government in exile…which probably makes me the bloody Chancellor now.”
She stuck out her tongue at Gebhard, who rolled his eyes. But Otso wasn’t impressed. He shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.
“Yeah, and I’m the Autokrator. I don’t know what a Roman and a Mexican are doing in this village, but at best you are civilians like the others, and at worse you are Crusader spies.”
Izinchi’s jaw dropped. “Oi, yer bum’s oot the windae! Why the bloody hell would I, someone who barely escaped Bloody Tuesday and would be Genocide Target #1 should I be stupid enough to still be in Jerusalem, be
spying for them?!”
“I’m most certainly not a spy!” Gebhard said. “Don’t you know who I am? I was all over the news when I was in Russia!”
“Aye, me too! D’ye no ken?!”
“And on the extremely unlikely chance we both are actually spies, why the hell would we even be in the middle of nowhere, instead of somewhere like Yekaterinburg?!”
Otso shrugged. “Maybe because Yekaterinburg was nuked and you had nowhere else to hide? Changes nothing. You are still suspicious outliers. Private Tetchu, arrest these interlopers!”
Samir did a double-take. “Sir, don’t you think we’re being too hasty?”
“This is war, we don’t have time!” Otso said. “I will overlook this slight once, Private. I will not tolerate your insubordination again. Now execute my orders!”
This guy really wants things done ASAP. As if he always expected to get his way.
“The Yavdian Military Code of Conduct clearly states—” Samir began.
“We don’t have time to consult the Code! Yavdi is falling apart, and we need to spend our time getting supplies and fighting the enemy, not squabbling over the finer points of military theory!”
Some commander he is, throwing out the code of conduct as soon as it inconveniences him. This really isn’t going well. Samir, we’re going to need some of that “unjust authority” stuff you keep talking about.
Samir was losing patience. He crossed his arms and scoffed. “With all due respect,
sir, do you really think this is proper military conduct?”
He spat out the “sir” as if he was forced to.
Anytime now. Anytime…
“Enough talk! Arrest them!” Otso jabbed at Gebhard and Izinchi.
“Sir, this is wrong!” Samir protested.
Otso drew his pistol and pointed it at Samir’s head. “I decide what is right and what is wrong here. In the absence of the chain of command, I have to be ready to make the tough calls in the name of the nation. Your job is to just suck it up and obey my orders. Or do you want to see how I treat mutineers?”
Samir was done with pleasantries. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”
Otso cocked his pistol. “Is that insubordination? Mutiny, even? Maybe I should make an example of you.”
Goddamnit, you’re making this even worse.
Wilhelmina’s hand tightened around her waist. Samir stared down the barrel of Otso’s gun, not changing his expression.
“You’re a monster. If I’m to be an example, then let it be an example of how you’re no better than Jerusalem.”
I like your idealism, but you’re going to die!
Otso pulled the trigger, but the moment his finger had started to curl, Wilhelmina leapt into motion. In the time it took her to cover the distance, she fully unsheathed Enonon and slashed out with a
mittelhau strike, just as Sophie taught her. The strike intercepted the bullet and deflected it away from Samir, putting herself between both men. Samir and Otso both stared at her.
“What are you doing?!” Samir said.
“Saving your life,” Wilhelmina said, “Saw you had a little trouble.”
“I had everything under control!”
“No you didn’t.”
Wilhelmina turned to Otso. “As for you…I’ve got a lot to say.”
“Who are you?” Otso demanded.
Wilhelmina shrugged, and Enonon began glowing. “I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you.”
Otso casually waved his hand, and the car gunners opened fire. Wilhelmina instinctively grabbed Samir’s arm and jumped back several feet to protect him. A split second later, bullets raked the ground where they were just standing.
A close one. Should’ve seen that one coming, but all things considered, I wasn’t too slow.
Otso climbed back into the helicopter. “Men, attack that old woman!”
Wow, rude. I’m not that
old!
Two soldiers readied their guns. Wilhelmina took a deep breath. Concentrating, she brought her sword around to face the soldiers. Then she charged forward. Like a blur, she again closed the distance within seconds, and before they could even fire, she was already onto them. Enonon slashed through the barrel of left soldier’s gun without hitting his arms. Before the other soldier could react, she flicked her wrist, telekinetically moving his gun away from her just as it discharged harmlessly into the ground. His stance was thrown off by the sudden movement, exposing his body to attack. She could easily just stab him now.
No. I’m not going to start killing now. I didn’t do it in the bunker, and I didn’t do it for the other guy just now. This man looks just as young as Samir. He could just as easily have been Samir if he was assigned to the bunker. I don’t have any right to kill this man for following orders. Not like how Ivan Petrov left behind a fatherless son. I know this is a war, but I only want to kill those who really deserve it. Like Elias Anhorn.
Wilhelmina stabbed out at his gun using a
stechen attack. Once Enonon’s tip was embedded in the barrel, she pulled back, wrenching the neutralized gun out of his hands, after which she tossed it aside. The two disarmed soldiers stared at her for a few seconds, a shock and confusion crossing their young faces, before fleeing in abject terror. The rest of the soldiers aimed at her. She raised the sword to her shoulder in the
ochs stance.
“I’m only going to say this once,” Wilhelmina declared, “This village is under my protection. Leave, or face the righteous fury of Wilhelmina IV, Kaiserin of the Romans. Leave, and I won’t hurt you. Stay, and, well…I hope you leave.”
“Have you gone senile, old lady?” Otso said.
“I could ask the same about you,” Wilhelmina replied.
“Even taking into account your weird magic tricks, my men still outnumber you 20 to 1.”
Wilhelmina smiled. “Good. Then it’ll be a fair fight!”
I’m just bluffing, honestly, but what choice do I have?
“Wilhelmina—nae, Willie,” Izinchi said, “What the blazes are ye doing?”
Behind her, the 53rd Battalion and the village militia had finally arrived and readied their guns. But Wilhelmina held up her hand.
“No. I’ll handle this. You escort the villagers to a safe place.”
“You’ve only been training for a few days!” Gebhard said. “This is the Yavdian Army we’re talking about!”
“Is that supposed to mean anything?” Izinchi frowned.
“For the record, they’re little more than bandits wearing uniforms now,” Samir said, “Frankly, I’m ashamed to be in the same ‘army’ as these idiots. And I’m ashamed I waited as long as I did to say that.”
“Whatever, attack!” Otso said. “Shoot everyone!”
The soldiers opened fire.
“What part of ‘under my protection’ did you not understand?” Wilhelmina said.
She held out her left hand, and the bullets curved downward and struck the dirt before they hit anyone, buying time for the villagers to flee. Wilhelmina swung Enonon around like a lightsaber intercepting blaster fire, deflecting the bullets specifically targeting her into the ground or walls. It was almost like the mock lightsaber duels she was in at the college Starkrieg club. Back then, she really only got the hang of the basic
shii-cho form, which came in handy now, but she really wished she had practiced more of the
soresu form. No use dwelling on it now. Knowing she couldn’t just defend forever, she charged the enemy lines.
Okay, let’s try an oberhau.
She cut down with Enonon, slicing through a soldier’s gun, before delivering a kick to his stomach and tossing him several feet away.
Huh, didn’t know I could do that.
“Same here,” Sophie said.
Wilhelmina almost tripped. “Don’t surprise me like that! I’m a little busy here!”
“Well, this could be a good learning opportunity. I’m interested in your progress.”
“I’m busy fighting a bunch of people trying to slaughter this village while simultaneously not trying to kill them, and you consider this training?!”
“Hey, in my day, training consisted of fighting Bethune’s armies. And I actually killed my enemies. Nothing wrong with your approach, but it was easier my way.”
At least she understands why I’m doing this instead of going “back in my day” again. Oh wait, she still did.
“Can you please stop talking about the good old days? They weren’t exactly good.”
“Yeah, because it was hell for me. It was easier to kill, but I had to live with that after the battles ended.”
“Well, are you going to help me or not?!”
Sophie nodded. “I will. Remember what we went over. And by that, I mean watch your stance.”
Wilhelmina had been watching her stance the whole time. Instead of planting her feet and standing her ground, she stayed light and agile, at least as agile as she could be at her age. Within seconds, she had neutralized the guns of the soldiers in her immediate vicinity. She lowered her “flaming” Enonon. “I’m not crazy with rage because of your commander...this is just my normal everyday rage!”
Not really, but I might as well borrow some of Gunduz’s sayings to make things easier for me.
The disarmed soldiers fled in all directions. She let them run off. She had no quarrel with them. She turned to Otso, who remained in the bay of his helicopter. He looked completely baffled by what had just happened.
“Machine gunners!” he said. “Concentrate your fire on her!”
The machine gunners on the backs of the cars, as well as the one in the helicopter, all opened fire on her. With her sword lowered to the ground, she decided to try out an
unterhau and sliced upward, deflecting the first burst of bullets back to the car they came from. The gunner ducked behind his chair to avoid being hit, while his gun was destroyed.
So much for Roman engineering. That turret got torn up faster than I expected. Not that I’m complaining, but if we do win this war, I’m going to have to ask Gebhard to overhaul the quality of his troops’ guns.
Wilhelmina heard an engine revving and tires screeching against gravely dirt behind her. She figured the other car was trying to run her over from behind. She quickly spun around and slashed to the left with Enonon. A pulse of energy rippled out from Enonon in the path of her slash, slamming into the car from the right and flipping it over, missing her by several feet. The car loudly tumbled over several times before crashing into the first car. The drivers and gunners inside both looked a little beat up, but they were still alive. They got out and fled.
For a second, I thought they were actually dead, but fortunately they survived. Guess it all works out in the end.
“Come back, or I’ll have you shot for desertion!” Otso ordered.
But nobody answered him, aside from those still in the helicopter.
“That’s it! Pilot! Get us off the ground!”
The helicopter took off, and the gunner fired at her, although Wilhelmina again deflected the bullets.
“No, you idiot!” Otso said. “Stop shooting at her!”
“But sir!”
“We have other targets to hit! This town is full of traitors. Best root out the treason at the source! Find where the villagers are fleeing to and slaughter them!”
Okay, now you’re just full-on evil.
The helicopter flew off, indiscriminately shooting at anyone still in sight and pursuing the crowd of villagers trying to flee down the road into the forest. Wilhelmina tried hitting it, but it was already too far away, and she couldn’t run fast enough to catch up, even with her power.
Wait a minute, I still can
catch up!
She whistled loudly, and right on cue, Heidi ran up to her. Wilhelmina got on Heidi’s back.
Not going to question how you’re right where I need you to be right now. Thanks, Mom, for all of the lessons you gave me. They’re really paying off today.
“Alright, Heidi, let’s go!”
Heidi broke into a full gallop, pursuing the helicopter across the village. Her hair billowed behind her, accompanied by wisps of smoky energy from Enonon.
I’m kind of embarrassed, but I’ll handle that later. Wonder what the villagers would think of me right now. That I look silly while chasing that helicopter, or that I’m actually chasing a helicopter with a horse while armed with only a freaking sword? Like those samurai who died at Shizuoka. At least the paper said they got a cool battle cry.
The villagers were almost to the tree line, but with the helicopter flying as fast as it did, they wouldn’t make it in time. Wilhelmina and Heidi were almost there, but the helicopter was still out of reach. She realized she couldn’t hit the helicopter from the ground.
Think, Willie, think! I can’t let them win. I have to think of something soon! I can’t hit them from the ground, and I can’t reach them in time, so then what? Wait a minute…from the ground…
I may have an idea. Not sure if this’ll work, but I’ve got no choice.
Wilhelmina carefully got off the saddle and stood up, keeping her balance with a solid stance, just as she was taught.
“See?” Sophie said. “I told you stance training would come in handy.”
“Not now!”
Once she had gotten to her feet and stabilized herself, Wilhelmina faced the helicopter, took a deep breath…
One, two, three, now!
…and jumped. Like a Jedi jumping over a ravine or lava, she rose up into the air, soon reaching the helicopter’s elevation. Slowly spinning to gain momentum, she raised Enonon above her.
I hope this is close enough…also, I might as well say something for the record.
“Turn to scarlet!” Wilhelmina channeled Yukiko. “Fall with the petals!”
A bit silly; but whatever, I said it. Deal with it, haters and historians. If this ever gets out there, that is.
She slashed to her left, sending a massive energy wave slamming into the helicopter.
Critical hit!
The pilot struggled to regain control, but the vehicle rapidly spun around before falling to earth. It wasn’t high or fast enough to cause an explosion, but the helicopter crumpled and twisted up. Its main body tumbled through the meadow, trampling the grass, while the rotors tore off and embedded in the ground nearby; one rotor flew at the villagers, but Wilhelmina deflected it. She lightly touched down on the ground, suing her power to slow her fall. She slowly approached the downed helicopter. Otso climbed out and staggered to his feet. His uniform was tattered, its blue-green stained with red blood, brown dust, and black machine oil, and he was bleeding from his head.
“What…what are you?”
I know who I am now. I know what I must do.
“I am Kaiserin of the Romans,” Wilhelmina declared, “But despite that title, my duty is to protect people everywhere. As long as there is injustice in the world, I cannot rest. That is the Roman way. That is the Hohenzollern way.”
Otso suddenly drew his pistol and emptied his clip at Wilhelmina.
Really? Again?
Wilhelmina simply deflected all of the bullets. Then she snapped her fingers, and his gun flew out of his hands. She pointed Enonon at Otso.
Let’s see…Elincia had some choice words for people like you. Could sure use the wisdom of another deposed princess who gradually gains the courage and will to become a leader and take back her nation.
“I desire no battle with you. Withdraw your troops immediately and never come back. But if you continue fighting, I won’t hold back.”
Alyssa also said something very similar when negotiating with the cultists.
Otso simply drew his sword. It was a gleaming dark scimitar, of Mongol design. It wouldn’t look out of place on the steppes, but it looked out of place in his pale Finnish hands.
A scimitar…just like the one I saw in my dream…what does it mean?
“How about you surrender at once and give me what I want?” he demanded.
Wilhelmina shook her head. “No, I don’t think I will do that.”
“Why do you risk your life for just a random village in the middle of nowhere? Nobody here amounts to anything. All these peasants are good for is supplying food, weapons, and men for the war effort.”
“I’m risking my life to defend these villagers from people like you. It’s people like you who destroyed the old Reich, created the committee, drove me from my home, killed my husband, son, and many of my friends, and started this war. You may think with that uniform of yours you’re acting in the right, and this is necessary to fight Jerusalem, but you’re not fooling anyone. You’re nothing but bandits, taking what you want from innocent people who can’t fight back. You’re taking advantage of this war to line your own pockets and lord over people. I won’t stand for it. You’re just like Jerusalem. And Jerusalem is my enemy.”
She lowered Enonon to the ground, as if in surrender. Sensing an opening, Otso let out a fierce roar and ran straight at her, scimitar extended.
You fell for my trap card. Now, activate!
Quickly raising Enonon out of her
alber guard, she stopped Otso’s strike in its tracks, locking the two blades together.
Can’t stay here too long. Not that I can. He’s younger than me, and we both know he will prevail if I keep this up. But he thinks I’m going to keep struggling, when in reality, I won’t.
As soon as she felt Otso applying more pressure, she stopped pushing back. Not used to the sudden change in strength, Otso stumbled forward. Wilhelmina then snapped her fingers, and the scimitar flew out of his hands. It all took less than two seconds.
Keep your enemy in mind. Know their strengths and weaknesses, as well as your own. And make smart use of the tools you have. Thanks, Dad.
When it was all over, Wilhelmina sheathed Enonon and looked back at Otso, who fell to his knees. The villagers cheered and clapped, shouting words of praise and encouragement she barely understood.
There’s still one more thing I have to do.
“This is your last warning,” Wilhelmina said, “Leave immediately, and never come back.”
She opened her hand and conjured a plume of energy, almost like a little flame. Otso finally threw his hands up. “Okay, okay, fine! We’ll leave this place alone!”
Wilhelmina heard the sounds of horses neighing, and Gulichi, Samir, and others on the village militia rode up on their horses, holding Otso and his remaining soldiers at gunpoint. Gebhard and Izinchi rode up behind them with Samir’s 53rd Battalion. Gulichi picked up Otso’s scimitar.
“Wait, what are you two doing here?” Wilhelmina said.
“We couldn’t just stand by and let ye handle everything yerself,” Izinchi said.
“It was her idea, surprisingly,” Gebhard said, with a disapproving tone.
“What is the meaning of this, Private Tetchu?” Otso said. “Don’t tell me you’re taking orders from this foreigner!”
“I don’t think I made myself clear before.” Samir crossed his arms and spoke with a serious and deliberate tone. “I don’t take orders from a tyrant like you.”
“I’m going to bring this up with my superiors! You’ll be court-martialed!”
“You can’t court-martial me, because I’m resigning. And so is the rest of the 53rd Battalion. As the Yavdian Military Code of Conduct says, we are legally obligated to not follow any illegal orders, because our loyalty is to the people of Yavdi, not to any commander or government.”
“That’s desertion! That’s mutiny! I’ll have you all shot!”
“If you try that again, you’ll have to explain what you were doing in this village to begin with,” Gebhard said, “I don’t think your superiors, if they’re still alive, would accept your excuses as well as these villagers almost did.”
“What’s it to you, Roman? This isn’t your country!”
“So what?” Gebhard said. “We should just let you do whatever you want to your own people?”
Technically true. Under current international law, a country’s internal affairs is its own business. Including war crimes and atrocities. Now, I know military interventions might not work—looking at you, Schröder—but there are flaws in that system. If we win, I want to see if we can do something about it.
“The Yavdian Army is supposed to protect its people, not oppress them!” Izinchi said.
“You’re one to talk, Mexican! You don’t know the delicate political situation in Yavdi right now!”
“Yer havering!”
“Tayisung and Amur are dead! The State Great Khural surrendered like cowards! The country has no leaders! The Crusaders control the cities west of the Urals and the Chinese are marching to the Urals, but there’s only chaos everywhere in between! Somebody has to step up to restore order! Yavdi and its people need to be saved!”
Samir’s face was full of anger. He clenched his fist and punched Otso.
About time!
“I’d rather have no leaders at all than a tyrannical one who causes his own people to suffer!” he shouted. “At least without tyrants to hold them back, the people of Yavdi can find leaders they actually respect and trust!”
There’s the Samir I know.
“That’s enough, Samir,” Gulichi said, “We can take it from here.”
Otso and his men put up their hands. “Fine, we surrender. Do what you want.”
The militia and 53rd Battalion restrained the soldiers and led them away.
“Don’t think this is over!” Otso shouted. “Even if you send me back, someone else will come after you!”
“Then we’ll handle them,” Wilhelmina said.
“No, the militia will,” Gulichi said, “As soon as we deliver these guys to the nearest military base, we’ll be back to shore up the village’s defenses. You should focus on your trip.”
“We should stay and help. It’s the least we can do for you, after all you people have done. ”
Gulichi smiled. “Don’t worry about us. We may have been surprised this time, but not the next. We have the blood of the Saray and Mongols running through us. If anymore bandits come, we’ll drive them off. Your destiny lies elsewhere, Wilhelmina.”
My destiny…just like that dream said…
“But enough talk of destiny for now,” Samir said, “Let’s all get some
airag to celebrate!”
“Aye, let’s get some
airag!” Izinchi said.
Everyone cheered and headed back to the village. Wilhelmina walked over to where Heidi waited patiently, only she found Ilyana waiting there.
“Ilyana?” Wilhelmina said. “Aren’t you going to go with the other villagers?”
“I was watching you,” Ilyana said.
“It’s not safe out here. You could’ve been hurt, or worse.”
Ilyana shook her head. “I wanted to see you defend the village. I wanted to see you stop the bad guys.”
“You should’ve stayed with Friedrich and the villagers.”
“That bad guy you were talking to…what he said about stepping up…did you do that?”
Did she listen to the whole thing? What’s gotten into this girl?
“Not exactly. The bad guy was wrong. He was only using it as an excuse to be bad.”
“But what he said…it made sense, didn’t it? Someone has to step up.”
She just won’t stop, will she?
Wilhelmina put a hand on the little girl’s shoulder. “Well…a good person has to step up, I have to say. Otherwise plenty of bad people like him will.”
Ilyana thought for a moment. “I see…I wish I could be like you.”
“Why?”
“You’re so brave and strong. I wish I could do the same. I wish I could fight the people who killed Grandpa.”
Oh no. No, no, no, we are stopping this now!
Wilhelmina firmly put both hands on Ilyana’s shoulders.
“You don’t want to go down that path, Ilyana. You’re too young for that. Believe me, I’ve felt like that before. It doesn’t end well, not even when you get what you want, because it won’t satisfy you no matter what happens. And to kill someone…the act of murder is already bad enough, but it doesn’t give you an excuse to do it back. You’re only going to be just as bad as them. Taking a life is something you can never take back. Once you cross that line…there’s no turning back.”
Ilyana processed that. “I get it. I’m sorry, Ms. Wilhelmina.”
“Ilyana, promise me something. Promise me if it ever comes to it, you’ll be the good person stepping up. That you won’t be like that man.”
Ilyana nodded with determination. “I…I promise, Ms. Wilhelmina.”
---
* I’m not going to use the word “jeep” (that’s what I’m picturing with the cars here are) because its etymology is English-based and unclear enough that I don’t know what to replace it with in-universe.
