Wind and Fire

[wolf329]

The foreshadowing is fantastic, and even though the outcome is almost clear the suspense is still there. Well done.

[Snoofman]

Yo, I have gone back and made a few changes to chapters 7 and 8. Instead of a Male Monastery residing at the Palace, the Male Monastery will reside elsewhere. In the next chapter(s), it will reside on the outskirts of Toridas. Next chapters are coming soon.

[Dan Wyatt]

Nice!

[Snoofman]

Wind and Fire - Chapter 10

-

Torrai Ironforge loved strategy games. During her off-duty time when she could afford to leave her first officer in charge of her ship, Blaze, Ironforge would lounge in her personal quarters to run fleet battle simulations and even build digital civilisations. Torrais were not just expected to be triumphant warriors; Torrais had to be competent enough to run a civilisation and learn how to hire the right sort of ministry, both military and civilian, if their rank granted such authority.

Now Ironforge was playing against Torrai Bluestreak from Curved Knife over a secure channel. Their game: Rise of the Sun. A cutting-edge simulation game in which players could either work together to build a civilization or be pitted against each other’s opposing worlds. The purpose of the game was to govern a planet’s infrastructure and devote resources to building a military force substantial enough to conquer or destroy the opposing world. A player could rule over their simulated world and achieve victory by any means necessary, but there were consequences for a player’s ruling actions. If a player poured too much into her naval fleet, for instance, her civilization would destabilize. Or funding for her digital forces would dry up if the planet’s limited resource points were drained. The game was highly recommended for Torrais studying at the Academy to teach officers and officers-to-be not just good military strategy, but the importance of upholding moral codes, enforcing logical policies and the basics of good leadership and governance.

The game also allowed a player the option of either remaining on surface or in orbit of their planet, in which the player’s resource supply and defence stats were boosted. Or the player could jump into the opponent’s star system and be rewarded a higher attack level. The simulated civilzation and navy would even continue automatically if the player’s avatar perished, so victory was technically possible even in ‘death’.

For five thousand solons, Ironforge deflected every attack by her opponent and built a strong and successful world to bolster her defences forces while at the same time began building a secret strike group. But Ironforge had grown tired of the stalemate. After compiling the largest fleet in the history of her simulated world, Ironforge’s avatar led the assault into Bluestreak’s star system.

“Here I come,” Ironforge spoke over their secure channel. Her strike group blasted its way through Bluestreak’s fleet.

“A wise warrior does not announce her attack to her enemy,” Bluestreak responded as she struggled to repel the invaders of her star system. “Ugh, why are you winning?”

“Because your tactics are meager,” Ironforge said with a cocky grin. “You can quit if you don’t like it.”

“Never,” Bluestreak said, refusing to yield even as Ironforge’s fleet tore through her defence forces. “Besides, how else am I going to alleviate boredom? We’ve been stuck at Rubat for two days now. Why are we even here?”

“Obviously, because our Emperor sent us here eight standard days ago,” said Ironforge.

“To find and apprehend a Delrias from House Rubon and ascertain where he and his ship have been travelling to within the Great Wastelands. Yes, I know,” Bluestreak huffed with frustration. “What I mean is ‘why’? This seems more like a job for Hidden Dagger. Or a scout corvette. Instead the Emperor dispatches your ship and mine from the Capital Fleet to follow a Delrias escort frigate suspected of smuggling. The rest of the mission objectives withheld from us. Given only to that pathological Operative the Emperor sent us!”

“Careful!” Ironforge blurted out, getting momentarily distracted from their game. “That Mizol you just insulted has close ties with the Emperor. You don’t want to ‘mysteriously’ disappear, do you?”

Bluestreak just snorted. “Just as long as that… damnable, unorthodox Mizol doesn’t try any tricks on my ship.”

“Your ship?!” Ironforge said incredulously. “What have you to complain about? She’s residing on my ship in case you need reminding.”

“Even so, if she does anything that I deem inappropriate,” Bluestreak said, “I will march right onto your vessel and jettison that unorthodox Operative into space. And I will gladly take full responsibility for it.”

Ironforge shrugged. “Well, better your head than mine.”

“How considerate of you,” Bluestreak said back. “Not!”

The game seemed to be coming to a close as Bluestreak’s forces were wiped out and Ironforge moved in for the kill as they began bombarding Bluestreak’s planet.

“So you chose to hide your avatar somewhere on the surface. Oh well! Guess I’m just going to have to bomb you from orb-” Ironforge never got to finish gloating as dozens of lightning fast bolts shot from the surface of the digital world and exploded her avatar’s ship. “What?! Anti-orbital cannons! No way! Firing from surface doesn’t work like that in real life!”

“Tut tut,” Bluestreak said with mocking disapproval. “Came too close to my world, Ironforge. Should’ve nuked me when you had the chance. How will you ever lead your forces now?”

“Oh, hush,” Ironforge shot back. “Even in ‘death’, I can still win. This will be my fourth victory in Rise of the Sun.”

“True! But tell me, while you pressured your world’s economy to build that excessive fleet of yours, did you remember to check your loyalty points?” Bluestreak pressed a button to administer the ‘bribe’ function.

Ironforge’s eyes went wide with dread as half the marker flags on her ships changed their banners to the opposing side. Another factor of Rise of the Sun was that a player’s performance also affected their loyalty points. Essentially, the better a player treated their planet’s populace, the less likely their subjects would defect in the event the player’s avatar was demised in-game. Ironforge had been so focused on building her unstoppable strike group that she thought losing loyalty points was worth the risk. If a player’s loyalty points were too low, her ships might join the opponent at random or if they were bribed. Now her fleet was tearing itself apart as her loyalists exchanged fire with the defectors and Bluestreak’s surface-to-orbit cannons. Without her avatar, Ironforge could do nothing but watch her dreams of digital empire crumble.

But dhalid interrupted the two Torrais’ clash as Ironforge received a sending from her First Officer. >Excuse me, Torrai, but Golden Wings is approaching the Rubat Relay Station.<

>Understood, I’ll be on the bridge in a moment,< Ironforge sent back before locking eyes with her adversary. “The Delrias we’re looking for are about to dock. You remember the plan.”

“We’re at quick for action and know what to do,” Bluestreak replied.

“What a pity we’ll never get to know how this epic battle was concluded,” said Ironforge with a wry grin.

“Wait, what? Just pause the game. We’ll pick it up later.”

“Oh cruel fate,” Ironforge feigned with dramatic pose. “Why did you compel me to press the ‘Quit’ function?”

“Don’t you dare quit this game,” Bluestreak objected. “I am so close!”

But with a press of a button, Ironforge did quit the game.

“Cheater!” Bluestreak yelled outrage over the comm. “Sore-loser! Plunger!”

Ironforge chuckled as she terminated transmission and left her personal quarters and rejoined her subordinates at the bridge along with the Mizol agents she sent for. It was time to send out the Mizols that Emperor Greywind had dispatched. She did not trust them, but orders were orders. Though she had to admit that Bluestreak's offer to throw the most obnoxious of those agents into space was tempting.

-

One of the reasons why the Delrias never fully became Union Members and remained a plutocracy was financial. The ruling Houses of the Delrias coveted wealth and profit. And while the Plutocrats of Rubat shamelessly reminded the Delrias commoners that it was their civic duty to pay taxes, the Plutocrats had no shame finding every legal excuse to avoid paying their dues. And while the Plutocrats had to abide by many regulations enforced by the Loroi, choosing to remain a subjugated population instead of joining as full-fledged Union members allowed the Plutocrats to avoid paying hefty tributes to the Empire. It meant a weaker military and bigger pay difference between the Delrias’ rich and poor, but it was a price the Plutocrats were willing to pay. While many Barsam Clerics situated in Minzan Sector were eager to promote equal opportunities and fairer salaries for the Delrias commonwealth, the Plutocrats and Ruling Houses won most of the Barsams’ silence by making generous donations to their clergy work and cloisters.

Another reason the Delrias never became full-fledged Union members was for fear that certain members of the Ruling Houses would undoubtedly be prosecuted once the Loroi found out how much they profiteered by means inconsistent with Union policy. And not all Loroi higher-ups were willing to turn a blind eye to these criminal acts.

Now Mizol Livewire and her fellow Operatives, Rhythm and Shadow Fang, were marching through Rubat Relay Station with eight Soroins at their backs, passing by a few other warriors and mostly Delrias walking to and fro.

They came to the portal where Golden Wings had docked and, with the aid of facial recognition programs in their helmets, found Captain Hablos Pekuch of House Rubon entering the station with several of his compatriots.

>Shadow Fang,< Livewire sent. >Proceed aboard the Delrias ship. Copy everything from the ship's logs and navigational records. If they try and stop you, show them the warrant.<

>Understood,< Shadow Fang complied and left with half of the Soroins. The other half followed Rhythm and Livewire as they walked up to Hablos Pekuch.

"Captain Hablos Pekuch?" Livewire inquired.

"Yes, you have found him," the Delrias was caught off guard. The Loroi could sense the Delrias fret despite his feeble efforts to appear calm. "What can I do for you?"

"You are coming with us to the Loroi vessel, Blaze," said Livewire. "You are under arrest!"

A shocked Hablos stood paralysed. The Loroi could sense that he realised he had been caught, but was trying to hide it in vain. "Under arrest?! For what?!"

Livewire whipped out a datapad and presented a digital warrant. "For sapient trafficking and conducting illegal trade."

Livewire motioned to the Soroins who stepped forward and cuffed a now frightened Hablos. A larger Delrias female protectively stepped forward to protest, but was stopped by the Soroins as they presented their firearms.

As the Soroins escorted Hablos back to Blaze, Rhythm sent to Livewire, >You really think he knows where this human called Lagertha is?<

>At the very least he'll disclose whether or not he killed her,< said a confident Livewire with a wicked grin. >Even if I have to ply it from his brain.<

[Snoofman]

I went back and changed Chapter 10 because the original didn't feel right to me. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

[Cthulhu]

Eh, sorry for posting my fanfic at almost the same time. I wanted to post it earlier, but the forums were under attack by General Error and his mindless bot minions in the morning. Formatting a big post under those circumstances was a huge pain in the aft thrusters, thus I posted it now.

An excellent study into the culture of an alien species, given the limited format of a fanfic.

--errors corrected--

Yes, feel free to, especially if you find errors or can provide some criticism. It has been a looong time since a wrote a fictional text in English.

[Snoofman]

Hey Cthulhu, I found the errors and corrected them. Thanks. When you're in a rush to rewrite the second half of a chapter, you tend to miss a few things. I'm also anxious to read your fanfics that you've posted and will leave comments.

[Krulle]

Nice, thank you!

[Snoofman]

Wind and Fire - Chapter 11

-

>Did you know that eons ago, some Loroi believed we were immortal?< sent Cliff.

>What makes you say that?< Grey sent back.

The two of them were whacking away at the roots of a fungal tree with stone axes. As were a few of the other girls of the diral. Today they were more foraging than hunting. Fungal trees harbored all kinds of little critters if one knew where to look, but food was becoming scarcer during this unusually long drought. The trees were slowly drying up, making the trunks and roots easier to chop through. Sun rays that normally never shown through the massive canopy were breaking through to the once dark surface below, giving the young Loroi more color to their skins. Grey’s usually pale, cerulean skin was slowly tanning to a darker shade of blue. While Perreins were normally used to heat and humidity, the level of this heat would be enough to make a Taben faint.

Lucky Taben bastards have endless oceans to cool them off, thought Grey, wiping sweat from her brow.

Cliff continued conveying her history lesson: >Before our trials started, I remember talking a lot with a Listel working alongside the caregivers at our creche. Nice lady! Anyway, she seemed particularly interested in Loroi history and ancient spiritualists during the Reign of Chaos. You see, the average Loroi in that era was lucky if she ever survived past the age of thirty. Since practically no Loroi ever lived to four hundred tozons, how would a Loroi know that she’d eventually die of old age? If a Loroi survived a century, she was a hero. But if she made it to two centuries, she was considered a sage. At three centuries, people practically thought she was a living god. So if our ancestors lived a few centuries but never quite made it to four centuries, how could they have known that Loroi were naturally mortal?<

>Overlooking the inconsistencies of such an observation from poorly educated ancestors, your friendly Listel didn’t seem to get a lot of exposure to the Tabens, did she?<

Cliff was taken aback by that. >Beg pardon?<

>What you’ve described may have been true among some Deinars, Cliff. But for Tabens and Perreins, to survive over a century was considered merely luck.<

Cliff raised a curious eyebrow at such an obvious statement. >So it is.<

>No, no! You’re not listening. For Tabens, luck is a zero-sum game. Loroi who endured long enough in the perilous wilderness or survived the onslaught of raider attacks in those ancient times was regarded with great suspicion.<

>Because of luck?<

Grey nodded.

Cliff could not believe that. >That doesn’t make sense. Why should someone be suspect for having luck? Isn’t being lucky a good thing?<

>Look, Cliff! Picture a Loroi that survives every battle. But all the rest of her comrades perished. What does that tell you?<

Cliff though a moment, trying to understand what Grey was getting at. >That… she was lucky.<

Grey groaned with aggravation, hacking away harder into the trunk. >Oh, stars! Use your imagination! Yes, she was lucky. But what about her comrades?<

>Obviously, they were unlucky.<

>Exactly, Cliff! She was lucky while they were unlucky! So what does that tell you?<

Cliff stopped hacking away as she struggled to figure out what Grey was trying to convey. But Grey’s riddle was only confusing her more.

Grey sighed and rested her axe at her feet. >Listen! Diral members on Taben have a diral-seii, which is the object of power and unity amongst a diral. Before Tabens finish their trials, an elder casts the diral-seii into a fire. In which case, someone within the diral must save the object before it burns up.<

>By casting your hand into a fire?< Cliff sent incredulously. >That doesn’t make sense! Wouldn’t the person saving the object suffer a burn?<

>That’s the point, Cliff! The one who saves the object suffers while the rest don’t. You see where I’m going with this.<

>So… in order for someone to be lucky… somebody else has to pay the price for it.<

>Exactly!< Grey said, relieved that her friend was catching on. >Which also suggests that someone who was lucky enough to survive so long may have exploited others. So a three century old Loroi may seem like a living god, but her divinity came at a cost. So while we can learn a lot from a Loroi that has been lucky, we have to also ask why she has been so fortunate. If a warrior wins because she is lucky, how can you know that she is actually competent? Or that she does not prey on other’s luck to fuel her own?<

>Oh!< Cliff seemed to be catching on. >So if you win just because you’re lucky, it means you might not be a good warrior. And trusting a bad warrior whose luck runs out is dangerous.<

>Now you get it,< sent Grey.

>I never quite thought of it that way before. But wait, Grey! If that were true, wouldn’t that mean that no lucky Loroi are trustworthy?<

Grey shrugged. >It depends.< Hefting up her stone ax, Grey swung back and cracked open the fungal roots. A stream of grubs, slithering and squirming, pooled out of the dried fungal tree into a great heap at the girls’ feet.

>Well, I guess that makes you suspect then,< Cliff sent with a wry smirk.

>Oh shut up and help me pick these grubs up!<

Cliff laughed as she and Grey dropped their axes and started plucking the arthropods and cast them into grass-woven baskets.

“Ew, bugs!”

Grey looked up. In a few solons she recognised the human boy that had become apart of her young life. Or rather the memory of her young life upon realising that she was in the dreamscape. The other Loroi paid no mind to the pink-skinned boy standing out in this wilderness. The projection of Cliff just kept harvesting grubs into her basket.

>Ben!< Grey sent surprised. >What are you doing here?<

“I was just walking around and I found you,” said Ben, holding a hand on his forearm. “Wow, it’s hot here.”

Naturally Ben felt the same sensory input as Grey experienced during her diral training in the Perrein woods. Since they were linked, whatever Grey saw, tasted, felt, smelt or heard, Ben received. Grey anticipated the invisible voice to interject and guide her. But it never came. This was odd. Guess the damn voice decided to take a vacation, thought Grey.

>Well, what do you want?< Grey asked Ben.

“I…” Ben looked down nervously. “I want to go to Earth.”

>Why?<

“Because that’s where Mom and I are going.”

Grey was not prepared for that. She remembered when Ben guided her to Grind and showed her images of Earth in the magazines and books of his home. >I’m sorry, Ben,< Grey said looking down at him. >Truly I am. But I have no idea how to get to Earth. I’ve never even been there.<

“Please, can we try?” he pleaded.

Grey was at a loss for words or ideas. >I… I… I guess we could try and start with your home, Grind. You know where you showed me pictures of Earth from your booklets?<

Ben thought it over. “I guess we could try.”

>Then let’s do it.<

The two walked away from Grey’s diral and responsibilities. The dreamscape faded and crumbled away like flakes as a new scene took its place. Grey and Ben were back on Grind, but in a new setting. Now they were in a new house. Ben was sitting beside another human boy about his age with dark skin and black, fuzzy hair.

The two boys were singing, “Owimbo-wep! Owimbo-wep!”

The little human’s harmonized as they watched television together. Grey sat beside them, trying to make sense of what appeared on the monitor screen. It seemed to be a fluid illustration of a bipedal, rodent-faced… thing taking lead ahead of a quadrupedal, red-furred, tusked… thing.

And together the boys sang along with the singing, illustrated things on the monitor: “In the jungle! The mighty jungle! The lion sleeps tonight!”

>Ben, this isn’t Earth,< Grey sent confusedly flabbergasted. >What is this?<

“It’s the Lion King,” Ben said cheerfully. “It’s a movie about animals on Earth. Right, Spence?”

“Yeah, Ben,” the dark-skinned boy, Spence, replied, not noticing the blue Loroi in the room.

Of course this Spence human doesn’t know I’m here, thought Grey.

The door to the room slid open and someone came in. A familiar voice announced itself, “Hello Stephen!”

The boys and Grey swung their heads around to see that Lagertha entered the room.

“Oy, Laggy!” Another human with dark skin said back with a wave of his hand.

“Hi, Mom,” Ben turned and said happily.

“Hey, sweetie,” Lagertha said back with a smile. “I hope Stephen and Spence have been good to you.”

“Yeah, we’re watching the Lion King!” Spence said back.

“I’m glad you’re having fun,” said Lagertha. “Just keep watching. Stephen and I need to talk. Then we’ll go home and have dinner.”

“Okay,” said Ben, looking back toward the television. But he could not help but look curiously back at Lagertha and Stephen as he pulled out two bottles, cracked them open and handed one to the female as they sat at a table together away from the boys.

Although Ben focused on the television, he could not help but overhear what the adults were talking about. And through their link, Grey was able to understand it as well.

“How’s the mine?” asked Stephen.

“Not good,” said Lagertha, taking a swig of the bottle. “The miners are not cooperating. It’s getting harder to make them listen.”

“They’re laborers,” said Stephen. “You have to make them listen. Remember, you’re the Chief. You’re in charge here. A good show of force drives the fear of God in a man.”

“Stephen, we can’t keep going on like this,” said Lagertha, taking another swig. “The mine is failing us. This colony is not working. Everyone’s miserable.”

“This planet is rich with ore,” Stephen defended. “We can’t just give it up like this. Grind is one of the few Wasteland planets with metal deposits.”

“What use is ore if your labor force won't dig it up anymore?” Lagertha shot back. She inhaled some more of her beverage. “The colony here will never work. Besides, who are we going to sell the ore to? No one will buy from us. At least not human that is. Now remember those >dolrayos< I met off world?”

Grey noticed some words in their conversation were hard to make out. Probably because Ben did not fully understand the conversation he happened to overhear.

“Lagertha, don’t sell out to those aliens,” Stephen argued.

“Keep it down,” Lagertha ordered him.

The boys looked back at the commotion.

“Don’t worry, boys. Just keeping watching your film.”

The surprised but confused boys did as she said. But Ben could still not help but pick up the exchange between Lagertha and Stephen.

“Stephen, the aliens promised to pay us in gold,” said Lagertha. “Even in the Great Wastelands, gold has a fine voice. We just trade with the aliens and then it’s finished. We’ll be on our way to a better life.”

“Are you sure we can >frib< into >deron< space?”

“We’ve slipped past >shekpoyns< before, Stephen. We can do it again.”

“So we’re taking the kids to space then?”

Lagertha sighed. “The kids have nothing here on this rock. I promised Ben a better life.”

“I promised Spence that too,” said Stephen, taking another drink. “But are you sure the >dolrayos< can be trusted?”

“The aliens promised fair treatment. We just trade with them, Stephen. And then we move on! Simple as that.”

Grey could deduce that the >dolrayos< was in fact the Delrias in this conversation. She recalled that Lagertha did indeed trade with the Delrias for gold. But Grey wondered if there was something else going on. Something that she did not quite see. Why was Lagertha concerned about fair treatment? And for treatment for who? Themselves? Her pondering was interrupted as Ben stared intensely at the television screen. It seemed to be fading in and out of focus. Almost as if the picture was in the process of hopping out of the box.

“I want to go to Earth,” said Ben, staring at the television intently.

The picture on the monitor seemed to jump out of the box, fluctuated and then sank back into the television screen.

>Ben, what’s happening?< Grey sent, noticing the disturbance to the dreamscape.

“I want to go to Earth!”

The screen popped out again, this time enveloping the whole room, until trees and green foliage took the place of tables, chairs and counters. The projections of Spence, Stephen and Lagertha faded away too. Grey suddenly found herself standing on a path in the middle of a jungle. Was this Earth?

>Ben?< Grey sent out. No reply. >Ben what’s going on? Where are you?<

A scream.

Grey whipped around and saw a familiar little boy running at flank speed in her direction.

>Ben? What are you running for?<

The little boy cried out, "LION! THERE!"

Grey peeked behind him and saw a maned beast about twice her size, speeding right for them with claws extended, fangs bared and eyes that clearly said, "murder."

>WOW!<

Scooping up the little boy into her arms, Grey dashed into the foliage. Outrunning a beast on a path seemed like suicide. The roar of the beast could still be heard behind them. Grey pushed forward with all the speed she could muster, adrenaline pumping like fire in her veins. For a dream, the palm leaves and branches still scratched something terrible.

>Wait!< Grey suddenly realized. >What am I running for?! This is all just a dream! None of this is re-e-EAAAALL!<

Grey missed a step as she bursted forth from the jungle and fell forward and down onto…

… a sand dune?!

This was too weird even for a dream. Grey could not ponder this obscure nonsense as she lost her grip on Ben and they both tumbled down the sandy hill. Clouds of grain were thrown up into the air as they rolled down and down until they both hit the bottom of the dune's valley. Grey spat sand from her mouth.

>Even for dream sand, it tastes awful< spat Grey. >Where are we now?<

Ben shot up excitedly and whooped, “That was fun! Again!”

>No! Not again! Where are we?<

“The desert!”

>Really?! What desert?!<

Ben just shrugged. “Just the desert.”

>On Earth? But I thought the jungle was Earth’s climate.<

“It’s got others.”

Grey groaned with frustration as she fell back, her close-shaved head patting into the sand. This was all so infuriating. First she was running from an alien called a lion in a jungle and was now lying in the sands of an unnamed desert. Presumably on Ben’s interpretation of Earth. It was too much for her mind to take. She stared out into the blue sky, trying to clear her thoughts. Though it was still daylight, the sun was no doubt setting over the dune hills. The only object in the sky was a silvery moon in a gibbous phase.

>Wow,< said Grey, impressed by the simple but beautiful silvery pendant looming miles away from them. >Is that Earth’s moon?<

“Yup,” Ben answered as he too collapsed into the sand alongside Grey. “I’ve only seen it in books. But I know this is what it looks like.”

>It’s… pretty,< Grey admitted. It was pretty. For a simple satellite, there was something enchanting about it. Its white and grey surface. Its indiscernible terrains. Despite its small size, the Earth moon seemed to dominate the sky.

Grey was distracted as a fistful of sand was thrown in her face. >Shred!< she cursed. >What is wrong with you?!<

Ben shrugged with a wicked grin. "Just having fun." He threw another cloud of sand at Grey.

>Stop it!< she commanded, getting more sand thrown at her. >Stop- that's it! You're going to get it!<

Taking up fistfuls of sand, Grey threw back clouds of sand at Ben. The two danced and parried in their sand war. Ben giggled with hysterical joy. Grey could not help but laugh too. Truly genuinely laughed. As ridiculous as this all was, it was kind of fun.

"You're funny," Ben said, throwing his arms around Grey's waist.

>Easy, there,< Grey gently warned him. She ruffled his golden locks.

“Grey, look!” Ben pointed over the valley of the dunes as a new creature came trotting over the sands; a furry, hooved quadruped with a long neck and two humps on its back. The animal’s hooves kicked up sand with every step before it came to a stop in front of them, dropping to its knees with a sandy thud.

>What’s this?< asked Grey.

“A camel,” Ben said happily. He jumped up onto the forward hump. “Come on, Grey!”

Reluctantly Grey swung a leg over the massive creature’s rear lump. The Loroi held on for stability as the camel rose to its full height and began trotting its way out of the sandy valley and trekked its way up the edge of a dune hill. Grey looked around as the view of this Earth desert became clearer. All around was nothing but an ocean of sandy hills with streams of grains blown away by a gentle wind. Over the horizon a single bright star that dominated this world’s sky was setting, leaving behind the silvery pendant to hang alone. Grey had seen images of Mezan’s desert surface. It all looked dull and dreary to an outside observer, but had heard stories from Listel who dwelt on the surface of Mezan of the still and calmness of the sandy plains, wavy dunes and the perfect nighttime view of the galactic cluster.

Beautiful.

>It’s really beautiful, Ben,< Grey sent sincerely, taking it all in.

“Yeah,” Ben nearly choked on his words. Tears threatened to break out form his eyes. “Mom said we were going to see all this on Earth when we got there. She promised me.”

The winds did the impossible as they swept away the sands. All of it. The sky, the sun and the moon were swept away too as darkness took over.

Ben sniffled. “She promised. She promised!”

>Ben,< Grey sent pitifully, feeling Ben’s anguish. The camel on which they rode vanished too from under them, leaving Grey and Ben alone in a sea of darkness.

“Mommy,” Ben cried, fighting the tears.

Grey hesitantly reached a hand out to Ben as he drifted in the darkness to touch him. But Ben faded away before she got the chance.

The loroi suddenly found herself caught off from air. Her lungs filled with fluid. Panicking, Grey suddenly realized she was under water. Instinctively, she kicked her feet, trying to head in the only direction that seemed to lead upward. She kicked and swam, her lungs burning for oxygen, until finally her head broke the surface. Coughing out the water, Greywind took in a lung full of air and struggled to see where the dream had brought her now.

It was an ocean. She was swimming in the middle of a raging ocean, the waves carrying Grey's body up and down. Looking up to see where she was, Grey saw only dark, cloudy skies. Up in the dark clouds, Grey saw flashes of thunderous light. But in place of lightning, she saw the silhouettes of people. At least it looked like people.

High above she saw the flashes of a four-legged beast with pointy, furred ears and a long snout armed with razor-sharp fangs. It charged against a helmed person clad in armor, caped in a hide of fur. Was that a loroi? No, it could not have been. The person was stout, broad-shouldered and grew a long trail of hair from his face. This must have been a human. But who? In the human's right fist was a great, steel hammer which he hurled down onto the four-legged beast.

Crack! Boom!

The scene in the stormy skies shifted. In place of the four-legged beast was another. Grey recognized from the jungle that it was a lion. The lion raised its claws against another human, this time with dark skin, scantily clad and piercings of wood and bone threaded into his earlobes, nose and cheeks. In the dark-skinned man's hand was also a hammer, but made instead of a large stone bound to a stick with a rope of vines.

Crack! Boom!

The scene flashed away. And another took its place. This time Grey saw what appeared to be a human female clad in robes that concealed all but her pale face. She lay sprawled as she stared up in awe at a humanity male that glowed like the sun. Upon the male's shoulders were a set of massive, feathery wings. In his hands he held a spear, its golden tip pointing dangerously at the female's stomach. Grey expected to see blood spill as the winged male thrusted the spear down. But instead the woman simply went into convulsive spasms. The spear's tip was pulled out, no blood miraculously drawn from the would-be puncture. The winged one thrust his spear again, sending the robed woman into a convulsions.

Crack! Boom!

The scene flashed away to then show another robed woman, this time with darker complexion. Above her hovered a man clad in armor of red and gold. A A plume of red hair adorned his golden helmet. Behind the man a wooden staff was erected. Upon the staff's upturned end, a winged aviary cast in iron was perched. Beneath this aviary's claws was the insignia of four, alien letters. Together the male and female moved in rhythmic motions, his hips clashing against-

Grey blushed as she realized what they were doing. Just what exactly was going on here?

The scene flashed away. The thunder stopped. The waves faltered and the ocean was suddenly calm. Grey simply floated in peace as everything became disturbingly still.

Tip! Tap! Tip! Tap!

Suddenly there came a new sound followed by another. Almost like the sound a puddle makes following the fall of...

...footsteps?!

Tip! Tap! Tip! Tap!

Grey swirled in the water to find the source of the light, splashing taps and saw, much to her amazement, a most peculiar biped. It treaded across the surface of the still ocean, as if it were walking on land and came to a stop, hovering over the submerged Grey. Greywind could only deduce that this was a human female. And an ugly one at that. Her lips were unnaturally large. Her chest and limbs were infested with hair. She was clothed in spotted hides that failed to conceal one of her hairy breasts. Her upper skull was small and flat, compared to that of loroi, with a short crop of brown hair. Within her right fist she clenched a weapon of what Grey assumed were branches. Upon closer inspection she realized they were in fact antlers, no doubt taken from the crown of some other beast. The human stood with a drooped posture, staring down at the submerged Grey. Grey did not like being under this... creature's diminutive stare. Almost like she were staring back at a beast more than a human.

The beast woman then spoke, "Mi... toe... kong... dry... aye..."

>What?< Grey sent.

The Loroi's only reply came in the form of an ear-piercing screech as the beast woman bore her large teeth and cried, "Grr-WAH!"

-

Greywind’s eyes shot open. She was all alone in her bedroom. The old emperor sat up into a crouch and buried her head into her arms. Tempo was not present to administer any ‘outside suggestion’ this last night. The Emperor wanted to take a break from it. Though that did not stop her and Ben from bonding in the dreamscape. Amazing how their secret link still did not alert the other Loroi in Greywind’s range of sanzai.

What was that odd place in the dreamscape? she thought. So bizarre.

After Greywind’s discovery of the unnamed Delrias from House Rubon eight days ago, the Emperor and Tempo travelled to the Imperial Palace to search through the vast information network of a ship and Delrias that matched the one in Ben’s dream. After thousands of solons of searching and cross-referencing, they came upon a Delrias who seemed to match the one in the little human’s memory; Hablos Pekuch, captain of the escort frigate, Golden Wings. The ship had made numerous treks into the Great Wastelands during the last tozon to provide security for cruisers and mobile rigs looking for new resources.

And so Greywind dispatched Torrais Ironforge and Bluestreak to find and intercept Hablos Pekuch and return to Deinar with him and his crew. Then Greywind and her most trusted compatriots could ply them for answers. First and foremost about Lagertha. Greywind was confident that Livewire, who had also been sent along, would get some useful answers from the Delrias. Greywind had often feared that the failed Teidar turned Mizol would be a liability, but Livewire had proven to be a useful asset to the family and quickly completed every task the Emperor gave her. Just so long as Livewire’s bloodlust was put in check.

After Greywind and Tempo completed their task at the Palace, they intended to extract Ben from the Monastery on the outskirts of Toridas. But upon arriving, the Emperor was met with pleasant surprise as Ben mingled with the menfolk quite well. While a few of the males regarded Ben with suspicion and concern, the rest simply adored the little human. The males engaged Ben with recreational activities like drawing and puzzle games. A few wanted to formally greet the human with the same gesture that Alexander Jardin taught the Loroi during their first contact. It was a polite and friendly excuse for the males to feel a human’s warm skin and experience firsthand the disconcerting but amazing phenomenon of humanity’s lotai. Fertile Spring was especially flattered when Ben asked him to perform one of his compositions for him, to which the young Loroi obliged along with his small choir.

The music seemed to fly over Ben’s head as the little human peculiarly watched the Loroi get lost in the telepathic tunes. But greatly disappointed that his human ears couldn’t hear a thing.

After much urging from the menfolk, Emperor Greywind conceded and decided to take up residency at the Monastery so that they could spend some time with the little human. The old Emperor had to admit that residing at the Monastery was not a bad idea. It was one of the safest places in all of Deinar. And it was cheaper than living at the Parador. Greywind and her company rented a sizeable guest villa which lay a good distance from the males’ pagodas. Ben did not need to hear the lustful moans coming from the Loroi that paired off in the pagodas as the men conducted their ‘business’. The Monastery’s permanent residents were encouraged to not spread news, as a courtesy to Loroi females that did not want others to catch on about their more private lives. Especially in the bedroom. Which was advantageous to Greywind who still wanted to conceal Ben’s presence as much as possible.

The Ambassadors were permitted to remain at the Parador. Although Ziga made frequent visits to the Monastery to check on Ben. Greywind could tell that the Barsam was growing more suspicious and gave gentle reminders that he and his colleagues were eager to return to Cry of the Wind. And that Ben should be returned to the humans as soon as possible. To which Greywind replied that Ben would be transported to his ‘new home’ as soon as they located his mother. Greywind could sense that the Barsam was growing restless and wanted to take action, but Ziga knew better than to jeoprodize his position on Greywind’s council. The Barsam only cared for the human’s safety, as did Greywind, but Greywind did not intend to lose Ben.

During the eight days that they resided at the Monastery, Greywind conducted her work remotely while making occasional trips to the Capital Complex. While her Chiefs of Staff enjoyed residing on Deinar's surface, they were becoming concerned about the Emperor's extended stay away from Cry of the Wind. Greywind knew she had to return to service aboard the mobile capitol eventually. Although the crew were happy to rotate shifts and get some shore leave. It would be a while before any of them got to enjoy an authentic atmosphere of a Sister World and they were not wasting a moment to indulge. Greywind was stalling until they could confirm if Lagertha still lived and where she was. Fortunately Greywind could come up with a number of excuses that required her presence in Toridas besides political matters. Like the upcoming Windsurfing Tournament. The organisers of the event sent a request to the Emperor upon learning of her arrival to Deinar, wishing her to address the citizens of both Toridas and Deinar in a planet-wide broadcast to commemorate the next season of Windsurf Water Polo and thirteen years of peace.

And of course Greywind continued her delves into the dreamscape. All while they waited for Ironforge, Bluestreak and Livewire to return. Hopefully with something useful. Tempo would continue to guide Greywind through the dreamscape and explore Ben’s memories.

Greywind saw numerous moments of Ben’s upbringing. She saw his eight child friends that he played with at the colony. Saw the films that they watched together (though still was not quite sure what the functionality of these films was). Saw the entirety of the village the humans of Grind lived in, under the vast dome that Ben described in his account. Greywind was especially surprised during one delve into Ben’s dream she found herself partially submerged alongside a much smaller, infantile Ben being washed by his mother in a kitchen sink. She also saw the tender moments that Lagertha and Ben shared. How they read booklets together and studied images of life on Earth. How she would entrust Ben’s care to neighbours while she left for her work off world or at the mine. It was enough to make Greywind’s younger self flinch when Lagertha would occasionally return home, foul-tempered and even bruised, deliver a harsh reprimand to her son and then regret it afterward. Lagertha’s work was obviously stressful.

Which was odd to the old Emperor. What exactly did Lagertha do for work? Was she a security officer? Possible judging by the firearm she carried. Or was she the Head or Administrator of Grind? Also possible, but she wore no formal uniform or rank tab to indicate her level of authority. The word that Greywind heard during her last time in Ben’s dream, ‘Chief’, suggested that she held a respected title. But for what?

While Greywind wanted to reexamine the last moment Ben experienced with his mother before the Delrias took him, the boy simply refused to relive that painful moment in the dreamscape. Indeed, he was even more reluctant to talk about it. No amount of urging could convince Ben to talk about what was obviously a traumatic moment for him. Tempo tried using a bit more verbal force to get Ben to talk about it, but it had the opposite effect. It also made Cotton overly protective of Ben, though the Listel did not forget the Emperor she served.

Had Lagertha been killed aboard the ship they travelled on before the Delrias abducted Ben? Was Ben in denial and still calling out to his mother even though she could be deceased? For the moment there was no confirming it.

All in all, the old Emperor admitted that it was compelling these last few days to venture through a human child’s subconscious mind and get a glimpse of how a human thought, felt and reasoned. Even more amazing were the surreal scenarios that would play out in Ben's mind when Greywind was not prying into Ben's memories. Within Ben's fantastic dreams, Greywind saw moving murals come to life, animals that could talk and even celestial bodies that moved simply on the boy's whim. Of course Ben could not have witness these things in real life. The old Emperor had to be cautious when discerning Ben's memories from the fantasies he seemed to conjure up in his sleepy, little head. Greywind had learnt from Listels' accounts of how humans conjured up entire fictions during their dreams. But this last one, the one of the raging ocean and flashing imagery, felt different. And the interaction with the strange beast woman seemed too vivid to be a mere fantasy.

As intriguing as these dreaming delves were, it was still frustrating that they were still no where near to unraveling the mystery of the human lotai. Greywind suspected that stripping away Ben’s mask would take more work. Tempo had tried several telepathic techniques while Greywind and Ben slumbered, but so far nothing worked.

With or without Lagertha, Greywind intended for Ben to stay on Deinar. If she would have it, Greywind would have arranged for Ben to accompany them on their journeys aboard Cry of the Wind, but the child was not suited for extended space travel. And the scandal it would cause once others got wind of it.

Greywind did not even bother alerting Link as she dressed herself in a robe and exited her bedroom. She came to a living room area and found a very awake Tempo enjoying some noillir at the table.

>Up early, I see,< sent Greywind to Tempo. >I assume the others are resting still.<

>Indeed,< Tempo greeted her Emperor, taking a sip of noillir. >I hope you slept well, your highness.<

>I had the most peculiar dream,< sent Greywind, tracing her fingers through her long, purple hair.

>Let me guess,< said a thoughtful Tempo. >It was small. Adorable. Alien. And had the occasional spring to its step.<

>Stop joking around and fix me some tea,< said a slightly irked Greywind. >And I’ll tell you exactly what I saw.<

[Cthulhu]

That was quite the roller coaster ride, from a reminiscence of the Emperor's youth, to the reenactment of a children's movie and then back to serious business again.
I guess Greywind would like the part where Simba becomes the alpha(King) better than this silly Hakuna Matata stuff? Or maybe she should read the source?

[GeoModder]

A couple remarks.

Its 'desert', not 'dessert'. The latter is the sweet stuff eaten after dinner.
And if Grey ponders of the likeliness of 'Maia' to a desert, infact the inner world from Deinar is named 'Mezan'. Maiad is a Loroi colony world in another sector.

That said, this latest chapter was very imaginative.

[Snoofman]

GeoModder,

Could have fooled me. Anyway, done and corrected! Thanks for pointing it out.

Not sure if I'd consider it my most imaginative chapter myself, but I did my best. One thing I don't like in a lot of books, films or series is when writers cram in content just to fill up the pages or screen time. I try write in only the necessary stuff to keep the story rolling.

[Cthulhu]

Could have fooled me. Anyway, done and corrected! Thanks for pointing it out.

This is the dream of a child, especially one who never saw a real desert and very few desserts. Maybe they were indeed in a dessert? A giant vanilla pudding with cream on top? Or a sponge cake? Damn, I'm getting hungry...

[Snoofman]

Wind and Fire - Chapter 12

-

>Strange,< sent Tempo. After the Emperor had conveyed her most recent dream with Ben. >Listels have shared accounts of humans they interviewed on the subject of dreaming. That a subconscious human mind can create so much random, chaotic stimuli is beyond me.<

>And you say this... biped engaged with you.<

>Indeed,< sent Greywind, taking a sip of flowery tea.

>Well, as I understand it, not even humans fully understand their chaotic dreams or why they dream as they do. But interaction with projections in the dreamscape does not seem like anything new, Emperor.<

>But this particular dream felt different. I felt as if I were interacting with an intelligent being.< Greywind sighed, rubbing her temples. >Perhaps I'm getting in too deep.<

>Well, you have had a lot on your mind, your highness.<

>Yes, Tempo. I’m beginning to suspect that there’s nothing more we can do. Bringing down Ben’s mask may require a more scientific mind. Someone trustworthy who will keep this matter confidential. Who can dedicate herself to simultaneously caring for Ben.<

>Someone like Listel Cotton?<

Greywind raised a surprised eyebrow at the Sentinel’s suggestion. >Cotton?<

>Why not?< sent Tempo. >Cotton is reliable, loyal, and a brilliant scientist. And she seems to care about Ben’s well-being. With the proper environment and instrumentality at her disposal, she can continue to study Ben’s mind in our absence without compromising his health.<

Greywind thought it over. >True, but she may need some assistance. A few other Listels to hasten progress. And small security detail to protect Ben as well as their discoveries. Also, Cotton has become a bit protective of Ben.<

Tempo smirked. >Yes, she seems a bit defensive on the matter, I admit. But I doubt that the Listel would forsake her loyalties to you.<

>Quite,< Greywind replied. >By the way, Cotton, Ben and even Link seem to have slept in today. The sun’s already risen since two thousand solons ago.<

Tempo chuckled. >Well, you didn’t explicitly tell them what time to be up, Emperor.<

>Oh, spare me your guff and wake them already!<

>As you command,< Tempo happily obliged. She was to send out but stopped as another thought occurred to her. >Emperor, before I do that, there seems to be another issue that I've been pondering about.<

>Oh? And what might that be, Tempo?<

>While it still seems unconfirmed, judging how Ben seems unwilling to relive the trauma of being separated from Lagertha, I cannot help but find it odd that the humans would simply sell an ore mine as well as a whole colony. I would imagine that such an act requires layers of paperwork and bureaucratic approval.<

>Granted,< sent Greywind, >Although it could also be that Grind was not officially a colony. Just a temporary residence for corporate employees to conduct their mining operation before moving on.<

>True, Emperor. But judging by the intel provided by your delve into the dreamscape, Lagertha strikes me as far too rustic to be a business woman. Indeed she seems much too...<

>Unscrupulous?<

>I was going to say 'lax', your highness, but yes.<

>I admit, her demeanor is unique. And Grind seems insufficient to be a colony world. But, Tempo, what is your point?<

>My point, Emperor, is that I don't think Ben seems to realize exactly what Grind was or even who his mother actually was.<

>Explain, Tempo.<

>Emperor, I've been thinking,< Tempo elaborated. >According to the archives shared by the TCA, there seems to be no log of a person named Lagertha or a colony called Grind. What if Lagertha was in fact a pirate? And what if Grind belonged to a pirate band?<

>Tempo, are you suggesting that Lagertha and the residents of Grind were Terran Raiders?<

>Well, yes.<

Taking a sip of tea, Greywind thought it over. >Well, if it were true... that would explain why they traded with the Delrias. Although Ben will not share what he saw before being taken away by the Delrias, it's quite possible (judging from what I've seen) that the Delrias double-crossed the pirates and kidnapped the human children. Maybe even killed Lagertha and the rest of the humans and took back their gold. Whatever the case, Delrias plutocrats covet wealth. Many have taken unethical routes to achieve high status in the past. Even bartered with criminals. And if Hablos Pekuch and the crew of Golden Wings were ready to deal with human criminals, who is to say that other Delrias have not done so?<

>That could also explain how the Terran Raiders got their hands on stolen ID-tags to slip past our checkpoints. Delrias shipping may be monitored by the Intelligence Community, but outside in the Wastelands, the Delrias can do whatever they want.<

>So Hablos simply gave the pirates ID-tags which the pirates in turn copied the counterfeits from, allowing them to slip into our territory. He, and possibly quite a few others.< Greywind swallowed the last of her tea, smacking her cup to the table. >Heads will roll once we find the Delrias, or any sapient for that matter, bartering with the Raiders, jeopardizing Union borders in the name of good business.<

>Indeed,< Tempo agreed.

>We'll deal with Hablos and his crew once Livewire returns with him. Now... wake the others, Tempo.<

>Happily,< Tempo sent out a wake up call.

>And more tea!<

-

Listel Cotton usually never slept in. But being away from Cry of the Wind and not dealing the usual stresses of ship duties gave her a chance to let go and relax. Her mind and body no doubt was taking advantage of this more relaxed lifestyle ever since the Emperor assigned her as Ben’ caregiver. It was nice to be able to sleep in for a change.

But a firm sending from Mizol Torimor Tempo woke her from her pleasant dreams and told her, >Time to wake up!<

Damn you, Sentinel, Cotton thought bitterly. She yawned, sat up and stretched her arms. It must have been a few thousand solons past sunrise since the rays from outside lit up the room. She looked down at her side at the other occupant of her bed. Ben was still snoring away. The Listel just smirked. It was adorable just to watch him sleep. But all good things had to come to an end.

“Ben, wake up,” Cotton gently rubbed his shoulder.

The little boy groaned and stirred, burying his head further into his pillow.

“Ben, it’s time to get up.”

“Ben isn’t here,” Ben slurred out into is pillow. “Ben is sleeping.”

Cotton sighed. “Ben would not be answering if he was sleeping.”

Ben grumbled, “Ben is talking in his sleep.”

“Well then. If Ben doesn’t wake up, Ben is not seeing Spring today. Or getting breakfast.”

The little human shot up with one eye open and one eye still fighting against fatigue. “Ben is up!”

“Remember, Ben. Loroi do not like to be lied to.”

“Got it,” the half-wake boy grumbled.

The two got up and got ready for the day. Cotton did not need to assist Ben to clean and wash as much as when they first met. The Observer turned caregiver had taught Ben to comb his hair and brush his teeth on his own. Ben still needed help with bathing though wasn't as bashful as when they first met. In private at least. While there was a public bathing salon for the males, the villa the Emperor rented was equipped with a private bath which Ben utilized. He still was not comfortable getting nude in front of other Loroi. Not even with the males, which struck the menfolk as odd.

The Listel had to admit that spending time with the little human was pleasant. Ben soaked up her lectures with much enthusiasm, much to Cotton’s delight. He had learnt a few Trade phrases and was excellent at mathmatics. Although Cotton genuinely enjoyed Ben’s company, she did find it odd that the Emperor insisted on remaining on Deinar with Ben close by. She understood that the Emperor promised to reunite Ben with his mother, but surely she had more urgent matters to attend to. In the end, it wasn’t Cotton’s place to question. She resolved simply to ensure Ben’s safety and well-being.

After washing up and switching to their formal attire, Cotton and Ben left their room and entered the living room where Greywind and Tempo were sitting at the center table. Link was standing in the kitchen preparing Ben’s breakfast. Cotton had gladly shared some knowledge of how to prepare meals for humans. And the fact that children did not need exquisite dishes made the job easier.

Ben made to sit with the Loroi, but was stopped by a minor obstacle. He analysed the long trail of Greywind’s hair pouring over her chair and made eye contact with the Emperor.

Greywind’s stare was enough to convey to Ben, >Don’t you even think about touching it a second time, little human.<

Ben got the message and leaped over Greywind’s purple cape. He took his seat by the Emperor. “Good morning, Emperor,” he said with a pleasant grin.

>Good boy!< Greywind sipped her tea. “Yes, I suppose the morning is good,” she spoke, not quite understanding the point of saying the obvious state of the day.

Ben turned to Tempo. “Good morning, Tempo.”

“Yes,” said Tempo. “The morning seems good.”

Within moments, Link came over with a bowl of misesa porridge topped with some sweetener. Misesa was one of the few Loroi foods that were suitable for human consumption.

“Good morning, Link! And thanks.”

Link grinned as she served the bowl to Ben. While the Emperor’s Attendant’s main tasks did not include cooking, Attendants were expected to have some culinary skill in the event the Emperor required it. And she was flattered that Ben appreciated her cooking.

Ben took a bite of porridge. But a thought came to him and asked, “You guys got milk?”

All Loroi froze and eyed the human mildly shocked. Except for Tempo who had heard this before from another human.

“I beg your pardon?” asked Greywind with a raised eyebrow.

“Got milk?”

>I hope he’s not asking what I think he’s asking?< sent Greywind.

>Oh, I remember a similar exchange with Alexander Jardin,< sent Tempo. >Ben isn’t asking for our milk. Humans harvest milk from domesticated farm animals.<

>Oh yuck!< sent a revolted Link as she left to clean up in the kitchen.

Greywind sighed. “No, Ben. We do not have milk.” In fact last time I had milk was a century ago, thought the old Emperor.

Ben shrugged. “That’s too bad. I miss milk.”

An awkward silence fell over the Loroi as the boy ate his breakfast.

“So what’s happening today?” Ben asked as he took another spoon of porridge.

“Today we have more lectures,” said Cotton, fixing herself a cup of noilir. “We are going to study more Trade phrases today.”

“Can’t we go see Spring and the guys first?” By the ‘guys’, Ben meant the menfolk.

“Not right now,” Cotton said gently but firmly. The majority of menfolk would be preoccupied with their usual ‘business’. Including Fertile Spring. Although lately Spring had been cancelling a few of his appointments to finish work early in order to spend time with Ben. The Loroi and human had become good friends at this point. The two would waste time playing Loroi board games or digging through Spring’s hill of treasures. While Loroi enjoyed Spring’s symphonies, they were easily bored when Spring reminisced over the story of each of his lair’s items. Not Ben. Ben devoured every detail about the history of Spring’s treasures. Spring also appreciated when Ben could accurately relay the relevance of some of his Earth items he possessed.

Fertile Spring was even trying to teach Ben to play some musical instruments. While Loroi typically enjoyed live performances of telepathic harmonies, Loroi were not strangers to the enticing tunes of physical, musical instruments. Ben, sadly, was having a hard time finding the instrument that best suited him. But Spring had not given up hope that Ben would find the perfect fit for him.

Ben had even asked if he could have a ‘sleepover’ with Spring. A ritual humanity children performed when wishing to strengthen social bonds. Ben, of course, was disheartened when his Loroi guardians firmly said no. Spring would be too ‘busy’ with his nightly, female visitors.

“First lectures, Ben,” said Cotton. “Then we go see Spring.”

“Okay,” said Ben. “Emperor, what’re you doing today?”

Although Greywind still relied on Cotton to assist in translation, she had been using spare time to improve her English linguistics. “I am going to the palace for work.”

“Again? Don’t you ever have like a day off or something?”

“I don’t get a… ‘day off’… Ben.”

“So you have to work everyday, Emperor?”

“Yes.”

“That’s rough,” Ben said sincerely.

>You have no idea, little boy.< Indeed few did.

“Emperor, what do you do at work?”

“Ben,” Tempo interjected. “The Emperor has a lot to think about. Please don’t bother her with questions.”

As disappointing as it was, Ben complied and rested his head on his elbow as he ate up the last of his porridge.

“Ben, I’ll make you a deal,” said Greywind. “Finish studies with Cotton. If you do, I’ll tell you about my work later.”

Ben’s mood picked up. “Really?!”

Greywind nodded.

“Then I’ll study extra hard.”

“Very good, Ben.”

>Are you sure, Emperor?< sent Tempo.

>I’m not going to reveal sensitive information, Tempo. I’m just going to tell Ben what I do.<

“Oh, I’m going to study extra extra hard!”

-

The Imperial Capital Complex was founded following the end of the Great World War of Deinar to end hostilities between the warring nation states and unify them under one imperial banner. Long before Third Emperor Eighth Dawn decided and received approval that the Imperial Capital would exist aboard a command ship, Skymaster, Toridas served as the first capital of the Union. Today whatever policies the Torrai Council passed were sent first to the mobile capital, Cry of the Wind, to be enacted by the Emperor. And then sent to Deinar where the Capital Complex confirmed and passed on these messages to the rest of the Union across the CCN (Command and Control Network).

The CCN and Buoy System was the Loroi’s interstellar equivalent of the Internet. And like the Internet, its flow and exchange of digital information was hindered only by the limits of instrumentality on which it relied. The speed at which information travelled depended on transfer technology, location, the number of people utilizing the Network and the speed of devices that received these updates. But the biggest hindrance of all was the current level of FTL technology. News and updates across the empire depended primarily on how quickly a courier ship could jump to the next star system, gather all the data it could at lightning speed and then jump back to broadcast that information. Which usually took anywhere from a day to several months depending on how far the information had to travel (on a scale of light-years) and how dire the import of that data was. The data broadcasted comprised of both public information as well as encrypted messages for higher-ups. Like Cry of the Wind, the Imperial Seat of Deinar was constantly updated about the political and societal affairs across the Empire. Which made it a convenient second place to work for Emperor Greywind.

Working remotely was possible, but Greywind preferred to conduct her business within secure walls. And engage in more private conversations. Just like the private exchange she was sharing with her Diaderits in the presence of dozens of Torrais and Loroi Ambassadors who arrived from their long journeys from across various Union Sectors. For thousands of solons they were locked in heated debates and discussions either in person or over secure transmissions.

Among these high-ranking Loroi was Mizol Torimor Melody. In charge of negotiating with the Morat Sovereignty in the Steppes and convince them to become full Union members. The chosen leaders of their few planets left were dealing with insurgents sympathetic to the former Umiak Hierarchy. While Torrai Tazzites Eclipse, in charge of the Steppes Sector, could bombard the insurgents from orbit, Melody was using every legal action at her disposal to defend the millions of Morats innocent of the insurgents’ war crimes but lacked the means of escaping the terrestrial territories occupied by the insurgents. Alongside Melody stood Eclipse herself, who argued that bombardment was the quick and sure way to end the insurgency. Eclipse had already deployed hundreds of thousands of Sorroins to the surface of Kabel. Hundreds of which were lost in the crossfire with the insurgents. Eclipse did not want to sacrifice more of her warriors just for some furry bipeds. Ever since the war’s end, even the deaths of a few thousand warriors felt like too much loss. Meloday further argued that killing innocent bystanders would put the loroi in a disfavorable light with the Alien Assembly, whose faith the loroi were struggling to win back. The Diaderets present voted in favor of granting Melody four tozons to end the insurgency by diplomatic means. Greywind had not lost hope that they could persuade the Morat to join the Union. The Delrias would not like that, including Ambassador Kablon, but it was not her place to influence the decisions of the Loroi. Though descended from the same species hundreds of thousands of years prior, Delrias and Morat were typically antagonistic toward each other.

Next was Torrai Soshret Sunfury, appointed as overseer of the former Hierarchy Territories to ensure the continued disarmament and quarantine of Umiak worlds and ensuring that the Shells were not trying to build FTL-capable ships. Sunfury had the face of a calm Loroi, but her fiery, orange hair was stylized to resemble a blazing star. While a Loroi could get her way by power of negotiation or brute force, Loroi like Sunfury could psychologically intimidate Loroi and even other aliens by appearance alone. Even the Shells feared the sight of her. Since Sunfury preferred to save time and energy by remaining on her ship, Sunfury came forth on the holographic monitor and requested the manufacture of one hundred more Swift Vanguard-class battlecruisers and ten Lone Fire-class command ships to patrol the Umiak Territories. Although Greywind swiftly changed Union policies from an engine of total war to a progressive oligarchy, there was still demand from various Sector Commanders for more vessels. The aliens of the Assembly did not want to spend more resources on producing more warships. But the Loroi had to secure their dominion and were not taking chances with their former enemies now turned subjects. Greywind and the Council approved the request. An order for more ships was transmitted thereafter; the Loroi at Romos in Seren Sector would manufacture the ten command ships. The other one hundred battlecruisers would be developed at the shipyards of Armis. While Greywind wanted to give more economic stimulation to the Loroi civilians, she had to compromise with both the alien Assembly and the Council Members. Many of whom were unsympathetic to the Loroi civilians’ needs.

Then there was Torrai Rizeladi Rubyglass, a former Soroin veteran who survived the Umiak occupation of several worlds along the Steppes fronts and rose quickly among the Torrais. She specialized in terrestrial combat and lead a squadron of Typhoon-class and Catapult-class carriers. She and her squadron were deployed across the Union to deal with a planet’s domestic problems. Sometimes even split up for efficiency’s sake. When dealing with large criminal groups, insurgents or even berserkers was too much for a planet’s local law enforcement to handle, Rubyglass and her Soroins were sent there. Normally she didn’t demand or require much, which Greywind liked about her. But today the Rizeladi was coming with a new proposal. Expressing concerns about humanity colonists spreading anti-spinward as well as spinward across the Great Wastelands. While humanity’s numbers were still considerably smaller than the Loroi’s alone, their population was experiencing a boom. As a result, they needed to establish more planets for terraforming to accommodate this growing population. On top of that, the supposedly dead worlds they colonized turned out to have rich reserves of precious metals and other useful elements if one dug deep enough. While Rubyglass was more interested in the Union’s safety and dominance, she often received praise as well as additional aid from Corporate Executive Officers from both civilians and aliens who were thankful to her for the problems she helped to erase. Corporate Executives that eagerly wanted these rich resources that millions of humans happened to be standing on.

Rubyglass proposed that the Loroi seize these planets far from the TCA’s control and halt their advance. With some political manoeuvring, it could be argued that these worlds lay outside the TCA's official territory and therefore could justify if the Loroi occupied them. Thus halt humanity's spacefaring advance near Union territory. As long as the Loroi did not abuse the human residents of these colony worlds, it would not jeoprodize the human-loroi peace agreement. Quite a few Torrais backed her. Although this proposal seemed enticing, the majority of Council Members favoring Greywind opposed it. By a slim majority vote, Rubyglass’ proposal was shot down. Realising that she lost face, Rubyglass sat in disappointed silence.

After a day of exchanges, voting and reevaluation of Union policies, the Council was dismissed. Loroi physically present withdrew from the conference hall while the holographic projections of Torrais faded. Greywind's Chiefs tried to approach her directly to ask when they would return to Cry of the Wind, to which Greywind firmly replied, >When I have finished my affairs here.< Any more attempts at inquiry were shot down as the Emperor swiftly left for her hover car.

>That meeting seemed to go well,< sent Tempo as she and Greywind exited the Complex, descending stone steps to their hover cars. Dozens of high-ranking Loroi from various castes passed them by. A few tried to approach Greywind, likely to ask a favor, but were pushed away by Greywind’s Praetorans. Greywind would only accept appointments depending on the urgency determined by her secretary analysts.

Greywind mentally shrugged. >As well as it gets.<

Thunder rumbled in Toridas’ sky. Greywind looked up at the dark skies.

>Pity that it should rain,< thought Greywind. >I was looking forward to a meteor shower.< A Praetoran opened the vehicle door for the Emperor. Greywind boarded with Link close behind, carrying the Emperor’s purple cape.

[wolf329]

Yeah, lemme take about five seconds to guess who Danny is supposed to look like...

A fantastic update, with a great introduction for my new favorite character. I can't wait until he meets with the Loroi males, I think he'll get along great with them.

[Cthulhu]

Well, first the good part, you have improved considerably. The council episode was especially immersive, and you painted a vivid picture about how the various actors looked like, as well as their characters. Ben is also developing well, and his portrayal is believable.


Then the bad part, which is, well, that guy. Even though he may be your favorite actor, his insertion did not work in your favor. You have raised his importance way above what should be permissible for such a small fry, and this breaks immersion. He'd need at least an ambassadorial level of authority to even approach the Emperor casually without being apprehended by her guards (and those are Teidar, they don't speak, they kill on with sight). She's not a city mayor that any run-of-the-mill reporter or lawyer can approach and question. Intercepting her to demand something, especially without observing the proper channels, is impossible.
The humans are also way too protective of a child of a nobody they not even know the name of, he may be important for the story, but not for the government. If an entire colony can slip through the cracks, then the life of a single human ain't worth much.

Instead, his true mission should be not the return of the boy, but to figure out what the Emperor wants to do with him. Or have him hunt traffickers, who may be part of a larger operation. For this, you should've hinted that he is an operative, merely disguised as a harmless-looking lawyer.

[Snoofman]

Hey Cthulhu,

You make a few good points and thanks for your criticism. I didn't realise that I created such an immersion but am pleased that you enjoyed it.

Perhaps it was happening all too quickly and perhaps Danny should not have been able to approach Greywind so quickly and easily. I might consider changing a few details to keep the 'immersion' and present a more realistic scene. Will get back to ya'll on that.

But how exactly are the humans being too protective of a child? Of course Ben is not some important asset for the Terran government. But Danny and Samar are doing what employees for Embassies are supposed to do for citizens living abroad and making sure that all Terran citizens are not having their rights trampled on in Union territory. Plus since there are only a few thousand humans on Deinar, that makes their job easier. Or does that seem unrealistic in some way?

[Cthulhu]

But how exactly are the humans being too protective of a child? Of course Ben is not some important asset for the Terran government. But Danny and Samar are doing what employees for Embassies are supposed to do for citizens living abroad and making sure that all Terran citizens are not having their rights trampled on in Union territory. Plus since there are only a few thousand humans on Deinar, that makes their job easier. Or does that seem unrealistic in some way?

Either His Excellency the Terran Ambassador petitions Her Majesty the Emperor of the Loroi Union directly, or those regular employees must make a regular inquiry about the status of the boy. It is then transmitted to their regular counterparts, and those forward it (or not) up the command chain until it reaches Link or Tempo (or any of the secretaries/adjutants in the Imperial staff). It may get rejected along the way, the Emperor or others may refuse with some sort of excuse (an ongoing investigation), and Danny or his superior would write a new petition. Bureaucracy is extremely boring, and diplomacy has its own rules and protocols. The speed of such interactions is dependent upon the balance of power or/and common interests, for the most part.

That's where your imagination comes to play. Normally, ways around this bureaucratic colossus are few and rare, but not in fiction! Invent some subplot that may empower that guy, make him an operative, for example. Seduction , espionage, lies and trickeries to get the Emperor's attention! It' your story, so anything goes, as long as it's believable.
Or make the boy an illegitimate firstborn child of a prince, next in line for the throne (the Neridi do have a monarchy, for example).
Otherwise, make that guy a friend of some of the Loroi males and spin the story from there.

I don't know where your story is heading, thus I can only offer critique to what's there or give you some random ideas.

P.S.: Well, don't worry, it's just a fanfic. It would be a shame to spoil such good immersion, though.

[Quickdraw101]

I laughed out loud when Ben asked them for milk. Also, took me a minute to figure out who Danny is, great chapter!

[Snoofman]

Hey ya'll, after some thought and deliberation, I have changed chapter 12.

The humanity envoys don't meet Greywind. Instead of walking up to the Emperor, clearance is highly restricted. So our two humanity envoys must find another way to reach Ben.