by Lyra Shanti
What followed was a conversation between Notama and Seith, gleefully discussing Atlar's demise. Notama explained to Seith about Atlar's upcoming visit to Ohr, which he discovered from Octian. He then said, “Once he is on Ohr, I will send a secret group of Tah soldiers to give Atlar a lesson he won't soon forget, at which point, I will need you to provide one of your illegally fast mafia ships, perhaps one of those Notofrim Fighters; something that can go undetected through customs, if you know what I mean.”
Seith responded with an evil smile, nodding and saying, “Yes, I know the type of ship you're speaking of. They were used quite a bit in the Xen War, as you probably remember.”
“All too well,” said Yol with a smirk. “I am on your side now, however. Trust me, Seith, I want Atlar removed as much as you do. Once he is sedated on the ship, I will have my soldiers provide Sirin with its most royal slave yet. All you have to do is keep all of this off your records. Tell your master on Ohr to keep this quiet and off the books as well. Do we have an understanding, Seith?
“Yes, I believe we do, Notama. It feels wonderful to know we will finally have revenge against the Krian fool who tried to conquer us and tell us how to live. I have to ask though, what are you getting out of all this?”
Yol paused for a moment, then said, “Retribution.”
Everyone was silent after the recording was over not knowing exactly what to say. Only Ona had previously seen and heard it before, and she was still a little shocked.
“As you can see,” said Hynfir, “this is more than enough evidence to convince The Council to war with Yol. It also confirms that Atlar is more than likely on Sirin.”
“Are you kidding?” said Baran who stood up, energized. “This is more than enough! It will send Octian to jail 'till he rots, which is what he deserves, the villainous traitor!”
“Calm down, Minister,” said Reese, with a sneer, “you're acting as if it's Spring Festival.”
“Well, this is a good day!” Baran replied, almost joyful in his anger. “Do you know how long I've yearned to put that bastard uncle of mine behind bars? I bet he not only got Atlar killed, but my father as well! If we can prove that, then I will do more than send Octian to jail! I'll hang the bastard for all to see!”
“Alright, that's enough,” said Ona, sternly. “Sit down, Baran, and please stop acting so happy about it. We're talking about our fathers' lives here.”
“I'm sorry, Your Highness,” said Baran apologetically as he sat back down, obeying her commands.
Reese was rather impressed at Ona's ability to tell her Minister what to do.
“We must keep our minds focused at the task at hand,” said Ona. “Pei, you and Hynfir will go to Xen to capture Seith. This is to be a secret mission, and one that you will not be officially awarded medals for. It will, however, stop the criminal link Xen has always had to Ohr, and you will be heroes to me personally. Whatever you do, though, do not let word get to the Prime Minister of Ohr that you are from Kri. We don't want a war we're not prepared to have. Discretion is needed for our success. Take Seith down, but I want his confession, so try to bring him back alive as your prisoner. While there, you may also free any and all slaves living under his roof, including the children of Dr. Hessen, which Hynfir believes Seith now owns. You may bring them here for refuge.”
Pei nodded, graciously. “Thank you, Ona... I mean, Your Highness.”
“Reese,” said Ona, not skipping a beat, “you will get The Lirhan ready for a secret attack on the Ohrians controlling Sirin. Once Hynfir and Pei return, I want you to join Reese and attack whomever has my father. Use everything we've got! Now that we have the evidence on our side, no one can say we don't have the right to attain our king by all means necessary! Reese, do you feel ready to lead your first battle as my Commanding General?”
“Ona...” replied Reese with a smile, “I was born ready.”
Nodding at Reese, Ona felt a little guilty about sending her childhood friend on such a dangerous mission, but she also felt an enormous sense of pride. Reese seemed different to Ona now; she seemed healthier, happier, and stronger inside and out. Ona wondered if the change was due to Hynfir coming back into her life or if it was something else that influenced her. No matter the cause, Ona was happy for her friend and hoped if their plans succeeded, she and Reese would become close once again. Reese had promised her that very morning she would find and return Atlar, dead or alive. Ona prayed that Reese would be able to keep her promise, and without dying in the process.
“This is going to be very dangerous for all of you,” said Ona, “but as Lirhan warriors, it is your duty to protect, not only Kri and our king, but all the free and innocent people of this galaxy. I want you to fight in their honor, and do so proudly.”
Baran smiled at Ona, feeling as though she were already queen. She had impressed him greatly, and he knew even if Atlar never returned, Ona would make a brilliant leader, if The Council were wise enough to elect her. Had she been born a man, Baran had no doubt they would have made her the acting Minister instead.
As everyone got up, they all felt like they had too much to do and not enough time to do it.
Walking out together, Baran gave the Kleep chip back to Ona for safe keeping. “I'm proud of you, Princess,” he said with a grin. She smiled in return, then headed for the door.
Pei noticed Ona and Baran's interaction, but found himself less jealous and more concerned. Besides, how could he be jealous of his own sister? It would be futile to hold a torch for someone he could never have. Plus, after making love to Reese the night before in such a deep, connecting way, he honestly felt no pangs for Ona. Realizing how silly his infatuation had been, he was somehow still glad he had fallen for the princess in the beginning. He almost felt his crush had been necessary at the time, for it gave him the will to go on.
Walking behind his sister, he looked at the back of her long, flowing auburn hair and wondered if he had subconsciously known she was his own blood and confused it with romantic desire, perhaps giving him a sense of love and family when he had none. Maybe I still have my Dei training inside somewhere, he quietly mused.
All Pei felt certain about at present was that he loved Reese, and he wanted to free the slaves of Xen, starting with Hessen's children. He could feel his destiny calling to him... more than ever before.
Walking over to Reese, Pei put his hands around her waist and smiled at her. “How does it feel to be the head of The Lirhan Army now, General?”
Grinning, she grabbed his behind and said, “Actually, I was thinking I might need a good Second-in-Command... to keep me warm at night and all.”
“What about your brother?” asked Pei, releasing a small laugh.
“He can't keep me warm like you can. Besides, Ona never said I can't have two second generals.”
Pei sighed and looked over at Hynfir who was grinning at them both. Hynfir then laughed and put his arms around both Pei and Reese.
“Welcome to our strange little family, Pei!” said Hynfir, followed by a laugh.
Pei didn't feel right laughing happily when so many people were in turmoil, but he loved the idea of finally belonging to a family. He liked Hynfir and always felt a sense of connection to him, so he felt right at home.
“Speaking of family,” said Reese, “did you ever properly apologize to Mother and Aunt Frey for leaving Kri without a word all those years ago?”
Hynfir sighed and said, “Ah... well... I hadn't exactly done that yet, no.”
Reese folded her arms and looked at him with scolding green eyes.
“I will do that right now, I swear!” he said, holding his hands up in defense.
“Well, go on!' she ordered him. “We all have to leave on missions, like yesterday! If you don't do it now, you might never.”
“Yes, First General!” he said as he saluted with a grin, then walked out the door of Baran's office.
Pei smiled at Reese, then kissed her cheek tenderly. “You're amazing, you know that?”
&nb
sp; “Yes, I know,” she replied with a smile. “Now go get ready, my new Second General. You have slaves to free!”
Before heading out the door, Pei looked back at Reese and said, “I love you, Reese. I'll be back before you know it.”
Reese smiled and nodded in return.
Gods, how I love that boy, she thought as she watched him go. She herself was headed to the Viha training room. It had been ages since she had used her Viha, and she wanted nothing more than to practice while imagining cutting off the head of one Yol Notama.
Chapter 7: The Madness of the Fah
Peering through the crack in the door, Fola felt like a criminal doing something she shouldn't, though she couldn't help herself. It had been several weeks since Hynfir left, and Yol was more secretive with her and Sterek than ever. He didn't meet with the nobles much anymore either, and he didn't even have dinner with her the way he used to. It was as if they had been cut out of his heart, just like Yol had cut off Hynfir. Fola didn't like it one bit and was determined to find out what he was up to, even if took her spying on him to do it.
What she saw, however, disturbed her greatly. She couldn't make out exactly what Dr. Hessen was doing, but she could see it was him, and he was doing something surgical to a lifeless body that was wrapped in bandages. Yol was there too, watching and biting his thumbnail, looking filled with anxiety.
“Will this work?” asked Yol.
“I don't know,” Lius calmly replied, “but without this amniotic fluid, her nerve endings will not function properly. I will have to inject it into her blood stream three times a day... until her body remembers how to work on its own.”
As the skilled doctor injected the fluid into the woman's body, Yol squinted his eyes, unable to watch without wincing. He reacted as though it hurt his own body. Noticing this, Lius half-smirked and said, “Considering all her vital organs have been regenerated, she's doing quite well so far. Once she is able to breathe on her own, without life support systems, I think she has a very good chance of awakening... the way your old friend, Meddhi, did.”
“Don't speak of him!” Yol snapped. “I don't want to ever hear that name again.”
Lius nodded and sighed, slowly retracting the needle from the body's arm, then placing it carefully on the nearby table.
“How long before she awakens?” asked Yol, his tension apparent on his face.
“I'm sorry, Yol, but I can't say for certain. It could be weeks... or it could be years, or not at all. It depends on her mind, and dare I say, her soul.”
“What does that mean?” Yol asked with a curled lip. When the doctor didn't answer right away, he charged toward Lius and added, “You said she has a good chance of awakening!”
“She does have a good chance,” Lius coolly replied while looking at Yol suspiciously. Not knowing whether Yol would do something violent or not, Lius carefully reached for a towel and said, “But you must try to be patient about such experimental science. We are dealing with the unknown, and you cannot rush nature. Pira will wake when, and if, she wants. All we can do is guide her to the light of the living.”
Yol ran his hand through his slicked back, long white hair, then let out a stressed exhale. “She has to wake, Hessen. She just has to.”
Yol looked like he was about to cry in agony. Fola couldn't watch it any longer. It was too painful to see him so desperate, so alone. This was the man who helped raise her with his strength and kindness. He was the man she fell deeply in love with as a young woman and the man she gave her virginity to. How he could turn into such an obsessed, unethical person was beyond her understanding.
“What are you looking at?” asked Sterek, surprising Fola in the hallway.
“Uh... nothing,” she replied, turning away from his curious eyes.
“You're spying on them, aren't you?” said Sterek, folding his arms.
“No,” she denied.
Sterek glared at her, skeptical.
“Alright,” she blurted in a whisper, trying not to be heard by Yol through the door, “I admit it. I was spying. I can't help it. Yol doesn't talk to me anymore, and I want to know what they're doing.”
“What are they doing?” he asked with a hint of disgust.
“From what I can tell,” she replied nervously, “they're doing what they did to that High Priest, except this time, it's his old lover... that Krian queen who died young.”
Sterek sighed, then cracked his neck. It unnerved him to hear confirmation of what he had already suspected to be the truth.
“This has to be stopped,” he said firmly. “Yol has to wake up to reality. He doesn't even seem to care that the nobles haven't been willing to spend the money on the hospitals and schools that we ordered them to have done by now. Nor does he seem to care that there are still plenty of slaves on Xen, Ohr, Sirin, and who knows where else! He's completely in his own world lately. All he cares about is resurrecting his dead queen. It's his obsession now, which tells me he's no longer fit to be The Fah.”
“Don't say that!” she loudly whispered, almost in tears. “He raised us, Sterek. He saved us from burning to death when those Ohrian soldiers burned down our master's house. Don't you remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” he replied, stone-faced, “but I also remember Hynfir there as well, and look how Yol disowned him so easily... simply because Hynfir had the good sense to stand up to him. No, sister, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to blindly follow him any longer just because he used to be a good man.”
Fola shook her head, grimacing. “What are you going to do, leave like Hynfir did?”
“No,” he replied sternly, “I'm going to give Yol an ultimatum - one last chance, if you will. What he does afterward will determine everything else that follows.”
Fola didn't understand what her brother meant, but she felt helpless and unable to stop whatever he had planned. Sterek was right about Yol, and she knew it.
Watching her twin bravely knock on the door of the room that held Yol, the doctor, and the lifeless body, Fola had the urge to run away. Unable to fight the feeling, she flew down the hallway, fighting back her tears.
Sterek saw his sister leave, which upset him, but he was more focused on confronting Yol. As Lius slowly opened the door, he let Sterek in, but told him to wait a moment before disturbing Yol who was kneeling by the body on the table, looking as though he were praying.
Sterek knew his Fah couldn't possibly be praying, considering how against religion he'd always been. He assumed Yol must be doing something else: meditating or just relaxing perhaps - anything but praying to Gods whom Yol didn't believe in.
As Sterek watched Yol kneeling silently, Lius left the room to give them privacy.
After a few minutes, Sterek could wait no longer. He cleared his throat, alerting Yol to his presence, which made Yol slowly turn around to face him. Wiping his face from the tears that had recently fallen, he stood up and asked, “What can I do for you, Sterek?”
Sterek, caught off-guard by seeing Yol in such a state, momentarily fell silent. However, he was not about to let anything stop him from speaking the truth.
“You need to stop all this, Yol,” he said firmly.
Confused, Yol raised a brow and said, “Stop all what exactly?”
“All this!” Sterek replied as he gestured toward the lifeless body with an open-palmed hand. “I mean, what are you doing?! All you do lately is hide in your room... or you're in here with the doctor doing who-knows-what! It has to stop!”
Yol shook his head and folded his arms. “You don't understand, Sterek. You never did, and you never will.”
“Enlighten me then,” said Sterek, folding his arms as well.
Yol smiled and said, “You remind me so much of Hynfir right now.”
“I take that as a compliment,” Sterek replied, “for he is ten times the man you have now become.”
Clearly angered by that statement, Yol squinted his eyes and looked as though he were going to throw something. Instead, he walked over to Sterek
and reached for the necklace around Sterek's neck. It was a blue, eye-shaped jewel surrounded by a golden pyramid with stars at the top; Sirini in design and very, very old. Cupping it in his hand, he said, “Remind me, Sterek, who was it who gave you this? Who was it who went back into the burning building to retrieve this, and retrieve your sister as well? Was it Hynfir or was it me who had no fear of the flames?”
Sterek, feeling the sting of Yol's guilt, swallowed and defiantly said, “You were not afraid back then because you had seen death and had accepted it as the natural way. Unlike now where you are terrified of it and are fighting it, using science in the most unnatural way possible!”
“Who are you to judge?!” Yol snapped. “You would be nothing without me, Sterek! Nothing! You and Fola would still be two orphaned Sirini slaves with clipped wings and empty souls! I rescued you, and I gave you purpose! Without me, you would not know how to fight or how to hold your head up with pride! You would not be a respected Tah general, you would be-”
“Pure!” Sterek spit out venomously. “I would be pure and without the stain of having helped murder the boy whom you so easily assassinated! You didn't care if he was sacrificed! You just wanted to take down The Dei! You didn't care about freeing slaves or curing the sick! All you care about is revenge and bringing back your dead queen!”
Unable to stop his hand, Yol slapped Sterek's face, and hard. The force of it turned the young general's face to the side as they both stood still, frozen by the extremity of their emotions.
For a few moments, neither of them said a word. Finally, Yol broke the silence and said, “I'm sorry, Sterek, but you've gone too far with your accusations, and you are very wrong. I do care... about all of those things, and you will soon see how much. The Doctor is working on more than just bringing Pira back. He is using Sri Unda's regeneration process to understand Undaniasis better, and hopefully soon, he will find a cure, which will save the entire galaxy. You are wrong about me. I am the same man who saved you, and I will save the galaxy as well.”
