THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

success.
    When Mathias noticed Callan’s face, he stumbled in his movements and held the spear across his chest. “Save that look for a croggle or the enemy. I have enough nightmares.”
    Callan gained control of his anger and wiped all expression from his face.
    Angling his head in a show of thanks, Mathias went on. “I meant no criticism of the Warrior House, but of the fact that none of our Houses work together. A sword arm alone will not save us. If we continue fighting the way we always have, we’ll eventually lose everything.”
    Callan agreed about the lack of cohesion between Houses, but he would kill the man who took Jornn’s life...if he ever got out of this Sphere. The moment Jornn’s soul had left his physical body, his brother’s spirit had spoken in Callan’s mind saying, “I’m sorry to leave you, brother. SEOH has murdered me and, as decreed by the treaty, he’s punished by the loss of his own son.  But there will be more. Do not let him win.” 
    SEOH may not have struck the blow with his hand, but he’d ordered the vicious killing. In one instant, Callan lost the equivalent of a limb and became the next in line to rule the Warrior House, except he wasn’t ruler material.
    But duty rarely took ability into account.
    Callan would fulfill his brother’s last command once he figured out how. “You’re right. If our Houses weren’t so competitive, secretive, and paranoid over protecting their powers they might communicate and know the treaty has been broken. As it is, the leaders of all seven Houses will not know that three MystiKs have been murdered by the TecKnati until our elders meet at the upcoming BIRG Con, expecting to indoctrinate new leaders and sign another worthless treaty. By that point, there may be no future generation to take the reins. What will our people do when they realize children from all Houses have gone missing? Will they figure out that the TecKnati have been capturing us? I tell you this as truth. The Warrior House will seek retribution, but will the other six make SEOH pay?”
    “I don’t know. SEOH has to be expecting retaliation at the BIRG Con. I have to hope our leaders would put aside their differences and unite the minute they realize genocide is under way and, at that point, turn on the TeKs.” Mathias paused, lowering his spear. “This could mean war.”
    “It should.”
    “But can we fight the TecKnati?”
    “United, I believe we could, but not when our leaders only meet once every five years at the BIRG Con. SEOH has had the luxury of time for planning.” Callan lifted his spear and gave a silent defensive order to Mathias to keep him training. Maybe when Mathias returned to his Governing House, he’d be able to show his elders that one could govern and protect at the same time.
    Mathias agreed, “We have proven the power of shared knowledge and communication to survive in this Sphere. There is no value in hoarding information if the price is our future.”  Mathias made a difficult maneuver that included a back flip. He landed decisively, grinning.
    “Well done.”  Callan could see a strong MystiK society if the Houses joined resources the way he, Mathias and other young MystiKs had done to survive this Sphere. But MystiKs didn’t question the status quo, content to believe they were safe as long as they stayed inside the ten secured cities, content with their own corner of power. And the TecKnati population appeared as easily misled.
    Both MystiKs and TecKnatis had lived in uneasy peace since the K’ryan Syndrome when an infection had wiped out ninety percent of civilization a hundred and six years ago. 
    But the peace would last no longer.
    Callan changed up the training. “Now without your hands.”
    Mathias balanced the spear on one arm and used his kinetic ability to roll the rod up his arm and dipped his head forward as it traveled across his shoulders. “Can you see the Warrior House ever being as forthcoming back home?”
    “Security has always called for a certain amount of autonomy and maintaining classified information.” Callan conceded the point though. “We have thick-headed seniors, too. The old ones have been in control for too long. They refuse to change the way things have always been done. Time for new blood, younger blood, but SEOH is wiping out our next generation before that can happen.”
    With a new hand signal from Callan, Mathias flipped the spear in the air, caught it and went into a series of attack