AuthorSME

  Kus met Kolira’s gaze head-on, refusing to flinch under the weight of her scrutiny. The Mother Superior wasn’t the type to waste words, and if he wanted her cooperation, he needed to keep his pitch sharp, direct, and invaluable.

  “Yesenia is no ordinary woman from our world,” Kus continued, voice smooth but edged with certainty. “What the High Seaweaver doesn’t know is that she was a warden, a jailer of some of the worst criminals in our world. She understands control—”

  Kolira held up a hand, sharp eyes darting to the other ri’bot in the chamber. “Everyone exit… No, not you, Nadraka,” she crified as the quaking High Priestess tried to get to her feet. “I’m not done with you.”

  “…Yes, Mother Superior,” she whispered, vision downcast and distant as sweat slicked out of her pours.

  Kus waited for everyone to exit, the scent of incense and the sound of movement fading. Emelina maintained a dignified, totally still posture, practically invisible while standing slightly back and to his side.

  His gaze remained on the devastated priestess. I feel kind of bad for her… She only wanted to save her cn and bring them out from under the nalvean’s thumbs.

  “True,” the soft-spoken head maid returned through the Nexus, “yet it was not her position to act in the name of her cn. Her actions have brought down a storm upon them that the true leader must now shoulder. In my opinion, it is the Mother Superior who should hold our sympathy.”

  He chuckled inside. And who is the diplomat here?

  “That would be you, Ambassador,” she promptly returned, withholding a small smile. “I may need to punish you for trying to gaslight me into this conversation to just hear my voice.”

  Aww. But it is so lovely that I can’t help but make idle chat, he returned, rubbing his thumbs behind his back as the room cleared. Is it a crime to want to listen to you?

  The dark-haired beauty didn’t reply, making his mind swirl with punishments. Luckily, Kolira saved his thoughts as she engaged him again, distracting him from the private conversation.

  “…Go on.”

  “Of course, Mother Superior,” he stated with a respectful bow. Elluinara stood beside her mother, gripping her scaly elbow; he needed to pay close attention to her in order to identify their emotional responses. Luckily, she spoke ri’bot common well. “Yesenia knows how to rule through fear and an iron fist. There are also…other reports about her personality which trouble me. If the High Ruler does not act, he won’t simply have a rival for his authority—he’ll have a storm incarnate, brewing right under his nose.”

  Elluinara’s red spikes flickered subtly in the light, her expression unreadable. Assessing him. Calcuting. Good. She’s taking me seriously.

  Kolira exhaled through her nostrils, fingers tightening slightly over the parchment she had been reading when they arrived. The tension in her jaw spoke of long-held frustration—frustration that, if Kus pyed this right, he could mold into opportunity.

  “You assume much,” she said at st. “What makes you think your Empress can stabilize the empire when even the High Ruler is struggling to keep his council unified after her appearance? Elluinara has heard whispered discussions that…only yesterday would have been considered treasonous.”

  Kus allowed himself a small smile, knowing full well how to make his next words hit like a bde between the ribs. “Because unlike him, my Empress controls death itself.”

  Silence. Heavy, weighted, filled with unspoken tension.

  Emelina’s internal hum made it clear that she wasn’t sure if that was the right py.

  It was. He knew it.

  Elluinara’s fingers twitched at her sides, her thick tail momentarily pausing in its elegant movements. Nadraca, still kneeling, dared to gnce up, her expression flickering between uncertainty and cautious hope. After all, she’d experienced it herself and was a witness.

  Kolira, to her credit, did not react as outwardly as the others. But Kus saw it—the briefest flicker in her frost-blue eyes, the tightening of her grip on the parchment. A chink in the armor. “Is that true?”

  Nadraca cleared her throat, taking a deep breath and performing a hand sign. “Yes… I’ve seen it personally. Elder Chief Valdar struck a bargain with her of some kind…but Elder Chief Krava believes she will be the destruction of the valley and,” she gnced at him uncertainly before mumbling, “and chose to seek a War Council with the Great Cns of the Eastern Pins.”

  Emelina casually gnced at the door behind them. “This could change everything.”

  No, I’m sure she values Valdar’s opinion more than Kravas. Trusting a truly wise Mystic versus a warlord, like Krava, is only natural for a culture such as theirs, not entrenched in valley traditions.

  “And that is why you are the ambassador, Ambassador.”

  He felt his undead pulse quicken at her low, inviting tone, practically designed to make him shiver. How can such an innocent woman have such dangerous hands?

  “Innocent, sir? Perhaps I put a spell on you because I’d think that thought dashed from your mind st night. I must devise a new punishment.”

  The dark-eyed woman was truly an assassin of the heart, both figuratively and physically. Kolira saved him, leaning back and running her fingers over her chest while gncing at Elluinara.

  “…Someone with the power to return the dead to life? Well, that is something frightening…and powerful. I can see why Valdar chose to keep her close. At least, it piqued my interest. What else do you have to say?”

  “The Nalvean Empire is fracturing. The City-States are in turmoil. The High Ruler has no true allies in his own court. But my Empress? She has already conquered an entire valley of warring cns in mere weeks, obtaining support from the hero Valdar. She took the valley cns, a people who have spent centuries fighting among themselves, and made them kneel. She did what your High Ruler has failed to do.”

  Elluinara made a few sharp gestures with her hand that communicated something to the Mother Superior, her rapid, cwed finger movements agitated, yet hesitant.

  “Mmm. Agreed.” Kolira’s gaze turned gcial. “That was bold, Ambassador… Dangerous. And yet, your Empress is not High Ruler. She is not even here. I’m not sure if you’re boasting of her or attempting to diminish the High Ruler. A small cluster of ri’bot are insignificant compared to the Nalvean Empire.”

  Kus chuckled. “Oh, forgive my infmmatory statements. I am sure but…to be fair, I have never seen your empire or your rulers. I can only judge what I know.”

  “That…is a fair assessment,” Kolira mumbled, sounding slightly agitated. “When will your Empress make the journey?”

  “When I obtain an audience,” he repeated with a welcoming smile. “Can you imagine how it would look if the northern valley’s conqueror just…marched into your capital? In the spirit of neighbors, I assume you understand leverage, Mother Superior…”

  “I do?”

  “Indeed. So, you stand in a position where your words could tip the scales in the High Ruler’s favor… Introducing a potentially powerful ally comes with great rewards. But if you sit idle, if you allow Yesenia’s influence to grow unchecked, then when the tides shift, as they quickly are now, you’ll find yourself with no seat at the table.”

  That struck a nerve.

  Kolira leaned back, studying him. Then, slowly, her gaze flicked to Elluinara. “You were always so certain that the High Ruler needed more allies to compete with the growing influence of the City-States,” she murmured. “What do you think of this human’s proposal?”

  Elluinara hesitated, her long tail curling slightly behind her. Her polished blue scales caught the dim lighting of the chamber, shimmering like the tide just before a storm.

  “I think,” she said carefully, “that the High Ruler cannot afford to be blind to the power of someone who can raise the dead. Whether we approve of them or not, they appear to exist and are growing. Their Empress is in its early stages. So, strategically…if we ignore her, we will only be pying defense while Yesenia takes the offense. In addition, they come from the same world, as I understand it.”

  Kolira’s silence spoke volumes.

  Emelina internally voiced what she was no doubt thinking.

  “That framing is quite the hazard for us… We do come from the same world, which means this could be a plot and we are working together.”

  Even if that’s true, Kus mused, it isn’t as if they have the luxury to turn our offered hand away. When we first came here, we thought we were the ones at a disadvantage. Now, however…there is a threat. And we have the counterbance.

  Nadraca, emboldened by the shift in atmosphere, dared to speak. “If—if an audience is granted…then the Cvex can stand as a bridge. We can solidify our position within the empire while aiding the High Ruler… Couldn’t we?”

  Kus suppressed a smirk. There it is. The need for relevance. The desperate attempt to recim authority.

  Kolira exhaled through her nose and set the parchment aside. “I will consider this.”

  “Is that enough?”

  Not nearly enough…

  “How greedy,” she chortled, lidded eyes drifting toward him. “Be sure not to push too hard…or there could be consequences, like st night.”

  Kus took a calcuted step forward, suppressing the invisible finger tracing his spine. “Mother Superior, you are not a woman who ‘considers’ things. You act. You had to during the Fire Wars. You shape outcomes. That is why your people look to you.” He paused, letting his words sink in. “You already know what must be done.”

  Kolira’s lips pressed together in a thin line. Then, after a long pause, she nodded. “Very well. But on one condition.”

  “Can you feel the animal’s teeth at your throat?”

  I do…but not theirs, he returned, momentarily meeting her hungry eyes. I’ve got my own weapon, though. You can outrun the devil, but you ain’t going to outrun me, madam.

  Kus returned Kolira’s gaze and inclined his head, waiting.

  She turned to Nadraca. “You will serve as our representative to this…Undying Empire.”

  Nadraca’s eyes widened. “What—me? But after everything I—”

  “The difference,” Kolira coldly interrupted, “is that this is something I sanction. Unlike your previous reckless ventures. If you wish to make amends, then you will do it under my authority, not your own.”

  The High Priestess swallowed hard, but after a moment, she lowered her head. “I accept.”

  Kolira’s attention returned to Kus, attempting to ward off the head maid’s hounding eyes; she had an appetite he was still getting used to underneath all that decorum and outward perfection.

  “Your Empress will have her audience. I will have Elluinara secure the channels necessary to petition one of a few authorities. We can only hope one will be willing to hear you out, if only out of curiosity. Just sending a message to the High Ruler will be a challenge. But Elluinara has the authority to…attempt to reach one of those on that small list.”

  A direct invitation would have been ideal. But this was still better than expected.

  Kus fshed a charming smile, more for the woman next to him than the ri’bot since they hadn’t learned their facial expressions. “A wise decision, Mother Superior.”

  Kolira did not return the pleasantry. “I know.”

  “She bites.”

  As does someone else, I know.

  He exhaled through his nose, pleased despite himself. Step one—complete. Now, they just needed to move fast. He turned to Elluinara. “How soon can we meet with one of these representatives so that I may convince them?”

  Elluinara now shifted away, fidgeting with the silks on her arm, her voice somewhat nervous. “That…is a good question. If you come with me into the capital, then we can discuss it further. All of them have strict schedules, but I can attempt to arrange it now…probably.”

  Kus didn’t hesitate. “Then let’s do it.”

  Emelina’s inner demon settled slightly as she gave him an emotionless look that didn’t reflect her voice in their internal conversation. “Something her mother said is making her nervous… Shall I accompany you, Ambassador?”

  Kus stepped to the side as Kolira instructed Nadraca to stay and moved with the nalvean woman out of the temple.

  “While I’d love your hypnotic voice picking at my brain with that knife you keep up your skirt, there are other tasks I need supervised. For being in their seventies, Maite and Pao are a real problem.”

  Indeed, they are, Emelina sighed, hands held perfectly at her front while maintaining an even distance behind them. As are a few of the other maids who are enjoying their new immortality, youth, and…abilities.

  He chuckled at her entertained chuckle. Of course, she’d never let them know their antics amused her since she was their disciplinary officer.

  Coordinate the maids. Gather intelligence. We need leverage before we step into the capital and it seems the two old women have caught something juicy… What? He felt the chilly gre on the back of his head and swiftly amended his statement. Eh…age is just a number when you’re dead, right?

  The much older woman behind him gave the slightest whisper of a ugh. Hmm. I wonder how much silk I can collect. Perhaps ruined articles are thrown away. Worry not, though, I’ll find plenty of dark silk for tonight.

  He gnced back, unable to restrain licking his dry lips. He wanted to ask what the silk was for, but knew he wouldn’t get an answer. The former cartel assassin shifted trajectory to leave him with the nalvean Seaweaver.

  …Happy hunting.

  “Oh, that will come tonight, sir. I will sharpen my teeth.”

  Kus swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked after her, only getting a half-turned smirk before Emelina slipped into the shadows. He could hear her words in his head, lingering on the back of his throat and the nape of his neck from the heat and electricity he’d experienced the previous night.

  He exhaled sharply, forcing his focus back to the present. The Mother Superior’s temple loomed behind him, its incense-heavy air still thick in his mind, but now, his steps followed Elluinara, guiding him deeper into the Cvex-controlled district toward the river’s edge.

  The streets bustled with activity. Would that continue when they learned one of their most notable warriors had been executed by the nalvean court, and without even allowing for appeal? Would the Mother Superior even tell them? Was this normal?

  Though there was an undercurrent of unease that Kus had grown adept at recognizing. It likely came from the tension brewing from the nalvean people themselves. Word traveled fast—by nightfall, whispers of Yesenia’s ascension and Lacord’s death would likely spread far beyond these streets.

  Elluinara led Kus toward the river, discussing random topics rather than touching on what he really wanted to know—who they were going to see.

  A Cvex-operated boat awaited them once they arrived. The vessel, while sturdy, bore signs of patchwork repairs—likely from the frequent storms that pgued the wet season. The st few weeks had been intense when it came to weather.

  Kus stepped onto the deck, feeling the subtle rock of the river beneath his feet. The sky loomed overhead in a darkened swirl, thick storm clouds brooding in the distance. If there was one thing he learned about this pce and jungles…it was that it rained a lot.

  He frowned, gncing at Elluinara as one of the topics struck his interest. “You mentioned upriver travel is difficult this time of year,” he said, motioning toward the restless waters and approaching clouds from the northern valley. “This isn’t normal, is it?”

  The Seaweaver’s red-glowing spikes flickered subtly as she assessed the river with a trained gaze. “No,” she admitted, eyes narrowing. “The storms have been intensifying… Especially the st one a few days ago. This isn’t just seasonal—it’s something else. It is why the High Seaweaver’s procmation about Yesenia holds such weight.”

  Kus crossed his arms, thoughtful. Yesenia’s presence…could it be affecting the elements? If the Empress holds power over the dead…perhaps Yesenia truly has simir strength in her abilities. That’s an unsettling thought that needs investigating.

  The Cvex helmsman called out, signaling their departure. With a hard push from the riverbank, the vessel glided into the current, heading toward the opposite side of the city.

  It didn’t take them as long as he thought it would to reach the other side, or perhaps it was just his active mind blinding him to the passage of time.

  As they neared Shi’Shuka’s waterfront, the sight that awaited them was nothing short of breathtaking. Colossal nalvean ships, their gem-encrusted hulls reflecting the light like a kaleidoscope, rested in the harbor. They were something out of the old pirate war movies, giant galleons that were even rger than those to some extent. It seemed engineering was the same on Earth as it was here because the designs were simir.

  The docks themselves were a spectacle of efficiency and grandeur. Towering crane-like structures, no doubt enhanced by Seaweaver technology, moved with mechanical precision, loading and unloading cargo with ease. Kus noted how the nalveans carried themselves with rigid discipline, their mannerisms refined yet subtly aggressive—a people used to power and status. And there were many of them, which far outnumbered the ri’bot. Valley and Cvex.

  On the upper walkways, merchants paraded their silk wares, dispying the dark, shimmering fabrics reserved for the elite. Silk color dictated rank, and he’d heard Nadraca talk about the forbidden sale of extremely rare hues, doing so discreetly, tucked into the alleys where nobles conducted their business in whispered tones.

  Corruption abounds… It tracks in a heavily influenced trade empire. Some guards turn the other way or are on the take. Interesting. A lot can be done in a system like this with the right pressure and capital.

  Kus took mental notes. Silk was power. Silk was fashion. Silk was currency.

  That would be useful.

  The moment Kus stepped onto the city’s stone pathways, the difference between Cvex territory and the empire’s heart was stark.

  Shi’Shuka was alive. Their nguage was a mix of lizard-like noises and hand gestures he couldn’t understand. He’d need to find a corpse for the Empress before she arrived.

  Massive tiered pagoda-like structures lined the skyline, their rooftops cascading into sweeping eaves, much like the ones he had seen in ancient Asian civilizations. But beneath their beauty y the imposing strength of an empire built to st—pyramidal paces, carved into the hillsides, each one radiating status and power.

  It was as if the whole city had been built between two split, giant rivers and a mountain range. Runes and sacred engravings adorned the walls, depicting the legends of the empire’s rise, its victories over lesser states, and the divine favor bestowed upon its rulers, or so Elluinara expined.

  Kus walked with purpose, drinking in the city’s hierarchy. The way people moved, the way conversations hushed near certain figures, the subtle tilts of their heads when speaking to one another, even if he couldn’t understand the words—these were the tells of a society built on formality and dominance.

  Elluinara gnced at him. “I can see you studying everything.”

  Kus smiled. “Observation is key to survival, Lady.”

  She hummed. “Then you’ve likely noticed the fashion rules here. Be careful not to touch anything you’re not meant to. Oh, wonderful…we’re drawing a lot of attention. I suppose your kind has never been seen before and bears resembnce to some of their old deities.”

  Humans who lived here in the past? Possible. If those Crystals can transport people through time, maybe someone was sent into the past. Or, this isn’t the only time they’ve appeared on earth.

  His eyes flicked toward a group of nalvean women, their intricately wrapped tail silks marking their station. Across from them, a male vendor adjusted his stall—but never once touched the garments on dispy. A female attendant handled specific merchandise, even if he was the owner.

  “Taboos are important to note,” he agreed. “It seems there is a distinctive difference between how males and females address silk fashion. Are there any male specific items?”

  Her reptilian mouth twitched and she looked down at him with a short chuckle that sounded like a popping fire. “What? No. Well, other than those of specific nobility and the heads of those estates that happen to be male.”

  “Yeah, those I wouldn’t count,” he muttered, enjoying the culture crash course, but also burning to know more details about who they were going to see. There was a reason why she was hesitating, though. The question was, should he push the topic before she worked up to it?

  As they moved toward the pace district, Elluinara grew more fidgety and kept gncing down at him. “I understand you are…new to our world. But the High Ruler’s court is… No, all female nalveans are, ahem, highly sensitive to outside influences,” she said, voice measured and somewhat hoarse. “Tell me, does your Empress have any, umm…dealings with the Goriex Holy Empire? She is female, as well. Correct? The gender that gives birth?”

  A new nation? Fascinating.

  Kus frowned, attempting to pick apart her hesitation. The Empress having children had not been something he’d personally had thoughts about, but there was a maid who had broached the interesting question.

  “I…cannot speak as to our Empress’ ability to give birth, but she is of the female sex. Is…there some sort of connection between the nalveans and goriex as it pertains to reproduction? I’ve never heard of them. We have only been within the valley for a few months.”

  “R-Reproductive connection—between us and the goriex?!” Elluinara’s tail flicked sharply, coughing and shaking herself out as if she’d been doused in mud. A few of the samander-like creatures gnced at them in question but soon turned away. “No. Absolutely not! Never!”

  “Point taken,” he mused, adding the reaction to his growing list of mannerisms. It seemed the key difference between male and female was the thickness of their tails, as well; the male’s were thinner. “No. I have never heard of the goriex, but the Empress may have since I have been away for a time.”

  Her glowing spikes dimmed with a relieved sigh, the tension in her muscles easing. “No. That is good… Very good.”

  Her reaction piqued his curiosity. “And why is that? Are you two at war?”

  She hesitated, then lowered her voice and shook her head, drawing closer.

  “They are a race of…tree-like beings,” she expined, nose twisting as disgust ced with her words. “The goriex reside in the Duskfallen Woods, far beyond to the northwest of our empire and west of the valley you reside in. They rule a Holy Empire…one that nalvean women despise.”

  Kus arched a brow. “Despise?”

  She nodded emphatically, seemingly mirroring him and showing she was studying their mannerisms as much as they theirs. “The goriex can, mmm…can manipute the minds of males. Not through magic, I believe, but through some…other process. Pheromones, perhaps. It is unclear. A male under their influence is utterly devoted to them, sometimes to the point of madness and they…collect races.”

  Kus slowed with her, a small curve lifting the corner of his mouth as he put two and two together. The men probably enjoyed it, a lot, and that had created a massive cultural backsh amongst the nalvean men. The woman kept going, as if speaking about devils.

  “We aren’t…technically at war with them,” she winced, likely welcoming such a prospect. “After the Great War against the White God, their—ugh. Their Duchess, their second most powerful figure, comes every decade to…negotiate trade terms with our High Ruler after our united war. All very public, of course. She is given a female guard detail the entire time she is within our territory,” she assured, more to herself than him, he thought.

  Kus exhaled slowly. Now that is a murky line… No doubt the Empress will want to meet these people and gain undead from it. This sounds like the thing that could lead to a literal gender uprising, with the women revolting—bordering on genocidal. A survival, pride, and insecurity festering from a supernatural power to take their men… Wow, what will Emelina think about this? Wait…

  Brow furrowing, a small twitch lifted his lips. We have so few humans… Mmm. If they can breed with any species, then does that include undead? Well, this is certainly a sticky topic.

  Elluinara continued expining the depths at which the enmity existed between the female nalveans and goriex. “If even a rumor spreads that a High Ruler is consorting with one—especially one like the Duchess—it could colpse the empire from within… In days! It has happened before—civil wars have erupted over mere accusations four hundred years ago with the High Ruler’s father.”

  He tapped his fingers against his wrist, absorbing the weight of her words. Deep-seated political divides. Entire histories of resentment.

  “That is good to know,” he finally said. “I will let my Empress know.”

  Elluinara visibly rexed. “Good. That means she won’t have to fight to justify her public image before she even enters it.”

  Kus rubbed his chin while watching the divide between the male and female silks. There probably was some connection between that and the previous gender war. Obviously, the women won, and handily. Still, the High Ruler retained his seat…somehow.

  That had his imagination spinning.

  The goriex were a time bomb waiting to explode. If anyone tried to frame them for an alliance, things could spiral fast. Yet, the High Ruler had been able to come to some kind of agreement with Ke’Thra’Ma’s threat looming over all the surrounding nations.

  It can be navigated… Just carefully. It could also provide a lot of leverage, he mused to himself. One accusation, and I could have every woman in the empire rising to my banner. Yeah, I can use that kind of bomb.

  The pace loomed ahead, pulling him out of his internal reverie. Clearly, they were going to see someone important if they were coming here—a fortress of elegance and intimidation. Not nearly the full size and breadth of the Bck Fortress-City of the valley, but at least a tenth its size, keeping its Asian and Egyptian-themed mixed architecture.

  Massive archways carved with storm and sea motifs framed the entrance, while waterfalls cascaded into gem-encrusted basins, their waters dyed with brilliant shades of crimson and sapphire.

  As they stepped onto pace grounds, a formation of royal guards moved to fnk them.

  They weren’t guests anymore, it seemed. They were under escort.

  The leader of the escort stepped forward—a scarlet-scaled officer with a rigid military posture. Elluinara leaned in to whisper her name and a little about her as they were held, awaiting her arrival—Lieutenant Castel.

  A decorated Jokorama City-State soldier who had earned her pce in the Royal Army of the High Ruler. Her serpentine tail coiled behind her with rigid precision, a weapon, for sure with its metal-like club at the end. She had won a prestigious military competition, making her one of the most formidable warriors in the empire. She certainly was intimidating.

  She studied him, her golden reptilian eyes unblinking.

  After a few gestures between the Seaweaver and lieutenant, she swapped to ri’bot common. “You will follow.”

  No pleasantries. No formalities. Just raw, unchallenged authority.

  Elluinara bowed slightly, offering a proper Nalvean greeting, before stepping beside Kus.

  Kus adjusted his proper suit cuffs and shifted his hands behind his back as a squadron of eight very capable scaled samanders surrounded them. At least they gave them a bit of privacy with their distance.

  “Perhaps it’s time you finally tell me who we’re going to see and why and not the other options your mother mentioned.”

  Elluinara’s tongue flicked out before she whispered, “Princess Tal’tamine, the youngest daughter of the High Ruler.”

  Well…that escated! he thought.

  The weight of the revetion settled in his chest, but Kus was quick to shove aside the implications. He walked with measured steps, following Lieutenant Castel and her escort deeper into Shi’Shuka’s inner sanctum. Elluinara remained by his side, her tail swaying with a reserved grace, though her earlier tension had yet to ease.

  The storm brewing in the distance was shifting away from them now as the winds changed, as if an otherworldly force had swept it to the east. At least that terrible storm was leaving. Thinking back, the residents appeared to know it wouldn’t hit them.

  His thoughts drifted to everything they had discussed, and though the storm brewing around Yesenia and the Goriex Holy Empire intrigued him, he needed to focus on the next immediate step—getting into the good graces of Princess Tal’tamine.

  “You haven’t told me why you chose to arrange this meeting with the princess instead of the other options,” Kus noted, keeping his voice low but casual. “Seems…a bit higher on the totem pole than I expected.”

  Elluinara’s glowing red spikes flickered faintly, a tell of hesitation that he’d picked up on. “The decision was not made lightly. Every avenue had…complications. You wanted to speak to the High Ruler. Could just anyone speak to your Empress?”

  He tilted his head to the side, recognizing her counter. Perhaps most could right now, but as they grew, most definitely not. Her time was too important to waste on random visits which is why she had the Serving Court.

  Then again, so far as he could tell, Elluinara was on the Seaweaver Council, which was somewhat like Congress in the U.S. She represented a specific area of Seaweavers as the brightest and best out of that area. Yet, she was very young for the office, even if she sat on one of an oversight committee—one that governed the creation of Seaweaver-powered machines, with their special control over water.

  The real reason was probably more to do with her origins, being raised by a ri’bot mother. She likely was the subject of bullying and had some internal problems to overcome, or so he’d mapped so far. That could change at a moment’s notice.

  She gestured toward the massive structures as they walked past the stunning mosaic-den walls of the pace, the engraved stonework gleaming in the noonday sun.

  “There are only a few avenues you can go when attempting to meet with the High Ruler. I can start with Special Counselor Imiruba.”

  Elluinara exhaled softly as she looked after the powerful presence of the officer in front of them. “The Special Counselor is the High Ruler’s most trusted confidant, but he is also notoriously cautious. He doesn’t act unless the benefits are overwhelming. If I approached his wing of the pace I would be turned away without a long-scheduled appointment.”

  Good. Keep feeding me information.

  He remained silent, allowing the chatty, nervous nalvean woman to continue.

  “Imperial Head Captain, mgmh.” Her fingers tensed over her silk, a habit he’d come to recognize as an indicator of unease. “Imperial Head Captain Hakara is…an enforcer, not a politician. His loyalty is to the High Ruler and the structure of the empire. If Yesenia’s presence has not yet been beled a military threat, he won’t interfere, not unless the High Ruler commands it directly.”

  Kus clicked his tongue. “So, I assume that leaves the royal family next since your boss isn’t going to give me the time of day.”

  Elluinara nodded as they crossed a high-arched bridge spanning over a reflective pond, the vibrant, unique fishes gliding beneath them like rippling shards of gemstones. “I considered Eldest Prince Micru’Jire, but…” Her tail flicked, as if resisting the very mention of his name.

  He smirked. “A little too unpredictable?”

  “Not…exactly. He’s a snake,” she muttered under her breath so the others didn’t hear. “A charming one, but dangerous. He does nothing for free, and I doubt we could afford the price of his assistance. In fact, worse, if we can’t pay it, he’d bring your presence up to Yesenia before we could get anywhere.”

  “Mmm. I take it there are a few other figures you ruled out?”

  “The Eldest Princess.” Elluinara gave a short, sharp nod. “She is… not fond of her own gender for…competitive reasons, I’m told, nor does she take kindly to outsiders. If I approached her, she would either reject me outright or demand something humiliating in return,” her scaled cheeks somehow darkened along her snout, seemingly embarrassment.

  “So that leaves the youngest?”

  “Out of the many others… Yes. Princess Tal’tamine is the least embroiled in court politics. She’s observant but cautious, and unlike her siblings, she still has an open mind about the changing world around her. In addition, she is the High Ruler’s favorite.”

  Wonderful news!

  Kus took that in stride, cataloging the information as the entrance to the royal gardens came into view. Massive floral archways of woven vines and imported trees framed the gateway, the air fragrant with an array of exotic scents.

  Lieutenant Castel came to a halt before the gate and motioned for them to stop. “The princess is inside. You will wait…human,” she said, more forcefully, as if tasting it on her tongue.

  Kus raised a brow. No eboration? Just commands. He could respect that.

  As the escort held their position, Castel strode into the gardens with two other guards to inform the princess of their arrival as the rest boxed him in.

  It suddenly hit him as he saw Elluinara’s stiff muscles.

  Her whole life is on the line even taking me here… Her position. The Calvex Cn. Everything… I’m some random creature from who knows where, yet she’s putting her life on the line to give me an audience that…in all honesty, I shouldn’t get.

  Kus took the moment to absorb the lush botanical marvel before him while considering the severity of the situation. The Cvex’s position was a harsh one, for sure, but this nalvean girl, raised by the Mother Superior, seemed to connect with the toads more over her own people.

  He let the thoughts stew as he observed.

  The gardens were unlike anything he had seen thus far in their empire. Rows of pnts, seemingly meticulously arranged by color and region from the pieces he’d collected from Elluinara, stretched out in a carefully controlled dispy of foreign ecology. Rare flowers from distant nds, including specimens from the Goriex Holy Empire, stood side by side with local nalvean flora.

  Despite the deep-seated hatred nalvean women had for the goriex, their botanical fruits were still here. Questioning a soldier as he waited, he got uneasy looks from the man as the only female guarding him gred daggers at him. With some sweet talk and ‘shared comradery’ in the hatred of the mysterious sex trees, he got his answers.

  The Holy Empire’s trees were not simply grown—they were cultivated like living sculptures, their bark twisting into intricate spirals, and their leaves shimmering with unnatural luminescence. Their whole nd was entrenched in unique variants of life.

  They also expined why Tal’tamine spends her time here. A schor, not a warrior or schemer, was assigned to teach her about the world, which included the goriex nds. Apparently, ordered straight from her father. The dy samander compined about the stink of the pce three times in their conversation.

  Before he could analyze further, Castel returned, fnked by a timid but poised nalvean woman draped in soft pastel silks—Princess Tal’tamine.

  You actually did it! I won’t forget this, Elluinara.

  The princess’ scales were a shimmering gradient of blue and green, the hues blending like ocean waves beneath the setting sun. From what little he’d seen of the markets, and the Seaweaver’s ramblings, he judged her silk wraps were quite modest yet elegant, and instead of a metallic headpiece, she wore a single, polished stone neckce. Her tail was shorter than Castel’s due to the girl’s younger age, but moved with practiced precision of a woman of her rank, hinting at a restrained power beneath her gentle exterior.

  She fidgeted with the hem of her sleeves—not fear or caution—her eyes flicking toward him with thinly veiled curiosity before returning to Elluinara.

  Elluinara performed a traditional Seaweaver greeting, making a gesture over her chest. “Princess, this is Kus Klossner, the Ambassador from the Undying Empire.”

  Tal’tamine nodded slightly before gncing at him once more, her eyes taking in every inch of him as she slowly moved around him. No words, only intense scrutiny, as if a scalpel, dissecting him with her eyes.

  Kus tilted his head in acknowledgment and repeated Elluinara’s gesture. “An honor, Your Highness. I hope this is acceptable. I am still learning your customs and apologize for not knowing your nguage.”

  She hesitated, then spoke carefully in perfect ri’bot Common. “How…fascinating. Your…accent is indistinguishable from a native from the valley. No, it fluctuates as I try to change regional dialects. And what…exquisite fabric you wear. Unique. I doubt my father’s are as fair.”

  Really? She knows ri’bot regional dialects? This girl is going pces!

  He smirked. “I’m sure my Empress would be more than willing to show you the fruits of our empire but consider me speechless to your observational prowess and nguage feats. Language is one of the powers of my Empress, to grant her followers any she can speak. I was told my kind has never been seen before. I imagine I look unnatural to you. Feel free to examine me at will.”

  She shifted her weight, deliberating before gncing at Elluinara. “I have seen enough for a preliminary examination. You say…he speaks multiple ri’bot tongues?”

  Elluinara nodded. “Fluently. Not the Cvex, but it is close.”

  Tal’tamine’s golden eyes brightened with interest as she gestured for them to walk with her. “Not only that but I hear the Ethereal’s intonation. One that is almost extinct and I am still struggling to learn from one of my tutors. He speaks with more fluidity than Minister Ralsae. Join me.”

  Yeah, she’s a genius, for sure. No wonder she’s the High Ruler’s favorite child. If he’s anything like her, we could be in trouble.

  “Well…tell me about your Empire,” she requested, bright eyed and ready to learn. Her tutor came into view, by the scroll in his hand and a quizzical eye leveled on him. “I wish to know. You come from the north, yes? The valley of warring cns who took over the area where the campaign against the White God took pce? Where the torturous city rests?”

  Torturous city? I suppose to them it would be, considering it seemed to take a decade to even breach, and only when the God King was dead.

  Kus nodded, walking beside her as they strolled through the vibrant pathways. “Yes, and you ftter my Empress with your praise. The valley to the north has long been home to warring ri’bot cns, as I am sure you are aware. Likely far more than I, who only came to this world a few months ago. Our Empress is in the process of uniting them under a single banner with the war hero and Grand Pnt Caller, Valdar—a feat he thought impossible before her arrival.”

  Tal’tamine hummed thoughtfully, her fingers brushing over the petals of a softly glowing flower. “The war hero Valdar? I recognize his name. He is one of only five ri’bot recorded in our history of that war, one of which being the Ethereal Cn and their sacrifice which supposedly took the Bck King with them.”

  Now that is something Garu would be starving to hear! I’ll need to get more details on what the nalveans know about that battle ter. Valdar is big enough to be recorded, though, which means we have standing with his name attached.

  “Yes,” he confirmed. “Elder Chief Valdar has supported our Empress and is one of her greatest allies. He will likely join us here soon.”

  Tal’tamine’s tail twitched slightly, a movement of interest rather than arm. “He would…be welcome. His name is respected and there are still records I must obtain from him regarding his perspective of the war. I enjoy history so much, yet there isn’t enough to satisfy me here, despite all the records in the Royal Library.”

  Kus noted the shift in her demeanor—less hesitation, more engagement. This was promising.

  She paused near a spiraling white tree, her fingers tracing the bark. “Your story has already interested me since the moment Councillor Elluinara told me you came from another world,” she admitted, gncing at her with a touch of uncertainty before returning to him. “I would like to hear more.”

  He recognized the opening when he saw it. A spark of genuine curiosity—a door not yet closed. Yet, there was also something…off about the comparison from what Elluinara had told him about her and how bright and voracious her appetite for knowledge was. Still, he wasn’t going to get an opportunity like this again, and he knew Elinor would take it.

  Kus bowed slightly, his smile warm and making the same gesture he did before. “I would be honored, Your Highness.”

  Tal’tamine inhaled, then gave a decisive nod. “Wonderful, then, Castel, I will sign his permit to have access to the city and pace during visiting hours.”

  Yahtzee!

  Kus suppressed a victorious smirk, offering a respectful incline of his head. “I appreciate your generosity, Princess.”

  He gnced toward Castel, who was observing the exchange with impassive scrutiny. He could feel her disapproval and caution, but an order from the princess seemed definitive. He had to push for one more permit, though.

  “Would…my companion, Emelina, also be granted access, Princess?”

  Tal’tamine’s head tilted to the side as if in thought, her gaze fixated not on his vouching Seaweaver but his reaction. Several tense seconds passed before she smiled.

  “I see, she is one who is close to you. You shared a bed with her st night and is also of your humankind. It would be prudent to understand you as a pair,” she chimed. “Yes.”

  Kus maintained his smile, but a pit opened in his stomach. …Forget genius. This girl is terrifying. The Empress will love it here.

  He kept his relief and misgivings masked yet knew at this point nothing would get past this princess. He nodded in gratitude. “Thank you.”

  As the meeting concluded, the elderly nalvean tutor, dressed in flowing robes, stepped forward, his gaze was sharp, brimming with intrigue. “If only you maintained this level of concentration during our lessons, Princess. And Ambassador…if your Empress wields power over the dead, as we have been informed of, then she is more than just a political leader?”

  Kus held his stare and suppressed a wide grin.

  “Yes.”

  The tutor’s expression remained unreadable. “I see. Hmm. Simir to the Holy Brace of the Goriex… The High Ruler will want to hear of this.”

  Kus wanted to throw up his hands and dance. No, he would when he got back with Emelina. The seed was pnted. Whether the princess recommended it or not. Their Empress would have her meeting.

  It was just a matter of time.

  Now, to send their Empress a letter.

  We’re in.

  AuthorSME