by Cara Violet
Kaianan, after Abigail finished dressing her, made her way back to her room. She refused to look at herself in the mirror, instead she went to the bathroom to take off some of the make-up on her eyes and strap some blades to the inside of her legs.
In the bathroom, she looked down at the book Felrin Dominance: A Study, and frowned. She picked it up and glanced at all the pages that had bookmarks poking out. Why had they been marked? Why was she researching about the galactic governance? Did Xandou give her the book?
She opened up a page, the last page that was marked. It was about the Felrin system. Three topics were listed, Felrin: The Greatest Evolution, Rawl: The Unknown Destruction, and the last one, that was circled: Sheroon: A Missing Species. Someone had written something alongside it, but it wasn’t her handwriting. It read: This is of importance to you. Remember the teaching.
Who’s handwriting was this? She turned to the Sheroon: A Missing Species page and started reading half way down the page:
Those preforms that had travelled to the Felrin system had a choice of three habitable planets. It was unfortunate those on Sheroon, whom the Felrin Congress had not been allowed to have contact with, died in an unknown plague. The world, including its Conductor have been quarantined and is off limits to all other species.
Kaianan stopped and breathed out. Sheroon? She’d never heard of it before. With the dizziness that was coming and going, she was certain her brain couldn’t think straight at all. Then the book dropped from her hands, and she had to shuffle to her Stav and collapse on it. She let out a long exhale.
“M’lady?”
“What is it!?” Kaianan snapped so loudly she hadn’t realised how angry she was. “I’m sorry Seran, I’m just feeling sightly off.”
“That is fine, Your Highness.” Seran bowed, “General Tafen will be introducing you soon. You need to be at the top of the stairs shortly.”
“I will be, thank-you, Seran.” Kaianan heard the door shut as she stared at the ceiling. Nothingness filled her. Confusion was wedged in her brain. Whatever was going on with her, she was sure would fade as soon as she got to the stairs. It was okay to feel nervous on your night of transformation—Archibel and Darayan had told her that. She exhaled and lifted herself up off her Stav; headed for the Guest Hall.
Kaianan peered her head around the corner and looked down to the Guest Hall below.
There were people everywhere; hundreds of guests. Loud voices and laughter were bouncing off the chandelier glass, Miry furniture and glitter gold walls. The preform Gorgon were wearing eccentric garments of various layered designs and colours. Females swanned in ruffled dresses of exaggerated size and extravagant patterns and colours, while males scrubbed up in neat black and green slacks and shirts—an honest attempt to mirror the majestic beauty of the fully formed Gorgon.
The music, a light raucous rhythm, was floating around from the Giliou pianist in the corner, tapping away at the black shiny piano forte.
At the entrance of the hall, her father, in standard dark green, Gorgon ceremonial robes, and her mother, in a huge, short sleeved gold sequence dress that spread two metres wide, greeted each guest as they arrived.
Amongst the Gorgon, Kaianan noticed Xandou standing wearily beside the fireplace. He fidgeted in his teal and azure robes and readjusted the scabbard hanging on his side, fake smiling at guests who strolled past to greet him.
Could she do this right now? Could she tolerate everyone staring at her during this whole thing. And what was going to happen when she did transform? Did they expect her to run this period of enlightenment? What if she couldn’t, could she go back to school? —too late.
“Princess Kaianan!” The Gorgon General, Tafen, who looked like a round Jugwugbugy in tight armour, with a chubby red face, pointy nose and mop of black curly hair, pointed toward Kaianan.
She moved back behind the wall. Tafen nodded to her as he stood at the top of the stairs with all eyes on him.
Kaianan took a huge breath in, and with one big step, clutched onto the black balcony handrails and slowly made her way down.
People were whispering and gasping. But what at?
It wasn’t until she looked to the Wall of Many Mirrors that she could see what they saw. A woman in a deep green, floor-length, silk dress with a strapless bodice shapely around her upper body. The dress formed into layered ruffles down the side of her left leg. Her glossy brown hair was pulled back to one side and her skin sparkled in the crystal chandelier light. She smiled so brightly back at Kaianan; she didn’t even recognise herself.
She smiled on the inside. With graceful movement, she proceeded down the white steps and finally began greeting the guests that sought to meet her. There were so many.
So many people expecting so much of her. Could she really do this? The question kept ticking away until—
“Princess,” she felt her hand grabbed as Xandou had his eyes on her. “you look …” his face went funny and Kaianan raised her eyebrow at his silence.
“Xandou, where is Princess Chituma?” Kaianan asked sharply, releasing his hand and searching the crowd.
“Can we dance?”
Kaianan inhaled. What did he just ask? Xandou hated social events, didn’t he? She took an uncertain gaze to him. “Am I here to enjoy myself or go through my transformation?”
“I just …” Xandou began, “… just one dance.”
She took one second, looked around the room and thought the holom with it. “Very well, just one.”
He immediately clutched onto her, with a hand around her waist he took her to the dance floor. Under the chandelier light there were several other couples dancing. He flung her out and they travelled round the small area, twirling and spinning to the rhythm of the music.
Beside them, two dancing Jugwugbugy were waving at her. The Jugwugbugy from Fewdeter were the cutest creatures Kaianan had ever seen. Short, round ball bodies, with tiny legs and arms; pale purple skin and no separated head; their blue eyes, ears and nose, were all protruding from their round little bodies; and these two Jugwugbugy’s danced together looking like two berries that had been unintentionally squished together.
Because Fewdeter was a gassy planet, a safe, flighty planet of cloud cities, and the preform that habituated the planet had physically transformed to enjoy this ecosystem, it was said living on Fewdeter was a reality-stripping dream and a lot of species wanted to venture there for retirement.
The place, after long enough, literally stripped you of having preform cognition. Kaianan remembered Xandou saying it was ridiculous to want to give up your mind simply to drop your intelligence and fly about in a cloud city. Kaianan regarded it as somewhat fun for the retired minions.
Kaianan smiled back at them, and then laughing as they blew her kisses, Xandou spun her around again.
“Happy birthday, malady,” he whispered in her ear during a slower tune. “I honestly hope you have had a good day and everything goes well tonight.” She smiled against his cheek. “How are you feeling?”
It was a question that had thrown her. After sitting with Chituma for half the day, she still felt faint.
“I feel … strange, Xandou …” she admitted, “… there are things I can’t seem to remember. I woke up in Chituma’s room confused. I mean I’ve been researching the Felrin and I don’t even know why.”
She felt him stiffen. “You have a lot on Kaianan, you’re physically changing tonight and as the Rivalex Mark we have been expecting the period of enlightenment to begin when this happens … it’s a lot for you to take in,” she remained quiet, “… are you well at least?”
She nodded. “I’ve had this Rivalex Mark my whole life, Xandou. I’m ready for anything.”
“I will always be here to protect you … you can always rely on me.”
Kaianan had stopped dancing. “Is that Chituma, and who is that?” She shrugged Xandou off of her and headed in the direction of her sister.
“My lady, she is meeting your second Guardian.” Xandou caugh
t up.
“My second Guardian?” she said surprised. “So it wasn’t a tell-tale? She was being truthful? Why such great need for my protection, Xandou?”
He scanned the room, a foot above her. “Princess, tonight we enter the period of enlightenment. It is imperative we get through tonight and you make the change in transformation. The prophecy may be triggered and you need all the protection you can get.” He kneaded the back of his neck with his fingers, and exhaled nosily.
Kaianan stood there in perplexity assessing him. What the holom was wrong with him? Was he anxious right now? No way—this devoted man never got nervous. Never.
“Are you okay, Xandou?”
“I’m fine.” He repeated hollowly.
“Fine, I need to speak with Chituma and whomever this new guardian is, if you’ll excuse me.” Kaianan, turning on her heel, hurriedly paced off in her sister’s direction. Then she felt pressure on her arm and was spun around, only to face Xandou again.
“M’lady,” he said firmly. “I will be the introductory body when you meet the new guardian. Please do not rush.”
She looked down at his hand grasping her elbow. “Xandou,” she whispered, with as much control as she could muster, “release me now. I do as I see fit; you do as my parents see fit. Now run along and safeguard me from afar,” she said, yanking her arm from him, an unforgiving glare rigid across her face.
“Yes, Your Highness.” He said, retreating to the corner of the Guest Hall.
Kaianan sighed, watching his blonde mane flutter about in his stride. She didn’t understand him. Xandou had always been so arrestingly popular with the ladies, but Kaianan never took to him. His charismatic appeal was constantly discussed in Layos; a bachelor of twenty-five, he was fair game for any Gorgon or Giliou, yet he would smother her in protection and overwhelming adoration.
At times, she felt like she was drowning in it. Could she not greet one person on her own?
“Prinzes, before I depart …” A soft voice beckoned from behind her.
A soft touch grazed the skin on her arm like an electric shock. “Ow,” Kaianan said and whirled around to witness the most beautiful creature she had ever seen radiating like a glowing white aura of orchestral harmony in front of her.
“Prinzes Kaianan?” The woman with faultless porcelain skin and miraculously vast white and grey freckled feathered wings—which elegantly spread from behind her body like a peacock—addressed her again. Kaianan took in her sparkling diamond dress. She moved her intrigue to the woman’s face. White and grey floated around in those pupils and her magnificent snowy mane of hair accumulated around her petite frame. She had never seen or met a Harpy before but she was intoxicated by her very presence.
“Prinzes …” Her voice sounded once more, a different unusual accent, breaking Kaianan’s trance.
“My apologies. I’m Kaianan,” she gestured. “It is such a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’m Narchisme, from Hilan, home of ze ‘arpies in the Hyravane system,” the Harpy greeted her so seductively Kaianan could only smile in return. “I must be departing. I ‘ave obligations back home. I am very ‘onoured to ‘ave been invited, and ter ‘ave finally met you. We all ‘ave such ‘igh ‘opes for you.” She smiled wryly, as if Kaianan would know exactly what she was talking about.
“I hope I can live up to them?” Kaianan said confusedly.
“That’s ze point zough’—you don’ ‘ave to do it alone,” she bowed with a grin. “Good luck.” And with that, Narchisme steered her enchanting figure out the Manor doors. Kaianan studied the Harpy’s gigantic wings in awe. What was it about her? She had to visit Hilan.
“Kaianan,” she heard Chituma shout behind her. “Ka,” Chituma bustled through the crowd along with another guest, careful to avoid bumping a serving boy offering salted Ebel bites to the guests. “Didn’t I tell you everyone would love the dress?” Chituma was grinning at her older sister.
Kaianan shook herself into alertness. “This rag is enjoying herself; I must say!”
Chituma burst out in a ridiculously loud chuckle, losing a mouthful of food. “Oh, Kaianan,” she said with watering eyes.
Kaianan grabbed her sister, who was still bent over. “It wasn’t that funny. Pull yourself together, woman.” She nudged her vision sideways to the tall, short-haired blonde girl who stood next to Chituma. Her blue eyes and rosy cheeks were quite the contrast to Kaianan’s own; her delicate soft features were what made her pretty, but the rings through her nose and upper lip gave her a malicious look, even in her neat azure Giliou Shielder attire.
“You’re my new Guardian?” Kaianan asked brusquely. The Giliou lowered her hand to her scabbard. Oh, calm down, Princess. “Forgive me, Giliou. I have had a long rag—I mean day.” For Holom’s sake. “Chituma, who is this young lady you are speaking to?”
Chituma, who was now coughing and choking, continued to cry tears of laughter.
“Ah, Chituma? Together … pull yourself together.” Kaianan said in a nasal voice plastered with a fake smile.
Chituma giggled nervously, “Kaianan, this is Metrix.” She held her stomach tight to regain her lost breath. Kaianan snorted freely, her sister’s introduction was as sloppy as her own.
“Hello, Princess Kaianan. I’m Giliou Metrix.” The blonde beauty bowed her head and lowered her knees slightly. “I am honoured to be your Guardian, and lucky to be working alongside Master Xandou.” Metrix gazed longingly towards Xandou.
“Pleased to meet you, Metrix,” Kaianan said in her formal voice.
“The pleasure is mine, Princess. I will be guarding you tonight. Good luck with your transformation.” She nodded and departed in the direction of Xandou.
“It is a pity Darayan and Archibel couldn’t make it, you would think they would have returned for your transformation ...” Chituma kept chatting away about the guests, the food and holom knows what, but Kaianan hadn’t processed any of it. Instead, she felt her skin crawl. She was staring at Metrix grabbing Xandou on the arm and laughing at his stern look. This was highly inappropriate. Who was this girl?
“Chituma, how old is she?” Kaianan kept her attention on Metrix flirting casually with Xandou.
“She’s only just turned eighteen,” Chituma said, laughing, and not realising her sister’s face had dropped.
“And she is a Giliou Shielder? What am I missing here, Chituma? It doesn’t seem right.”
“Well, word has it she is in line to be the next queen of Forsda alongside a new king. They are looking for a stronger governance. The rumours of Xandou returning home to Forsda, to become this king have increased, Ka. Once Queen Maya Atronix steps down, they want him to marry Metrix and rule Forsda. Imagine, Xandou, a king, when he serves us still,” Chituma declared with pride.
Kaianan could not hear the rest of her sister’s gossip, she had attention only for her two Guardian protectors who seemed to be getting along better than their professional relationship required. Fury seemed to twitch in her eye. She didn’t know what possessed her but she’d left Chituma. She was storming toward them, then her hands were in the air and her anger was at her fingertips. She shoved Xandou with all her might, right in the chest.
“LIAR!” She yelled, as he fell into the guests around him. A few people stood back, most stopped chatting. Kaianan didn’t know why she was so angry; didn’t know why she’d pushed him so hard.
“What is wrong with you?” Metrix said, but Kaianan ignored her. Xandou had found his feet and in a swift movement latched onto her arm so tightly, she was moaning.
“Let me go,” she whacked his hand away after he’d pulled her to the side and the guests began chatting again.
“Kaianan, what the holom was that for?”
“Are you marrying Metrix and becoming King of Forsda?”
As soon as he reacted, she knew it was the truth. Bitterly disappointed, she turned away from him. He grabbed her arm again.
“Don’t do that, Xandou.” She said rudely. “Speak your truth.
Can you?”
“Is this about me forgetting to get you a present this morning?”
“How dare you!? Get out of my sight. You’re a liar.”
And he did, with a wounded look, he let her go and walked away.
Kaianan did not know how to react, she’d ran upstairs to a small balcony off the corridor to regain her composure. Her chest rose and dropped in anxiety at what she’d heard and done. Was this her Xandou? The man who had been at her side since she started combat at three years of age, who had always picked her up when she fell, put her to sleep when no-one else was home, and took her in his arms every day and told her how much he cared about her and the worry she caused him on a daily basis.
The dizziness of the day’s events still polluted her thought process and she believed the only person she could trust was him. That had just changed.
Kaianan cursed under her breath. Her words lost in anger. She didn’t like how it consumed her. Her life was going to alter, she knew that, but was she ready to lose Xandou to his homeland after she did? And after today and her light-headedness, and her worry about her sister, she didn’t think she could handle it if anything else did change. But did she trust Xandou anymore? With uncertainty and confusion, she walked back to the Guest Hall and back to the ceremony for the transformation that would change her physical body.
She prayed her anxiety would hold together for a few hours longer.
Chapter Five: The Other Side of Rivalex
Across the southern border of Layos, the Arch Mage named Konrolic ventured south. Out past the segregated Swamp Lands, and past the grassland and Hunted Gorge, he headed home.
At the request of the Layos King and Queen, he had erased the young princess’s mind of her Liege, and it had a been a successful mission to say the least.
The Rivalex prophecy, which in the coming hours was said to set the period of enlightenment in motion when the Gorgon princess transformed, was just as important to the Necromancers as it was to the Gorgon. They had hated the Felrin governance since they intervened and killed the Defeated King a thousand years ago, and releasing the Holom galaxy, as the plaque stipulated, would upturn the whole universe. Hundreds of fiends, half-human, half-zombie Pernicious were flying around in zero Siliou waiting. Hungry to be released from the Galaxy that stripped them of life. Yes, Holom was waiting.
