HTG - Chapter 173

Kalon

Chapter One-Seventy-Three: Jukalla - Part One

Galactic Quadrant: Darna Quadrant

Ruling Government: Republic of Hekate

Solar System: D-2,946

Planet: Ravena Minor

Location: Ara Continent, Ravena’s Temple Grounds

My eyes trace Adona, is she Riza? I think back to the spirits that protested her death. They were fervent in her defense. Adamant that she deserved to live. They whispered that she cared for their children, that she saved mothers. Yet look at what has become of her. What causes her to not cling to her life? Why does she discard it so easily, yet not seek to take it with her own hand?

Some part of her must want to live.

Even if she is not Riza, she helped me and many others. My hand lowers and grasps under her arm, pulling her upright. Her body is light and malnourished, still, I sense strength in her spirit. There is a flicker of hope as she looks up at me. One that must be nurtured if it is to thrive.

“Do I have quarters here?” I ask Luna.

“Yes,” Kotina replies before her, taking a step forward, “On the eastern side of the temple complex, in the guest wing. I’m to take you there to wait for the Primus’s arrival.”

I nod, giving her a small bow. The Primus of House Ravena, Arkon. Luna’s father.

My gaze turns to Korra, her green eyes widen as a small smile grips her face, as though she feels my thoughts, she says, “I will take her to be bathed, fed and clothed.” She grabs Adona’s arm and turns to Solara, “Would you like to come?”

Solara gives me a glance then looks at Luna’s hand entwining mine and nods. As she passes she says, “It is good to see you again.”

Only Luna and Kotina remain, the area is still blocked by their house’s knights, they face outwards from us, blocking every entry to this small courtyard of cobbled stone and decorated brick. Kotina clears her throat, “I know you must be happy to see each other,” she motions to Luna’s hand in mine, “But it is improper for the heir apparent to be seen like that.”

Luna frowns at her, and is about to say something, but I give her a smile and a kiss on the cheek before I pull my hand away. What Kotina said does not surprise me, the twins, Ralia and Salia had told me this would happen many months ago. Nobles cannot be with people of low stations. Though the Republic of Hekate is tolerant of more than most, this they do not wane on. The only way that she will be able to hold my hand in public is if I rise in station.

My eyes focus toward Ravena’s temple in the distance, I will rise. There are gods that owe me blood. Blood I will take with my bare hands. Leora, Krotha, Helenius… even the god of their precious Imperium, Thane. Someday, all of them will feel my wrath for the pain they have caused.

Until then, I will train, I will bide my time and grow stronger. I will not stop even after I reach the pinnacle… I will shatter it and push further than any mortal or god has dared to walk, even then, I will go beyond it.

Until then…

I turn to look at Luna again, she is smiling, despite not holding my hand, I can tell she is happy to see me. It is a smile that I would fight for.

“You said that the Primus wishes to see me?” I ask Kotina.

She nods.

“Why?”

“That is for him to say, though I can guess. Probably going to try and recruit you, and speak with you about your relationship to the Heir Apparent.”

“Kotina, do you think…” Luna pauses, then she widens her shoulders and straightens her posture, “Knight Commander, Kotina, I wish to speak with him for a few minutes in private.”

Kotina tilts her head to the side, “Look at you, pup.” She chuckles, then looks around at the knights, “I’ll give you a few minutes, keep it brief.”

Luna waits for her to move further away before she looks down, there is some tension in her face as she says, “I wish there was more time to speak, there is so much I want to tell you… like that I’m… I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that…”

I grab her and pull her into my arms, in the distance, Kotina shakes her head giving me an eyebrow raise.

“Do not blame yourself for things you could not control.”

“They told me… they told me you suffered and… and…”

I hold her tighter until the words stop. When she calms, I push her away slowly and give her a smile.

“There has been enough sadness today, do not add to it,” I say, holding her chin up with my hand gently, “I am alive, you are alive, this is enough reason to smile.”

She blinks at me and nods, her eyes trace back and forth in mine.

When she has calmed, she says “The choice to join our house is entirely yours, I will support you wherever you go, even… even if it is not with House Ravena.”

“What do you want?” I ask softly, though I can feel the answer. She means what she says though, I can feel that too.

She looks up at me, biting her lip for a moment before straightening, “I want you to be happy. You deserve that much.”

“Do you think I will be happy here?”

Her brow furrows, which surprises me, “I… I don’t know. My father is not an easy man. I am his only heir, his only child, I fear that he may expect much of you. It could be years, decades…” she winces, “Centuries even until he accepts you enough to allow us… if that’s what you want of course…” she looks up at me, uncertainty in her eyes, “What do you want?”

Smiling softly, “I want you, even if it takes a thousand years to be allowed to brush the hair from your cheek.”

I can feel her heart beating faster as she pulls closer into my embrace, her eyes dancing on my lips as mine dance on hers.

“Okay, time’s up,” Kotina says, pushing a hand between us, “Come on. For fuck’s sake.”

Luna’s cheeks are flushed as she looks at me, there is confidence in her smile now, a confidence that suits her. She often doubts herself, more so than she needs to.

***

Kotina does not rush the walk back, but she does ensure that Luna and I are more than three paces apart. Kotina has me walk a pace behind her, in the way that a squire is supposed to. So that people will think I am one of her recruits.

“The brothers, Haki and Daki, how do they fare?”

“Very good, they train with Dargo almost daily now,” Luna says, there is a spiritedness in her steps since I told her my feelings.

“I was surprised to see Dargo here.”

Kotina grumbles, “Not as surprised as me.”

“How are the twins, Ralia and Salia, are they still with the brothers?”

Luna smiles and nods, “They’re nearly inseparable most days.”

“And Fennec?”

Kotina gives me a glance backward as I say his name, “Fennec is being… Fennec.”

***

When we reach the guest quarters of the eastern side of the temple, I notice that the number of staff has increased considerably. We passed three sets of knight patrols on the way as well. There are Etheric shields between wings as well that hum as we walk through them. It makes the area feel saturated with it. Much of it escapes down the halls and mixes with the planet’s normal amount. There is more than ten times the amount of Etheric Maka in the air compared to the surface of Ora. I can barely feel the whisper of Netheric Maka in the air.

“What is the purpose of these?” I ask Luna.

“They are Etheric mana amplifiers, and standard in most guest areas and noble living spaces…”

“And knight barracks,” Kotina adds.

Luna nods, “They help replenish spent mana.”

“It feels… wasteful.”

“You should see the Imperium’s,” Kotina sighs, shaking her head, “They practically pump it by the cartload into the air. Rich bas…” she stops and adjusts her thick pauldrons, “Anyway, it’s not technically wasteful, the excess flows out into Ravena Minor and helps keep the balance up. The world core engines do the rest.”

I blink at her, “World core engines?”

She looks at me, then back at Luna, “Girl, you’re really going to have to make an effort to educate him on our ways.”

“Effort well spent,” Luna smiles, “I’d be more than happy to teach him, if that’s what he wants.”

“I do.”

Luna pulls back her hair and readjusts her neat braids, “World Core Engines are the main deliverers of Etheric mana in the atmosphere of colonized planets in the Imperium. Without them, planets begin to shift to a more neutral state which can sometimes allow for Krothaspawn to emerge naturally. Once they do, the balance shifts more rapidly, until it’s like Ora, immensely Netheric and for most people inhospitable.”

“Why do they not have those on Ora then?” I ask.

“There’s too much Netherium on Ora to keep it stabilized,” Kotina replies, cracking her neck, “Besides, they wouldn’t divert any Etherium to do that. Not when Kuwathi are resistant enough to keep mining it.”

My eyes lower as we walk, interesting.

“How much of the Etherium supply depends on Ora?” I ask.

“Not much, probably fractional, doubt they’d notice if it stopped producing,” Kotina says, then shooing two knights from a doorway, “This one’s yours.”

The door is ornate with flowing silver patterns that look like a blossoming tree. Luna swipes her holopad across the door, but it flashes red.

“Looks like your father doesn’t want you going inside, pup,” Kotina says with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s hardly improper for an heir to visit a guest of the house.”

“All the same, don’t cause a fuss.”

Luna frowns, but she nods, looking at me, “I will wait out here.”

“Like hells you will,” Kotina sighs, “You’re supposed to be training with Dargo right now.”

“Solara and Korra aren’t, and with Kalon here, I thought…”

“Girl, you know I don’t like that bald bastard, but he is a good teacher. Run along, you can see Kalon later.”

“He’s just woken up, Kotina…”

“It’s fine,” I smile, nodding to Luna, “There will be time later.”

“When is later?” Luna gripes under her breath, but she squares her shoulders again when a patrol of knights approaches, “Thank you for seeing our guest to his chambers, Kotina.” With that she turns and departs.

Kotina motions for me to enter the room, it is large as I enter, larger than Nekam’s Clan chief quarters were. There are windows with sprawling fabric that blow lightly in the breeze. The colors of the fabric shimmer with purple hues. The walls are painted in patterns that match the theme of the door. There are three couches that are placed around a large polished marble table that sits a few paces in front of a large fireplace that has ravens sculpted in stone on the mantle. Black metal pokers with detailed feathers on the end trace with silver down the shaft. There is a pile of freshly cut logs, with a smaller pile of split pieces… I think the Sage called the smaller ones kindling once.

I have never made a fire with trees before, my people used the oil and gas to burn our dead, placing them on pyres that could be reused. This seems inefficient, almost wasteful to cut a tree down for it. Though, I suppose all fire is wasteful.

“Right, there’s a bed over there, and a bathroom over here and… well I’m not one for tours, you’ll figure it out and…”

A knock at the door stops her from finishing.

She looks at the door and tilts her head, “Enter.”

The doors part and I see Fennec, there is a tape he uses to measure coiled on his sleeve, behind him I see Ralia and Salia. They are both smiling broadly as they enter, giving me a sincere tilt of their head. I notice that Fennec’s attire is more tame than he dressed in the city of Tarvashal, less flowing designs and patterns. It’s more plain and purposeful.

“What are you doing here?” Kotina asks, folding her arms.

“I heard he woke up,” he looks me up and down with a frown, “You don’t really expect me to let him see the Primus in that… that… what the hell even is that? A meditube jumpsuit? Gods, you people are savages making him trounce around in that slag.”

“It is good to see you, Fennec,” I smile, raising my arm toward him.

He nods and embraces my arm for a moment before pulling me into a full embrace, “Welcome back.”

Ralia and Salia rush forward and embrace me too, the four of us do not speak as we stand there. The last time that I saw them was after I killed Mallock.

Kotina clears her throat loudly, “Come on then, meeting with the Primus is in less than two hours.”