by Lexi Ander
When Mestor grabbed the Blue Ice decanter again, Father said, “I want you sober.” Mestor barely kept from showing his teeth.
He poured two fingers and pushed the glass to his father. “I can control myself,” he said through gritted teeth. He was not angry, he just…
His father grabbed Azaes, pushed him behind the bar with Mestor. Grasping them by the nape, he pulled until their foreheads were pressed to him. “I know you can, son, but you and Azaes have always been hyperaware of Zeus. I am not the only one to rage through the halls when he is harmed. There is nothing we can do to fix this emotional strife between Zeus and Rathmar. We can be there for them, lend them a hand, or be a comforting presence when asked.”
“I wish we had known,” Mestor confessed.
“Then we could have helped,” Azaes finished for Mestor.
“Then we could have been—”
“Rathmar’s friend.”
“And co-conspirator.
“Perhaps we could have—”
“Found proof of Timsah’s corruption sooner.”
“Saving Rathmar and his siblings from—”
“Living these last summers—”
“With that wastrel, bug-eyed—”
“Slimy slug,” they finished together.
Mestor had read his father’s logs with Azaes after they returned to Atlainticia. It had taken Rathmar a long time to regain his father’s trust and even then, Timsah’s faith only stretched so far. In those intervening summers, Rathmar had endured much at his father’s hand, shielding his young siblings from Timsah’s sudden bursts of wrath. Zeus had been blamed for everything including House Cordyl’s lack of growth in financial holdings and prestige. Valdor had documented every injury Rathmar received, and the idiot refused to press charges, claiming he was injured in some obscure way, tying Valdor’s hands.
The information of Timsah’s treachery had finally been uncovered while Mestor and Azaes were offworld. Rathmar’s siblings were taken to Meme’s family’s vineyard on the other side of the continent, and Rathmar disappeared into the desert. At the same time, Timsah decided to take his scheming to Haven. Meme and Ariafella tagged along under the pretense of keeping space-travelling Mar’Sani safe since everyone thought Zeus had been kidnapped by pirates.
“If anyone is at fault here, it is me,” Father murmured, voice heavy with regret. “I should have found another way, and since I did not, the burden lies with me. I apologize for not confiding in you two.”
They stood there for a moment, just taking comfort from each other. Hindsight was the spotlight that illuminated all the ways in which one failed. Mestor vowed he would be more circumspect in the future, ask more questions, prod what seemed evident to see if a hidden truth was revealed once things were turned over.
When Meme approached, she pressed her forehead to each of theirs, then bid them to join the others. Mestor poured her a glass of honey wine before delivering the tray of water and glasses to the various side tables, allowing people to pour their own drinks. Sohm’lan pulled Mestor down next to him, and he was pleased when Sohm’lan set a bag of candied grasshoppers in his lap.
Meme and Father sat on a sofa with Canry between them, an arrangement that allowed them to touch him. Since they had returned from Valespia, Mestor was used to seeing Canry several days a week, but their parents were not. His brother did not seem to mind the attention, giving them soft smiles. There was space at the end of the sofa for Azaes and Ariafella, but Azaes chose the loveseat closest to Mestor. Ariafella’s father, Tymon, perused the shelves of books.
“Please, have a seat,” Father bid, gesturing the strangers to another long sofa situated to allow them all to converse easily. “If you would introduce your friends, Whirlwind, I would appreciate it.”
One of the figures dropped the hood of their robe. Mestor remembered Zeus’s friend, a desert sage, though he had not been around since Zeus went offworld. His white scales always reminded Mestor of the revered Chimera, though if Whirlwind was a triplet he never said. Mestor squinted. Were Whirlwind’s eyes the same blue as Sohm’lan’s and Echo’s?
“We thank you for your hospitality, Emperor Valdor,” the desert sage rasped. “Do you remember Light Bringer, my sibling?” He gestured and the being pushed back their cowl. They had a shocking resemblance to Alpha’s son, Star Eater, with long red hair, pointed ears, upturned green eyes, and warm bronze skin. Though Light Bringer was more androgynous than Star Eater.
Father stood and bowed with a complicated flourish, but when Light Bringer returned it, there was a beautiful fluidity that made Father look gangly and oafish.
“It has been many summers, Emperor Valdor,” Light Bringer replied in a soft voice. “I am excited to carve birth beds for your future grandling.”
“The birth beds given to Zeus were exquisite,” Sohm’lan said, indicating the water tray. “Would you like something to drink?”
Light Bringer turned to Sohm’lan, their grin faltering. “Sohm’lan Myrmidon.” Mestor blinked in surprise. How did they know his amor? “I mourned the loss of your young and mate with you. I set his birth bed to float on the eternal waters. Your first mate and son will never be forgotten. Once this business with Nethus is over, please climb my peak and I will give you Matsya’s birth bed.”
Sohm’lan’s muscles trembled under Mestor’s hand and he blinked several times. Mestor leaned hard into his amor, reminding him that he was not alone.
“And you, Prince Mestor, I will see you when the two of you decide on a second youngling.” Light Bringer’s smile was secretive and filled with humor.
Mestor scowled.
Whirlwind coughed, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “This my other sibling, Wanderer. They came all the way from Valespia where they are the Patron of the Hidden City, Knossos, Caretaker of the Waters of Arcadia.”
Wanderer pushed their hood aside, revealing a headful of tentacles. Their elongated dark-gray face was flat except for a sharp beak that made Mestor think of kraken. Huge, black bottomless eyes surveyed the room. The cut of their robe fell back revealing they had many more tentacles instead of arms, hands, or legs.
Whirlwind waited as everyone murmured a greeting to Wanderer. “Lastly, this is one of my oldest nephews. You would know him as Pegasus the Explorer.”
The last being removed his hood and Mestor was glad he was sitting. Pegasus’ slightly elongated face had a strong hint of equine features, but not quite as pronounced as Canry’s mentor, Arion. White, glossy feathers covered his face and his hands only had three thick fingers. He clopped when he moved to the sofa, and Mestor spied hooves as the hem of the robe swayed.
He thought meeting Poseidon in the Dream had been surreal, life-altering even. But… he stared at the feathered face trying to see any hint of familiarity. Pegasus the Explorer was one of the main… no, just the most famous of the progenitors of the Mar’Sani people. Mestor’s family was a direct descendant of this male and yet he saw nothing of his people in Pegasus. How could they be so different?
Whirlwind glanced at the door and cocked his head. “We need to wait for the others to arrive.”
The room descended into an awkward silence. Mestor could see the invisible line between his family and the four beings. It was not said aloud, but three of them were Ancients, Ryo’Pardeep. Would Pegasus be a brother to Sohm’lan’s father? How many more like them were on Atlainticia?
Tymon broke the silence with a question that had not occurred to Mestor. “Whirlwind, you are one of the desert sages who teach young Chimera how to use their Three Form?”
“I am,” he replied warily.
Mestor dug into his bag of candy and stuffed his mouth full to keep from blurting the hundred questions on his tongue. Sohm’lan had older brothers who went to the desert and never returned home. Many Chimera did not, so it was not uncommon. Sohm’lan had never said as much but Mestor knew his amor longed to see his brothers again. Why did the Chimera choose to stay away from their families?
Being white-scaled did not mean that Whirlwind was a Chimera himself. Ariafella was also white-scaled, and she was not Chimera. He searched his memories trying to recall if she ever mentioned having siblings who died while younglings. He could not even remember what had happened to her meme.
“It seems to me,” Tymon continued, leaning back to rest on his thick tail, “that Atlainticians are quite unique in our diversity and innate talents. These Numina are essentially the same as we Mar’Sani, each of us adapting to our environments. But we Mar’Sani, we have the People of the Longing who are born on land but will eventually shape-shift to live only in the Waters of Poseidon. We also have our Chimera, our revered triplets, who can meld together into one terrifying being. Farseeing runs in six family lines, as does dreamwalking.” Tymon’s shrug was nonchalant, but his keen gaze missed nothing.
“I am a well-traveled ambassador, I have visited many planets, met many species, and the only species that I have had experience with that had as much diversity in abilities is the Aetherian from Hellion. I have always wondered how we could have so many differences in form and abilities. I have a feeling that we are going to find out today.” His smile was sharp and predatory.
How Whirlwind would have answered was lost when the door to the library opened and Zeus entered with Sohm’lan’s father, Echo, followed by Arion. Mestor never thought he would see Arion out of the water and walking because, well, he had a seahorse-like tail. But then Mestor had seen firsthand Echo’s mer-shape when he was in the pool. Could all Numina shift like that? Why could the Mar’Sani not do the same?
Zeus blocked the doorway when Rheax and Kaldor attempted to enter. They frowned at him. “I am fine now. After we are done here, I will meet with both of you about training.” Zeus sounded nasally.
“Prince Zeus, it is evident that emotionally-charged situations trigger your abilities.” Even though Rheax was short for a Chi-Lin, she was still taller than Zeus. She looked over his head into the room at the four robed figures. “I fear the day will hold many such emotional situations. You need us and the crystals to absorb the overflow of your energy until you learn control.”
“Can I just—” Zeus waved a pale hand at the bulging pouches at her waist. “Carry the rock myself?”
Kaldor scoffed but his expression was not cruel, just disbelieving. “That is not how the empty crystals work. Rheax and I filter the energy into the stones. They do not refill by themselves. Now, please allow us in. We cannot help you from the hallway. Anything said in our presence will go no further.”
Rheax nodded. “Emperor Valdor can vouch for me if need be.”
“Zeus,” Father said and his brother’s shoulders slumped.
When they passed by, Zeus quickly tried to close the door again, but a snout appeared in the opening above his head.
“No, Hok.” Zeus’s whisper was loud. “You do not need to be in here, too.”
Hok whimpered quite pathetically, Mestor thought. It was a pitiful sound for such a large being. “I have been kept from you for most of the day. How am I supposed to be there for you when you need me if I am stuck in the hallway? If you kept the door open though, I could sit right here.”
Another whimper slipped out, and Zeus sighed. “Fine but be careful. This room has not been set up for a Valuzial’s size.”
Mestor rose with Azaes, and they moved furniture out of Hok’s way, giving the Valuzial a clear path to the seating arrangement. Hok looked around the room, and his eyes narrowed upon seeing the robed figures. He wondered if all Valuzials were this suspicious and protective or if being abandoned for almost three decades by the very people they were hardwired to protect made them hyper-protective.
Mestor steered Zeus to the sofa where he and Sohm’lan sat and bid Zeus to sit before grabbing his bag of candy and giving it to his brother. He hated the redness to Zeus’s nose and his puffy, bloodshot eyes. Zeus murmured his thanks and grabbed a handful of grasshoppers before passing the bag back to Mestor. Hok settled behind the sofa, his head resting on the back next to Zeus’s head.
“Stop!” Zeus hissed, dodging away from Hok’s long tongue. “My face is already raw. Here.” He took half of his candy and offered it to Hok, who slurped them up.
Moments ago, Zeus had acted as if he did not need Hok, but he tilted his head and rested his temple against the side of Hok’s snout. Mestor ignored the sharp pain that his brother had not leaned against him instead. As if sensing Mestor’s sudden jealousness, Sohm’lan gripped his leg before draping his arm over Mestor’s shoulders and pulling him closer.
Zeus finally saw who exactly was in the room and grinned. “Whirlwind! I did not see you before, otherwise I would have greeted you sooner.” He hopped out of his seat and crossed to his friend, tilting his head up to press his forehead to Whirlwind’s.
The Ancient suddenly look much younger, as if just being around Zeus renewed a more playful side of himself. “I am sorry I did not come to the coast sooner. I am glad you are finally home.”
“Who is with you?” Zeus pulled away, and Whirlwind went through quick introductions.
Sohm’lan’s arm kept Mestor from getting to his feet when Zeus frowned at Light Bringer. “When you said we would see each other soon, I did not realize you meant only hours.”
Light Bringer’s grin was mischievous, their green eyes swirling. “I thought I would keep you company since you prefer Star Eater’s presence to mine. I think you will like me well enough when you get to know me.”
The obvious teasing caused Zeus’s alabaster skin to flush bright red. “Sorry about that but you really should not go around reading other people’s thoughts.”
Wanderer laughed, the musical sound light and airy. “Ignore them, Prince Zeus. Light Bringer and Star Eater are extremely competitive.”
“Mother!”
“Father!”
The exclamations came at the same time from all three Ancients. Arion and Echo jumped to their feet. A shadow slid under the door and into the room. Mestor recognized Alpha’s dark green form slinking across the floor. Zeus hurried to pick up Alpha.
“I thought you were staying with Dargon,” Zeus said, then halted.
Mestor scratched at the scales behind his earhole. The slight static sound he knew was Alpha and Zeus speaking telepathically buzzed, causing an itch Mestor could not reach.
“Oh,” Zeus murmured, turning with Alpha cupped in both of his palms.
Whirlwind, Light Bringer, and Wanderer surrounded Zeus. They did not speak but the irritating sensation increased and made Mestor antsy. Alpha stretched, rising. He formed two limbs and each of the three Ancients bent to allow Alpha to touch them. There was something profound about the moment for Mestor. Alpha had not seen his young in a very long time before Star Eater arrived. Now he was reuniting with three more.
Did they call Alpha both mother and father? Zeus had once explained that Alpha and Zeta had sired or bore young with each other, taking turns. With the kits, Alpha was both sire and bearer since Fal’Amoric eggs required two seed donors.
“Zeus,” Meme said. “I can have quarters prepared near you for our guests so that Alpha’s family can remain close.”
Mestor hid his smile at how his Meme had subtly broken up the reunion so that this meeting could go forward. Not that Mestor knew what this meeting was about. Father would only tell them when he was ready, no matter how many questions he or Azaes peppered him with. But Mestor was ready for this day to be over so that he could drag Sohm’lan to their suite for some alone time. He stamped down on the worry that tried to rear its ugly head when he thought about why he wanted Sohm’lan to himself, unwilling to indulge in negative emotions.
Instead, he shoved a handful of candied grasshoppers into his mouth and chewed slowly as everyone grabbed something to drink and retook their seats.
“Will Poseidon come to the challenge?” Sohm’lan asked Whirlwind. Mestor loved Sohm’lan’s impatient scowl.
“I think he will,” Arion replied, his equine features no
t as pronounced in this biped form. “He is sensitive to fighting in the waters where he does not expect it.”
Father frowned. “If he is sensitive then why has he not come before now? Surely there has been unrest among the Numina?”
Canry patted his father’s hand. “When one is highly sensitive, we remove ourselves from the triggers if we can. It is draining so we find ways to turn it off or mute it. Atlainticia’s waters are calm compared to other places. A disruption here would have to be massive to garner his attention.”
“The gyre circle summons is not something we Ryo’Pardeep can block,” Wanderer added. “He will know court has been called in this place of supposed peace. Even if he is occupied, he will be compelled to come, just as we have been.”
“Why did Azaes, Zeus, or I not receive a summons?” Mestor was perturbed. Even if he did not receive an invitation, he was going with Sohm’lan. “Meme and Father were in space and they were contacted.”
“For most everyone, the correlation is water,” Whirlwind explained.
Father nodded. “We were in the pool on the starship.”
“Even though you did not receive the summons, you are allowed to come,” Whirlwind added, looking at Azaes.
Mestor glanced at his twin. Were they reading Azaes’ thoughts? He did not ask because Arion sat forward.
“But I would not recommend that everyone go to the challenge.” He looked to Canry. “There are only a few of us who farsee to an extraordinary degree. Nethus, Poseidon, Canry, and myself… oh, and Pegasus.” He waved a hand in Pegasus’s direction. “The descendants of three of his young have always been heavy with farseers and they all became land dwellers. The Numina believe living out of water weakens the gift. I have other siblings with the gift who are water-oriented, but they have left this galaxy behind and will not answer a gyre circle’s summons.”
