Quest for the Moon Orb: Orbs of Rathira

by Laura Jo Phillips

  “No, it’s not easy,” Karma said. “But there is no point in hiding beneath the bed. Here is where I am, and it was my choice to stay. Therefore, I must face whatever comes the best way I can.”

  “I wish I could behave as you do.”

  “In that case, you are very lucky, Princess Kapia, as the only behavior you can control is your own,” Karma said with a wink.

  Kapia smiled, as Karma had hoped. At the same time she memorized Karma’s words. She thought they might be among the most important words of advice she had ever been given.

  “Speaking of behavior,” Karma said, “I noticed that you only nodded to Marene, yet at the same time, her behavior toward you indicated some familiarity.”

  “She has no rank, other than that of a very distant cousin, which doesn’t afford her much as there are many distant cousins,” Kapia replied. “However, her father was my father’s closest advisor and friend. Before he died, Father promised him that he would personally look after Marene, and even went so far as to take her as his ward. While Marene has no rank, she does have position, and as you may have noticed, much wealth.”

  “Oh yes,” Karma said with a grin. “She clearly likes to display her wealth.”

  “She certainly does,” Kapia agreed. “I wonder why you were able to see through her so quickly, when Father and Zakiel cannot?”

  “They don’t see her as she is?” Karma asked doubtfully.

  “No, they don’t,” Kapia replied. “They think she is the epitome of all things proper and elegant. They want me to be more like her.”

  “They’ve said that to you?” Karma asked, shocked. Could they really be that blind? she wondered.

  “Not exactly,” Kapia admitted. “But I know it’s true. I am too shy, too quiet, and I have little talent. In their eyes, Marene is everything I should be as a Princess of Isiben, but am not.”

  “Kapia, you are but sixteen years old,” Karma said gently. “Give yourself some time.”

  Kapia nodded, but Karma knew she was not convinced.

  “Kapia, may I ask you a personal question? You may choose not to answer, of course.”

  “Please, ask what you like,” Kapia said.

  “What of your mother?” Karma asked. “I have not heard you speak of her.”

  “She did not survive my birth,” Kapia replied in a low voice, dropping her eyes to the floor.

  “I am sorry for your loss,” Karma said, meaning it. She had lost her own mother at a young age, but at least she’d known her. Kapia didn’t even have memories to look back on.

  “Thank you,” Kapia said. “You are very kind.”

  “Your father never took another wife?”

  “No,” Kapia replied. “He said that he could never love another as he did my Mother, and would not pretend otherwise. He says that he is happy with me, and Zakiel, and needs no love other than ours.”

  They fell silent as they continued through the palace, taking so many different twists and turns that Karma was hopelessly lost by the time they stepped outside. They crossed a broad courtyard and entered a large grassy area about a hundred yards square, surrounded by high stone walls. There were a dozen small groups of men practicing with a variety of weapons. Kapia led the way across the yard, avoiding the sparring men.

  “Princess Kapia,” a man greeted her from behind a counter as he hurried toward them. Karma noticed that he was dressed in the gray kilt and vest of the palace guard, though he was clearly well past his prime. His bare arms and face bore several scars, silent testimony to past battles.

  “How may I be of assistance?” As he spoke, his eyes darted from Kapia to Karma, then to Nikura and back again in open curiosity.

  “Good morning, Captain Bayro,” Kapia said. “We need two staffs, please.”

  The man bowed politely to Kapia, then looked at Karma who only stared back at him.

  “As you wish,” he said, not knowing what else he could possibly say. He didn’t know who the new female was, but he could not refuse the Princess. A few moments later Karma and Kapia stepped out of the armory and into the practice yard, each carrying a slightly battered, but solid and well balanced staff.

  “Let’s go over there,” Karma said, pointing to an empty corner of the yard. Kapia nodded and led the way, stopping suddenly when a large man stepped in front of her, blocking their way.

  “Sister, what are you doing out here?” he demanded.

  Karma recognized the Prince at once. He was by far the most striking man she’d ever seen, and after spending several months on Jasan, she’d seen her share of striking men. In an effort to keep her eyes from roaming over his well muscled chest and shoulders, she kept her gaze on his face. Not that it helped much. His eyes were a cool, icy blue, surrounded by thick, black lashes that matched the thick, curly black hair on his head. She was appalled to realize that her fingers itched to brush the stray curls off of his forehead and she felt her face heat when she caught herself wondering if they would feel as silky as they looked.

  “Greetings, Brother,” Kapia said with a deep nod of her head. Karma frowned at the note of worry in Kapia’s voice, but she also noticed that the girl did not answer the question.

  “Greetings, Sister,” Prince Zakiel said. He glanced at Karma. “Greetings, Lady Techu.”

  “Greetings,” Karma said with a nod, determined to keep her errant thoughts from showing on her face.

  Prince Zakiel nodded in return, then turned back to Kapia. “Please answer my question, Sister.”

  “We are about to practice,” Karma said when it seemed obvious Kapia wasn’t sure what to say. “I am going to show her how to defend herself using a staff.”

  “To what purpose?” Prince Zakiel asked, turning his icy eyes on her. Karma smiled. The Prince might frighten Kapia, but she was not so easily intimidated.

  She arched a brow at the Prince, but said nothing. Kapia had been kidnapped and beaten only days earlier, and still had the bruises on her face to show for it. It seemed obvious to her why a few lessons in self-defense might be needed for the girl’s self confidence, if nothing else, after such an experience.

  The Prince flushed, the deep golden brown tan of his face darkening as he realized what Karma meant.

  “Who are you to teach her to defend herself?”

  “I am the one who said yes when she asked,” Karma replied coolly, wondering if the man knew how to ask a question without making it a demand. An idea occurred to her and she smiled. “Would you like to test my skills?”

  “Yes,” Prince Zakiel said.

  Karma lifted one shoulder in a half shrug and tossed her staff to him without warning. One hand flashed up and snatched the staff out of the air just before it flew past him. She had to give it to him, he was fast.

  “Kapia,” Karma said softly. Princess Kapia turned toward her, the rosy glow of excitement now gone from her cheeks. Instead her face was pale, the dark bruises standing out starkly. Karma shot an angry look at Zakiel. Was he a bully?

  “May I borrow your staff, please?” she asked. She didn’t want to use her own staff because it looked so different from what these people were used to. They might think she’d taken unfair advantage of the Prince by using some mysterious object against a simple wooden staff.

  Kapia handed her staff to Karma, then followed her brother as he led the way to the vacant corner they’d been heading toward.

  Karma gestured to Kapia and Nikura to wait near the wall, then stepped out into the empty space. She hefted the staff a few times and shook her head. It wasn’t exactly the weight and size she preferred, but it would do. She held the staff in both hands before her, set her feet in a defensive-offensive stance, took a deep relaxing breath and waited for the Prince to make the first move.

  He stared unblinkingly at her for a long moment before exploding into action. Karma calmly blocked his first strike with one end of her staff, using the energy from the hit to speed her own strike with the other end. She felt herself slip into the strange, trancelike z
one that always came over her when she sparred with the staff. She didn’t think about what she was doing. She just relaxed and let her body do what it seemed to know how to do without conscious effort on her part.

  She watched as if from a distance as Prince Zakiel blocked and parried, his face set, his cool eyes focused entirely on her. A part of her mind wondered how it was that she was able to keep up with the man. He was so much taller and more powerful than she was, yet no matter how hard he struck, he could not get past her guard or break her stance. She heard the rapid tap-tap-tap of the two solid lengths of wood as they came together so fast they were nearly a blur, and yet she felt cool, calm, and relaxed even after several minutes. She hadn’t even broken out in a sweat.

  Finally Prince Zakiel stepped back and tapped one end of his staff into the sand to signal that he was done. Karma hesitated for a moment, then stepped back and did the same. She waited silently until Prince Zakiel bowed his head. She bowed in return, then relaxed her stance as he turned to his sister. He handed her the staff and bent to speak in her ear. He gave Karma one last unreadable look, then walked away.

  Karma waited until he was gone before approaching Kapia. “What did he say?” she asked.

  “He said that it was an honor to be taught by a Master, and that if I did not work hard and practice diligently, I would shame our Blood.”

  “Really?” Karma said with a smile. “Master, huh?” She studied Kapia’s face, noting that she was still a bit pale and seemed nervous.

  “Kapia, are you afraid of him?” she asked softly, turning her back to the rest of the yard so that nobody could see or hear what she was saying.

  Kapia shook her head, then dropped her eyes. “I’m afraid of his disapproval,” she said. “He is such a good brother to me, and he works so hard to be a good and honorable Prince for our people. It’s not easy for him sometimes. He knows that he will be king after Father, and at the same time, he knows that there may be no kingdom for him to rule.”

  “Because of the...well...whatever you call it? Demons, tear in universe etcetera?”

  “We call it the Eschaton,” Kapia said with a hint of a smile.

  “Which means?”

  “The end of the world.”

  “Only if we lose,” Karma reminded her.

  “That’s true,” Kapia said, some of the color returning to her cheeks. “Now that we have you, we have a chance. We were without hope for so long, it’s rather difficult to remember that things have changed.”

  “Well, they have,” Karma said with much more confidence than she felt. “Do you still want a lesson with this oversized stick?”

  “Yes please,” Kapia said, her eyes brightening once more. “It was so exciting to watch you! I’ve never seen anything like it. I can’t believe that you bested Zakiel. Do you think I could ever be as good as you?”

  “First of all, I didn’t best Zakiel,” Karma said with a laugh. “I held my own with him. Second, you are the only one who can decide how good you will be at anything. Now, let’s get started. I’m getting hungry.”

  Chapter 4

  After breakfast, Karma followed Nikura through the palace for another meeting with King Rhobar. As she walked, she puzzled over Kapia, and their practice that morning. The moment the Princess had stepped onto the sand opposite Karma with a staff in her hands, it was as though all of her limbs had turned to wood. She moved stiffly, her sense of balance so poor that she fell several times even though Karma had instructed her only in holding the staff, and had given her nothing to do with her feet.

  After practice Karma had watched Kapia carefully as they walked back through the palace, going up stairs, down stairs, dodging servants, gesturing with her hands as she talked. The girl moved with a natural, unconscious grace when she wasn’t thinking about it, but she’d displayed none of that in the practice yard. It didn’t make any sense.

  When Karma reached King Rhobar’s private sitting room, she set the problem of Kapia aside. She hesitated briefly in the doorway, surprised and disappointed to find Prince Zakiel there.

  He was incredibly beautiful to look at. She would not lie to herself about that. However, he was also abrupt to the point of rudeness, every word out of his mouth was either a demand or a command, his eyes were never anything but cold, and he clearly disliked her a great deal without having made any attempt whatsoever to get to know her first.

  “Good morning, Lady Techu,” King Rhobar greeted her.

  “Good morning, Highness,” she replied, bowing her head to him as Kapia had instructed before closing the door behind Nikura. She glanced at the Prince who nodded at her. She returned his nod civilly.

  “Have you met my son, Prince Zakiel?” King Rhobar asked.

  “No,” Karma replied. “He has spoken to me, but he did not offer to introduce himself. I did assume his identity though.”

  King Rhobar frowned at his son, who remained silent. It wasn’t like Zakiel to be intentionally rude. He disliked off-worlders, true, but even he had expressed relief at the discovery of the Techu at long last, regardless of her origins.

  “When did you speak?” King Rhobar asked curiously.

  “In the practice yard,” Karma replied as she joined them in the sitting area and took a seat at King Rhobar’s gesture. “He questioned my ability to give Princess Kapia a lesson on the use of a staff.”

  “You gave her a lesson?” King Rhobar asked in surprise.

  “She asked to be taught some method of self-defense,” Karma explained. “After her...adventure the other day, she felt that it might be useful in future. If nothing else, it will give her a sense of confidence in herself that she desperately needs right now.”

  “You object to this course of action for your sister?” King Rhobar asked Zakiel.

  “I do not,” Zakiel replied.

  “That’s interesting,” Karma said. “Kapia indicated that you thought her to be too young and incompetent to wield a weapon.”

  For the first time, Zakiel looked uncomfortable. “I was given to understand that her physical prowess was such that she would be more of a danger to herself than an opponent.”

  “I wonder who would say such a thing to you about your sister?” Karma asked softly, not expecting an answer. “So, is that why you tried to stop us this morning?”

  “My intent was not to stop you,” Zakiel replied. “I wished only to ascertain the ability of the teacher.”

  King Rhobar raised a brow in question.

  “I determined that she is more than qualified,” Zakiel said, his voice as cold as ever in spite of his words of praise. “I’ve no idea what Lady Techu’s level of skill is considered to be on her home world, but on Rathira she easily surpasses any Master I have seen or heard of.”

  “In that case, I am most appreciative of your efforts to teach my daughter, Lady Techu,” King Rhobar said with a deep nod.

  “Thank you, Highness,” Karma replied. After a moment she added, “And please, Highness, call me Karma. I am not accustomed to being called Lady Techu.” She was careful to address King Rhobar only, mindful of what Kapia had told her the evening before.

  “Thank you, Karma,” King Rhobar replied with a smile. “You do me much honor. I shall never abuse the privilege of your name.”

  Karma smiled and steadfastly refused to look in Prince Zakiel’s direction.

  “Now, to business,” King Rhobar said. “We must plan this journey to the Sirelina.”

  “How far is it?” Karma asked.

  “It will take ten weeks to reach the Kytherian Sea,” Prince Zakiel said. “From there, perhaps another week to the Sirelina.”

  “That’s a long time,” Karma frowned.

  “You seem worried,” King Rhobar observed.

  “I am,” she replied. “I don’t know if we have that much time.”

  “Unfortunately, Lady Techu, we do not have speeders on Rathira,” Prince Zakiel said coldly. “We must walk, or ride, or travel on boats.”

  Karma glanced down at Nikur
a where he lay beside her chair. “What do you think, Nikura?”

  “A smaller party will travel more quickly,” he suggested.

  Karma repeated what Nikura had said, thinking that it certainly made sense to her.

  “How do we know that?” Prince Zakiel demanded.

  “How do you know what?” she asked, confused by both his question and his apparent anger.

  “That Nikura said such a thing,” Prince Zakiel replied. “We have only your word for it, and we know nothing of you.”

  “Do not include me in your use of the word we,” King Rhobar growled angrily at his son and heir. “I have no doubts, as I expressed to you quite clearly.

  “You are calling me a liar,” Karma said in surprise. “I agreed to stay here to aid your people, your world, at the risk of my own life, for no reason other than to assist you, and you call me a liar.”

  “I do not call you liar, Lady Techu,” he said. “I am concerned as to the reasons for your...generosity.” The emphasis he placed on the last word infuriated Karma. And the King.

  “What do you suggest, Son?” King Rhobar demanded.

  Prince Zakiel clenched his jaw and refused to meet his Father’s gaze.

  “Very well,” King Rhobar said, “I will tell you, straight out, that nothing was asked for, nor offered to Lady Techu in exchange for her agreement to aid us.”

  Zakiel had the grace to flush in embarrassment. “I wish only to be as assured as you, Father, as to Lady Techu’s identity. Much depends upon her.”

  “Now you want proof that I am not a liar,” Karma said. “Tell me, Prince Zakiel, if you do not believe me, then why do you call me Lady Techu?”

  “Because my father has decreed it so,” Prince Zakiel replied.

  “Assemble the Ti-Ank and I will give him his proof,” Nikura said.

  Karma looked down to see that Nikura was now standing, his blue eyes narrowed at Zakiel.

  “I have no desire to give him his proof,” Karma said heatedly.

  “I understand that,” Nikura said. “However, he is needed, so it must be done.”