Kelan: Talonian Warriors

by Celeste Raye

  Chapter: 12

  ***Destiney***

  As the days passed and no word came from King Siefer, Destiney regretted more and more the way they had spent their last night together. She upheld her duties and grew closer to the citizens of Milisaria. They found her to be more reasonable and understanding in her judgments than the king had recently been. Her kindness bolstered their spirits, and an air of freedom filled Milisaria.

  Scyon enjoyed being a part of the court. He was beloved by all who met him. The citizens were there to see him learn to crawl, which made them feel as if they were closer to the ruling class. Without King Siefer, the city was a more pleasant place to be.

  The monitor in the king's quarters came to life. Destiney excitedly answered the call. She was sure it would be the king's ship. It was a spaceship, but not the king's. An unfamiliar face graced the screen. He was far older than most of the warriors, and his face was hardened. He spoke with an odd accent and announced, "We are the contingent returning from the colonies. We have finished our ten-year term of living on the conquered planets. We seek your permission to rejoin our home world. A new contingent must be chosen to take our place. King Siefer has left that choice up to you and Nabvan. Will our new queen allow us to return?"

  Destiney was surprised. She had not known that there were Milisarian citizens forced to live on the conquered planets. The environments of some of those planets were extremely harsh and incompatible with a Milisarian's wellbeing. No wonder the warrior on her screen looked old and hardened. It also explained the odd accent. He had been living in worlds of strange beings who spoke different languages. She answered, "Your queen welcomes you home with open arms and a joyous heart. Thank you for your service to Milisaria. I am honored to be the one who greets your ship. I wish to hear all about the colonies and would welcome your insight in choosing the new contingent."

  Destiney hurried to gather the citizens of Milisaria to welcome their warriors home. Those men had left mothers, fathers, and siblings behind to serve many years on foreign worlds. Some of their family members had passed away while they were far from home. Those that were left, Destiney afforded the privilege of joining her in entering the spaceship to greet their loved ones.

  The spaceship landed slowly among the waiting crowd. It was rusted and rattled loudly. It had been among one of the first ships built for extended travel. It lacked many of the newer amenities that the king's ship boasted. Destiney vowed to have it repaired and fitted with the latest technology before sending the new contingents on their way. She also felt a ten-year assignment was far too harsh. She hoped that King Siefer would realize that as well and make the stay shorter for the next group. It would be difficult to find volunteers to leave their home for such a long time, especially after hearing the experiences of those that had returned.

  The doors groaned as they opened, exposing a group of weary travelers. Their clothing was worn and faded, mixed with that of the foreign worlds. Their skin showed damage from the environments that were incompatible with translucent skin. Destiney would look among the medications for something to protect the delicate nature of their skin in future voyages. She felt saddened by the appearance of the crew. She doubted that they were as old as they looked.

  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the ship, Destiney realized there were females from other worlds aboard. Children who were clearly a mix of Milisarian and other species stared forlornly at her from behind the warriors. It would seem that the lonely men had found mates and made families during their banishment.

  The warrior she had spoken to on the monitor asked, "Will you allow us to bring our families to Milisaria? We know they are quite different, but it would seem that the king's wife is also from a different world. We beseech you to welcome them as you were once welcomed."

  Destiney smiled at the man and said, "Of course your families are welcome. The Milisarians have changed in many ways while you were away. They are more tolerant of the differences among the worlds. My son is a mix of human and Milisarian, and he is loved and honored by all. I have brought your loved ones to greet you. Please introduce them to their new family members."

  Destiney watched as the warriors were reunited with their relatives. Tears ran down her cheeks as the Milisarians welcomed their grandchildren and accepted their odd looks and behaviors. The warriors clung to those they had not seen in years.

  Destiney led the contingent into the open air. The warriors stopped to breath in the moist sea atmosphere. Their bodies soaked in the dampness and their skin plumped before her eyes. They sighed in relief and happiness. They were met with cheers and offers of help to find new lodging for their families.

  Destiney had arranged a feast to be served in honor of those returning. She hoped that the new species that came with the contingent were able to eat something on the menu. Surely the warriors had thought to bring foods from the other worlds that could be incorporated into the Milisarian diet.

  As groups of citizens settled at tables to eat, Destiney noticed a younger man that appeared to have no family to greet him. He stood alone, searching for a place to sit. She made her way through the crowd and asked, "Are you looking for someone? If not, then you are welcome to join me at the king's table. My son will be brought to me shortly, and some adult company would be quite nice. I would love to hear about your travels."

  The younger man replied, "I am Rowl. I have no family here nor did I bring one with me. Thank you for your kindness, Queen Destiney. I will gladly join you and your son."

  Destiney realized that Rowl must have been quite young when he left Milisaria. He was by far the youngest of the warriors. He would have had a lonely life away from home, and yet there was no one here for him either. He must have volunteered for the assignment because he was alone. He was tall and lean, without the huge musculature of most Milisarians. She guessed that was due to leaving the planet at an early age, before warrior training. Lifting the heavy swords and trudging through swamps built muscles quickly. His long hair was a lighter shade than most, perhaps due to more light on the other worlds. He seemed to have less adverse effects from the journey than the older men.

  Curious, Destiney asked, "How old were you when you left this world? The others seem to be far older than you."

  Rowl laughed somewhat bitterly and replied, "I had just reached the age of training. I was fifteen when last I stood on my birth world."

  Destiney was not shocked by the answer. She had suspected as much. She continued, "How did you manage to get your parents to allow you to leave at such a young age? I could never allow Scyon to leave here for so long if he was only fifteen."

  "My parents were already dead. A Milisarian is considered a man at fifteen. If your son chooses to leave at that time, you can not stop him. I doubt he would make that choice. He has a mother who loves him. I had only a brother who hated me. He was glad to see me go." Rowl stopped talking as a woman approached with Scyon.

  Destiney took her son and began to feed him as she watched Rowl refill his empty platter. She again questioned him, "Your brother did not greet you. Is that due to the animosity between you?"

  Rowl growled, "Animosity is too mild a word for our relationship. It was definitely hatred. He is not on this planet at the moment. I hope he stays away for a very long time. I have no desire to see him. I would have stayed away forever, but it is not allowed. The new king insisted we come home. As you see, many had made homes on the other worlds. Their mates were forced to leave their home worlds behind forever. This relocation was not of their choosing."

  "I am sorry that they were not given a choice. We will make their transition as easy as we can. There are things on this planet that will give them a much better life than on the ones left behind. We have more food, cleaner water, and many comforts not found elsewhere. Even the villages on this planet have not yet gained the technologies we enjoy in the city." Destiney turned her attention to Scyon. "I want you to meet my son, Scyon. Wave hello to Rowl, son. Let him know he is no lo
nger alone in this world. The king's own family welcomes him home."

  Rowl held in his smile. This was perfect. The queen herself was falling prey to his plan. Before long, he would begin turning Milisaria into a hostile environment for the king to return to. He despised King Siefer and all the ruling classes. He had seen far too many sickening sights on the other worlds. His memory of this one was almost as bad. The citizens of all worlds deserved better. Rowl wanted each colony to make its own laws and everyone have an equal share in all resources. He did not trust the ruling class to make such a thing happen. He planned to start a rebellion among the Milisarians. It would prove to be much simpler with the queen on his side. He prayed that no one remembered that he was King Siefer's brother.

  Destiney was sorry for Rowl's loneliness. She was lonely as well. She wondered why he did not appear to have friends among his shipmates. She decided it was due to the difference in age and the fact that the others had families. It never entered her mind that Rowl was distrusted and disliked among the crew. She was too naive to think badly of someone she did not know well. It would prove to be the biggest mistake of her life.

  Families were shown to new quarters and given all the comforts that abounded in Milisaria. Rowl was given a space among Nabvan's trainees. He would be taught to wield a sword and knife along with the younger men. He had missed out on his training by leaving the planet.

  Rowl wanted the training badly. He would have need of it during the rebellion. He knew that at some point, King Siefer would come after him. He could not hide away forever. In the interim, he would learn a warrior's swordplay, build muscle, and poison the minds of the Milisarians against the ruling class. He would start with the sweet and beautiful queen. If he could take her from his brother, it would be a lethal blow. The new king still believed in the antiquated idea of mating for life. Rowl had admired the former king's philosophy of mating. He had concubines to fulfill any desire. Rowl had left women on every planet. He had made sure there were no mutant children from the unions. He thought of such mixtures as an abomination, although, the queen's son was a handsome child. He might welcome a child from her loins.

  Chapter: 13

  ***Alexis***

  Alexis rubbed her distended belly with oil. It was stretched so tight that she feared it would burst. If not for the mass of bruises, it would be as translucent as the Milisarian's skin. She slipped a loose garment over her head and groaned as it skimmed over her delicate belly. She had used all of her energy to take a shower and now lay down across the bed. The previous night, Alice had given birth to a son. Alexis had been in attendance. She had been happy to see that the baby was healthy and that Alice had survived. Like Destiney, she only had some extra tearing due to the baby's large size.

  Nabvan returned to tell her about the spaceship that had arrived from the colonies. She was happy to hear that there were other species that had successfully mated with the Milisarian warriors. The Milisarian Knights would someday be a mixture of all the worlds, uniting them as one. She was surprised to learn that all the offspring appeared to be male. This was an interesting insight into the problem the human women were having.

  Destiney had given birth to a son and was fine. Marie had a daughter and was in agony until her death. Alice's child was also a son, and she had survived. Her pregnancy had been painless. Was it the child's gender that caused a problem rather than their blood? She needed to get into the lab quickly. If her guess was correct, she could save herself and the other pregnant human that was as ill as her. Perhaps, it would help the other species as well.

  Alexis sent Nabvan to plead with Destiney for time in the lab. With King Siefer away, she had the authority to unlock the lab and allow Alexis to work. She would be defying the king to do so, but it would be for a good cause.

  Nabvan found Destiney sorting through the data that had been generated by the returning spaceship. She was deleting unreadable data and condensing the rest for King Siefer to study. She would send it to the king's ship. It could give him insight to better deal with the colonies. She took her job seriously and did it well. Nabvan was proud of the way she had matured since leaving Earth. He cleared his throat so she would know he was there. He did not wish to startle her. She turned, and he said, “I know you are busy with all the new information and the strange, unexpected citizens, but I need a moment of your time."

  "Unlike my husband, I always have time for my friends. Is there a problem with the trainees?" Destiney crossed the room to check on her sleeping son. She now had cribs in all the working areas of the capital. She wanted Scyon with her as much as possible. After she had spoken with Rowl, she wanted to give Scyon a reason to stay on Milisaria.

  "The trainees are doing well. They are curious about the man you sent from the returning ship. They find it odd for someone that old to be in a beginning class. I laughed when they referred to him as an old man, for he is younger than me. I have given the man some rocks to move. He must build some muscle before he can wield a sword with a steady hand. He was a bit surly over the assignment until I asked him to lift a sword and hold it in alignment with the ground. It missed cutting off his foot by a small fraction when it fell. He soon saw the folly in his defiant attitude and began moving the rocks." Nabvan took a moment to change subjects and then asked, "Will you open the lab? Alexis is doing far worse. She tries hard to hide it, but I see the agony and fear in her eyes. She believes that she has discovered the problem. It is the gender of the baby that causes the symptoms. Female children are not compatible with other species. She will find a cure; however, she needs the lab. She is your best friend; allow her to live and watch our daughter grow."

  "I will be in defiance of the king's orders if I open the lab. However, I never agreed with his order in the first place. If he wishes to charge me with treason upon his return, then so be it. I will send one of Alexis's students to open the lab immediately. It's possible that King Siefer will be gone until after the babies are born and will not need to know of my defiance." Destiney hugged Nabvan and said, "Good luck."

  Alexis spent the next week making potions and vaccines. She took some of her own blood and tested the new mixtures on it to see what would happen. One vaccine appeared to neutralize the antibodies her body was producing to fight against the baby's presence in her body. It seemed male children were accepted by their mother's bodies as a separate entity. Females were seen as a part of the mother's body and treated as a disease by the immune system. She was afraid to try the vaccine on herself for fear of killing the baby. It would have to wait until she gave birth. She could only pray that she had found the answer.

  Alexis was calmer and more optimistic that night. She had been busy all week, and it had lessened her exhaustion. She was smiling when Nabvan entered their chambers. He was glad to see that she was better. He noticed that she had set up a crib and added pink blankets to it. Pink swaddling cloths were stacked on a shelf. She had raided the storage rooms for anything pink and white and brought it up for the baby. There were tiny pieces of clothing, toys, and fluffy animal shapes that squeaked. Her new enthusiasm was catching.

  Nabvan laughed and said, "I hope the baby does not turn out to be a boy. These colors will offend him. I never understood the Earth tradition of appointing certain colors to a certain gender. However, I do find that pink is an unmanly hue. Would not our warriors look weak if their armor were pink?"

  "Our Milisarian Knights are huge and muscular. I do not think the enemies would notice the color of their armor when facing a line of them holding swords. Their black hair, powerful arms, and steely eyes are enough to bring fear to an opponent’s heart. Are you upset that I believe we are having a daughter?" Alexis waited nervously for his answer.

  "Not in the least. I will cherish and protect her for all of eternity. I want her to have your hair and eyes. She will be a rare sight among our dark maidens and sought after endlessly. I will allow only the best of warriors to vie for her as their mate. I will destroy anyone who dares hurt her," Nabvan
fiercely replied.

  Alexis asked, "What about names? Are there any that you desire for our child?"

  Nabvan sighed, "I have not considered it. I will leave the choice to you."

  "I like the name Zoya, but I also mixed your name with mine and came up with Nexxa. Does either appeal to you?"

  Nabvan stated, "Nexxa sounds excellent. She will be a part of both our worlds, so her name should be a part of each of us as well."

  Alexis rose to hug Nabvan and let out a gasp. A sharp pain doubled her over, and wetness covered the floor. She was in an intense labor within seconds. Nabvan carried her to the bed and placed her as gently as he could upon the soft covers. Alexis gritted her teeth as each pain shot through her body. Nabvan cleaned the floor and stripped the wet clothing from her. He covered her with a blanket because she was shivering. Unsure of what to do next, he asked, "Do I stay here, or go for the nurse? Do you need Destiney? I do not know what to do."

  Alexis managed to say, "I need the vaccine from the lab. It is the yellow vial in the cooler. Bring it and a syringe from the drawer under the cooler. It is my only chance of survival. It must be plunged into my heart as soon as the baby leaves my body. I will be too weak to do it. It will be up to you."

  Nabvan asked, "Are you sure that it will work?"

  Alexis weakly replied, "It was not tested on a person. I can not guarantee that it will work. Without it, I will die. So, using it is the only choice we have. Hurry, I do not want to be alone."

  Nabvan kissed her lips and ran from the chambers. He knocked over some of his own warriors in his race through the building. The lab was locked. He broke down the door and went in search of the serum. He snatched the yellow bottle and syringes in every size. His skin dripped with sweat, and his fear was palpable as he ran back to his quarters.