by Reiter
“Find him!” Darvuros barked as he started to back away. “Find him! Kill him!”
“Just how many will Dungias have to fight in this challenge?!” SonBa yelled as he applied the tactics he had learned in the orbi-terms spent watching the many administrators and orators of his mother’s court debating law and principle. He made himself look authoritative and beyond the means of discourse. “What sort of trust are we to take from this?!
“You set the combatants for this challenge, and then you changed the definition of your own people after the challenge had commenced. Once again this is a woe you have created for yourself!” Darvuros screamed against SonBa’s reasoning, and Bralgeer grunted before staggering into several of his fellow BroSohnti. By the time he reached the floor, his armour was gone and his frame had returned to simply gargantuan.
“Vi-Zai protect us!” SonBa whispered. Still screaming in fear, Darvuros turned to run as leathery wings formed on his back. “Dungias, the BroSohnti! Shape shifting is not an inherent ability! Darvuros has taken the power for himself and your man has been left weakened and dazed!”
“Is that true, Darvuros?” Dungias asked, dropping his stealth field as he landed on Darvuros’ back. The leader of the BroSohnti cried out again, and the moment physical contact was made, the young Malgovi knew why.
Images from his youth revisited his mind’s eye, only the images were not from his perspective. Once again he was outside the Iro-Barrier of TehShagu, riding his Vu-Prin’s slide-sled, but this time he was being watched – he was looking through the eyes of the Grenbi. Suddenly, everything was clear to the Traveler, the last piece of his own puzzle had been received. Dungias swung the pole arm around Darvuros’ head, catching the opposite end and pulling it back across the man’s neck.
“More!” Dungias demanded and Alpha started to glow. Darvuros yelled as his eyes turned white and Dungias’ flared with a golden light. “Give me more!”
Darvuros took hold of the instrument being used to choke him. BroSohnti were generally stronger than Malgovi, but this vermisar had leverage and he was no ordinary Malgovi! Darvuros knew his strength could not be considered especial among his kind. It was barely the norm. But he could at least breathe, which meant he could think… and the rocky ceiling was closer to him than the floor. He flapped his wings to gain height. Perhaps there was a chance to scrape the worm from his body.
“You have seen much, Stone King,” Dungias hissed at Darvuros. “It is unfortunate you still have no concept of the speed of thought!”
There was another exchange and Dungias came to see the experiences of the BroSohnti. It would take more time for him to sample each incident, but the entirety of the images gave Dungias all that he needed.
“This is not a challenge of any cultural meaning or bearing!” Dungias concluded. “This is a manipulation! They fear me, so I must be eliminated somehow!
“Oh, my mighty King, you have so much yet to learn!” Dungias back-rolled away from Darvuros and allowed his body to drop to the ground, setting his sights on his challenge opponent. “And it would seem that Bralgeer is your sacrifice!”
Resting on one knee, Bralgeer looked up at the descending Malgovi and growled, but there was little force or frightful might behind the sound. His eyes became solid white, but only for a brief moment. He forced himself to stand and lifted his arms to receive Dungias.
“For the Vin-Mal!” Dungias yelled, tucking his chin to his chest and somersaulting. His feet collided with Bralgeer’s chest and the two of them fell to the floor… through the floor! Several of the BroSohnti shouted in fear as they backed away from the site of Bralgeer’s disappearance.
“No!” Darvuros cried as he put his feet to ground. “This cannot be!”
“Despite the time you have spent in our company,” Dungias said as he slowly came up through the stone floor. “… you do not yet seem to have our grasp of reality. Your man is in the mountain. The moment I broke contact with him, he materialized in the stone and died. You are of course welcome to continue this challenge, provided you can get one of your sacrificial fools to replace Bralgeer. There is plenty of stone about… perhaps I can refortify the mountain with BroSohnti blood!” Dungias looked around the room as he made his way over to SonBa who stood with folded arms and suppressed pride. “No takers? Then I would presume I am given the victory. That might mean that our… trust can begin, but you will forgive me if I do not assume such things. I will hear you say it or we shall return to the scenario where I give the order to fire on this mountain… after I have liberated the Prince and myself, of course. I really must thank you for making a hole in the ceiling, giving us a means of escape and rendering the Palace’s defenses inoperable. Before that measure I could not have made it through this floor. The past, however, is the past, and I will hear your words of a promised peace or I will witness the end of the BroSohnti!
“Speak!” Dungias demanded and the power of his voice even made SonBa jump.
“You have won, Traveler,” Darvuros said softly and slowly. “The trust you sought you have earned.”
“Are you a threat to my people?!” Dungias pressed.
“The war of the BroSohnti and the Mal-Vin… is no more!”
“Then there is no need for my army,” Dungias said in a relaxed voice as his shoulders dropped. “… and I relinquish my authority back to my Queen!”
A score of Royal Guard appeared, surrounding Dungias and SonBa. Their weapons were drawn, but they made no advance toward the BroSohnti. Inside the ring of the Royal Guardsmen, a ring of Mal-Vin soldiers appeared, led by Voko. A flame inside Dungias flared to life at the sight of him. Looking quite official, the Team Lead allowed himself a smile as he looked at the Traveler.
“Exemplar!” Voko called out.
“Here, sir!” a familiar low voice replied directly behind Dungias. He chuckled at the fact that Guyn had made yet another silent approach. “Thought I taught you better than that!” he whispered. Dungias broke all protocol and turned to embrace the muscle-bound Malgovi.
“Master,” he sighed and the Exemplar chuckled. He took hold of Dungias before gently easing him back so that he could look the young Traveler in the eye. He was not surprised to see so little of the youth he had trained.
“If I accept you calling me that, you must accept this.” Guyn lifted his right fist over his head. “Starfire, do we or do we not have a Master among us?!” Each member of the Mal-Vin deployment turned on their heels and saluted Dungias. All but two had their heads down and after eye contact was made with Onkorro and Kynsada, their heads too were lowered. Dungias looked back at Guyn who still held his fist over his head. He put it to his forehead, then his lips and then cradled it with his left hand, putting them both to his heart. “The truth is the truth!” he said. “This one, like all the others, is worth fighting for!” Dungias smiled and bowed to his trainer and friend. Voko then declared the area safe and a third group teleported to the chamber.
“Her Majesty!” Voko cried and the guard, the Mal-Vin, the First Prince and the Traveler dropped to their knees. BaKedia was dressed in battle armour and carried a stylized Power Lance which hummed, as it was at full capacity. Only the cape down her back could have been considered of dress formality.
“A moment, good Stone King,” BaKedia said to Darvuros before turning to walk toward her champions. “I must speak with my Vu-Khani. Rise, children. Rise, you all!” As everyone stood up, BaKedia and SonBa embraced. SonBa started to speak, but BaKedia touched her fingertips to his lips and shook her head ‘no’. “A good deal must be said, and very soon, just not now.
“Embrace me, child,” she smiled at Dungias who took to her command.
“Forgive me, great lady!” Dungias whispered just before the two parted.
“For what transgression, Master Traveler?” she asked.
Dungias stammered at the title the Queen had given him, but thought it better not to argue the point at the given moment. “My actions have taken the Light from us.”
&
nbsp; “And thusly, we are all shay-spawn?” she asked. “Because that would be… obviously… a fate worse than death!” There were many who chuckled as Dungias lowered his eyes. “Take my helmet, if you please, Master Traveler.” Dungias reached up and lifted the helmet away from BaKedia’s head. There were murmurs and gasps as the crystalline locks remained about her head and glowed more brightly than usual. As Dungias’ eyes flared with wonder, hers did so with iro-forms.
“As you might have deduced, I was not entrusted with the knowledge of the existence of the Savanté,” BaKedia explained. “It was passed from my Vu-Zai, to two of my advisors, and to my Vi-Khan. But I have come to know why it was so important to my Vu-Zai that I practice my arts and hone my abilities. While it might have been the plight of the BroSohnti to deliver me to the ability of casting the iro-forms, what I have become cannot be diminished simply because the gate I entered through has been closed. It is my belief that there will be many who will maintain their power, but the number of iro-formers will be drastically cut and that, I think, is not so bad a thing as you might believe, Master Traveler.
“In emulating the Guardians of the Void, we forgot to trek our Inner Star. It took a Star Chaser to show us the way of the Mal-Vin, our people. You have our gratitude, Z’Gunok Tel Dungias, and there will be much more to discuss, but this not the time or place. I am returned to my authority by your grace, and I must see to my kingdom.” With that, BaKedia squatted and bowed forward. Dungias gently placed her helmet back on her head and when she stood, they smiled at each other.
“Prince SonBa,” BaKedia said in an elevated voice. Her Vu-Khan bowed to her. “You are heir to my throne and keeper of the heart and hopes of the Mal-Vin. Attend Dungias, and see him to his home. He has earned a hero’s respite!”
Dungias said nothing. He turned when SonBa turned and they walked away from the group. Voko said nothing. His eyes were enough. Guyn, Onkorro and Kynsada broke formation and served as escort to the First Prince and the Master Traveler.
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
Helen Keller
“Will you ever stop smiling?” Kynsada asked and the laughter Dungias had been holding back burst free. He pushed against her shoulder and shook his head.
“I doubt it,” Dungias laughed. “This is a feeling quite new to me. I’m not sure, but I think I like it.”
“Did he say I’m?” Onkorro barked. “Informal speech?! From you?!” Onkorro jumped from his perch on the wall to the floor and cupped his mouth. “Help! Help! Do we have a Medical Officer on board?! This man’s sick! I swear, it might be fatal!” The lot of them laughed as Onkorro took hold of Dungias’ head and held it against his chest, feigning both fear and tenderness. The young Traveler pushed his gun-master trainer away, but continued to laugh. It was then that he noticed he was still wearing his makeshift bracers. He looked at them and decided to leave them on.
“At least until you make better ones, right?” SonBa asked.
“At least,” Dungias smiled before his thoughts turned reflective. SonBa more than recognized the change in perspective and took hold of Dungias’ shoulder, giving it a shake.
“Time enough for that once we’re away!” he shouted. “This is a time to celebrate!”
“You mean prepare,” Dungias replied.
“Prepare for what?” Onkorro asked, and the Traveler realized he had the attention of everyone.
“For the things to come,” Dungias answered. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m elated… relieved… and for once in my life, I’m truly happy just being me. But that doesn’t change reality.”
“Which reality?” Kynsada inserted herself. “The one where you monitor yourself so much that you speak without contractions of any sort? Or the one where you think you have to control everything about yourself to the point of not being yourself?” Guyn and SonBa looked heavily upon Dungias, trying to gauge how he would receive Kynsada’s words. Having heard them aloud, the female Vinthur wished she had not spoken in such a manner.
“Present the people with a kraythe,” Dungias started, casting his eyes and smile upon Kynsada. “Only the fools complain when they are cut!”
“So you’re a weapon!” Kynsada remarked.
“As much as anyone,” Dungias replied. “We all start off as products of the decisions and choices of others. My parents chose to keep me in the fashion they did. My Vi-Prin chose to store her secret knowledge in my head. My people decided I was less than worthy. All of these had their effect… and they left me with decisions to make. I could have fought with my family; I chose to remain silent, distant yet always ready to serve in some capacity.”
“Why would you do that?” Kynsada asked, taking a knee in front of Dungias.
“Because being overlooked takes time to develop,” Dungias stated. “I am among the larger of the Malgovi and I’ve been that way for quite some time. I found that with the application of a bowed head and the mode of speech that stirred you, I could become virtually invisible. My teachers and fellow students would forget I was supposed to be part of the class. So when I was gone, they didn’t notice.”
“And where did you go?”
“The laboratory and the library,” Dungias smiled brightly. “… always one of the two, but never the same ones. In my lyceum, the Science Department had its own lab and library, as did the Aesthetic Arts. I toured them all… read them all... that is where I found him.”
“Who?” SonBa asked.
“The Dungias I would become,” the young Traveler stated, still looking at Kynsada. “And before you say that it’s a false face, it is one I created and choose to wear. Much like you taught me: make a list! I did, long before I met you, my beautiful Kynsada. So I don’t think I have to control everything about myself. I know that I do – as far as anyone can control anything. I set out to control me.
“Now of course, with any construct, there are bound to be flaws,” Dungias stated, instantly showered with statements of disbelief and denial before things turned to laughter again. “So the reality that awaits me is the one I created. For every stimulus, there must be a response. Not every one of our people will appreciate what I’ve done. I’ve made some very powerful enemies rather quickly. They are coming. I would like for them to take as much time as possible, but they are coming!”
Guyn moved quickly to make the most of the moment of silence Dungias’ words had made. “Then let me be the first to tell you that I am glad we don’t need to have that discussion. You have certainly found your stride, Dungias.”
“What is that?” Dungias thought as he felt iro-form generation around him, and quite a bit more than the suits could produce. He turned to face the rear of the transport and noticed that everyone was moving much slower than they should have been. Forming in the middle of the corridor was an image of Borsidia. She was transparent, but she held a very solid object in her hand; a large, black cube. The walls of the transport flashed white and Dungias knew he had been, once more, pulled into a different reality. This one seemed to be where time had been frozen. However, Borsidia was not present, merely her image.
“Traveler, it has been one of your s’tonki since you left us in the Astral Universe. What I am about to do may change the course of your life, as you have changed the course of mine. Within this cube are all the secrets I have mastered concerning the construction of living machines. You will also find a few facts about how things are truly done here. While Kiaplyx didn’t know what to do with what you taught him, he learned how to love. It was this unrequited love that drove him to… less than savory means. A sad end, to be sure, but I keep coming back to one of your comments meant to anger my creation. It was a manipulation on your part, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t accurate. You said that part of the reason his development had gone afoul was because of the environment in which he had develo
ped. Let us test that hypothesis, you and I. Let us see what sort of environment you will develop. Do right what I did wrong, Dungias… and I wish you well!”
Dungias did not waste words on an image that could not hear him, but he did take hold of the large cube which faded from sight the moment he touched it.
“It is now in a pocket dimension that only Alpha can access,” Borsidia explained. “Trek Well!”
“Master Traveler,” the pilot of the transport called out. Dungias looked around for Nugar before he remembered what the Queen had done. “We’re receiving a scanning wave originating from the coordinates you gave me.”
“You should… not be,” Dungias said, caught in between confusion, thought and realization. “Go to flank speed!” he ordered, drawing his Osamu.
Prince SonBa was impressed by the way everyone seemed to move quickly without colliding with one another. He expected as much from Mal-Vin, but Dungias moved with them in perfect harmony. Looking at his right hand, SonBa tried something he had not dared since leaving the chamber of the ancients. He focused his will, and electricity arced between his fingers. It did not take any greater effort than it had before this star-term, and the words his Vi-Zai had spoken rang in his ears. His talent for manipulating iro-forms had been made all his own.
“Master,” Dungias called into his PC. “Master, are you receiving me?”
“Hello, Dungias!” an all-too-familiar synthesized voice responded.
“Kiaplyx!”
“You are alive, obviously. This recording could have only been triggered by your approaching bio-signature.”
“Do we have any atmospheric suits aboard?” Dungias asked, already thinking of the possible scenarios the damned machine might have initiated.
“This is a Mal-Vin transport, kommis,” Guyn replied. “You’ve got ten of them right behind you.”
