Heaven Saga 2: Sands of Aquarius (10 page)

Zae
stared at Brian while thinking. “His honor, he’s shown all of us the kind of
honor he carries. The weight of his people follows him wherever he goes, but he
walks tall, with pride. I know I can trust him and that’s what attracts me to
him. I know in my heart whatever he tries it will be the right thing. One
cannot go wrong following such a person.”

“What
if he strays?”

“When
that day comes he’ll learn from the mistake.”

“So
how do you think he looks in that suit?”

Zae
smiled. “Good. Saying that, he’d look great wearing anything.”

“Or
wearing nothing at all,” Seles said while blushing.

Zae
rolled her eyes. “Only you and a few others would know.”

“Just
wait, he’ll throw the rose to you next time.”

Valis
sat alone in the back of a black hover car and looked out at the city outside.
She wore a dark blue dress and a silver tiara with a necklace of Kali on her
neck. She was made up as well, sparkling in the dark of the vehicle. She smiled
as she looked at herself in the window. After a few minutes the hover car
landed outside the complex Brian lived in. Kivi stood outside, impatiently
waiting.

Valis
stepped out and walked over to Kivi. “Is he ready?”

Kivi
smiled. “My, you look gorgeous if I may say so.”

“Somehow
I get the impression you’re making fun of me,” Valis said, noticing Kivi bite
back a laugh. “Where is he?”

Kivi
glanced back at the door to the apartment. “He’s been in there for hours.”

“And
I rushed to get ready,” Valis said with faux disappointment in her voice.

Brian
stood in his apartment wearing a dark black and green suit with a dark green
cape, along with the
rakna
on his belt. He checked himself one more time
before walking out the door. He saw Kivi and Valis chatting down below in the
street in. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Valis for a moment as he walked
down the stairs.

“You
look lovely captain,” he said before kneeling and kissing her gloved hand. “I’d
be honored to join you this evening.” He stood back up.

“I’m
glad I’ll have you at my side this evening,” she said before nodding to Kivi.
She motioned for Brian to get in the hover car. “Kivi, I trust you’ll get the
job done.”

“Yes
captain,” Kivi said.

She
stepped into the hover car with Brian.

“What
job are you talking about?” Brian asked when the car began to fly to the Kein
Estate.

“Daes
has something she’s working on. She thinks she can mass produce craft similar
to the Mjolnir at lower cost,” she turned to Brian, “You do know how much that
monster cost?”

Brian
laughed. “I could’ve bought a light class ship for that much money. Is she
going to use the Talon prototype?”

“That’s
what she told me,” Valis said.  “If she succeeds, the Avoni will have the
fighting power of an Original Five ship.” Brian looked like he wanted to say
something when she waved him off. “I think that’s enough on this subject for
tonight.”

“Of
course,” he said.

“By
the way, Celestia sends her regards.”

“I’m
sure she loves all the documents I sent her on forming a government.”

Valis
cracked a grin. “She’s chosen a parliamentary system rather than the one your
homeland uses.”

“I’d
have to agree with that decision.”

“Why
do you say that?” she asked as she leaned forward.

“My
homeland’s system is inefficient. I admire the spirit of which it was born, but
not the reality of what I saw before leaving Earth.”

“Ideals
always sound better in the realm of dreams, not in the world we live in,” Valis
looked out the window, “The Kein family thought ideals alone would change the
Kalaidian people,” she paused. “But it didn’t. It took a single Terran to change
what we thought impossible,” She looked Brian in the eye, “Reality isn’t
perfect, like the ideals in our minds, but what you’ve done is a start. Because
of you my people can dream once more.”

“But
one can’t live on dreams alone.”

“Of
course, but one can’t live without dreams either,” Valis countered. “So let me
ask you, what is it you dream about?”

“I
don’t know where to start.” He took a minute to think. “The dream I have is a
world without war, without hate, without greed. I dream of a world where no one
suffers needlessly, a world where everyone’s talents are allowed to blossom.
That’s the dream I have, but I know it’s just that: a dream.”

“Maybe
it’s as far-fetched as you think.” She took his hand. “That’s why in the
future, I’ll follow you.”

“Why?”

“Because
the world you speak of is there, waiting for us to find. You’ve unchained the
people of Kali from their cursed past. By breaking free from our past the
future is all we can see. The other races don’t understand what you’ve given to
us. It’s because they can only see the darkness surrounding them. They can’t
see the light that shines from the others nearby,” she smiled. “I’m glad I get
to see what things you do from here on.”

“I’ll
do what I can.”

“All
I ask you try,” she said.

Sunset
neared as they arrived at the Kein Estate, landing at the front gate. There were
a number of other Kalaidians all dressed as best as money could afford. They
approached the gate, with the guards letting them through with a salute.

“This
place reminds me of the royal palace on your homeworld,” Brian said as they
headed towards the courtyard behind the main mansion.

“The
Kein family is the second wealthiest family of Kalaidia. Now that our relations
with the homeworld are back to normal we can resume free trade like we did
before the Upheaval six years ago.” Valis smiled and nodded at a group of
ladies passing by. She then looked forward, freezing in place, staring forward.

“What’s
wrong?” Brian asked. He turned and saw Valis’s grandmother, Veda, closing fast.
While her age showed a little bit, Brian could see the beauty of the lady,
especially in the contrasting crimson red dress she was wearing. Her long dark
blue hair and aquamarine eyes shined brightly in the setting sun. She stopped
in front of the pair and smiled before turning to greet him.

“You
must be Brian,” Veda said as she smiled playfully. “Valis has told me much
about you, and Celestia has nothing but praise.” She paced around him, gazing
in a manner that caused him to blush before turning to Valis. “I can see why
the young ones are going nuts about him.”

He
turned away. Valis took Veda aside and whispered to her. “Don’t talk like that,
he’s not something, but a person.”

Veda
backed away, still smiling. “Don’t worry about that.” Veda took his hand. “Now
young man, please dance with me.”

He
looked at Valis, who had resigned herself to the situation. “Of course my
lady,” he answered as she dragged him to the courtyard.

The
courtyard of the Kein estate was filled with Kalaidian merchants from every
family. The ladies stopped to see the young human dance with Veda.

“You
seem to have our traditional dances down quite well young man,” Veda said as
they danced at the center of the circle.

“I
was trained as a
Maigar
, so of course I would know these,” he grinned,
“I can show you one of the dances of my homeworld if this bores you.”

Veda
laughed. “No, this is enough.” She looked into his eyes, seeing how he looked
at her. “Who trained you? That’s the question I’ve had on mind since I first
learned of you becoming a
Rakna Maigar
.”

“I
was trained by the
Reiniere
of the Avoni.”

“Was
it Zae, the young one with green hair? How could she know the ritual to train
you?” Veda asked, smiling coyly.

“No,
the
Reiniere
of the Avoni is someone you know well Veda, someone you
thought dead long ago.” Brian answered, looking rather reserved.

“Now
I’m intrigued. Who might this person be?”

“She
slept for a hundred and fifty eight years to find me, the pride of your
brother, Mira Kein,” Brian answered.

Veda’s
expression was one of shock for a second as she composed herself quickly. “So
Mira’s alive,” Veda laughed, “He always did have a trick up his sleeve.” As the
dance ended, the two bowed to the crowd and then walked over to her table.
Valis sat alone, bored. She stood up as they got closer, annoyed with her
grandmother.

“My
Valis, you look so impatient.” Veda patted her on the back. “Go have you fun
with him, I’m sure that’s what he’s been looking forward to all evening.”

Brian
offered his hand to Valis. “Would you like to dance?”

She
took his hand. “Sure.”

Brian
stood in the doorway leading out to a balcony that stood over the courtyard.
Across the room Valis slipped her dress back on. She walked over and took his
arm gently with hers.

“I
feel like I’m taking advantage of you,” she said as she gazed at the stars with
him.

“I
don’t feel that way at all,” he said while running his hand through her hair.

She
closed her eyes and held him. “When I’m like this, I can forget who I am.
Holding you, I can relax and feel alive.”

“It’s
not like you to get all serious on me.”

She
looked up. “I know you don’t believe it, but I thank the goddess every day that
you came to me.”

“You’re
right about that Valis. Although I don’t believe in a higher power like Kali, I
believe in you.”

“What?”

“I
didn’t agree to serve you because of just survival. I trust your judgment. You
saw not what I was, but what I could be. And to be honest, I see the same for
you.”

“What
do you mean?”

“Your
potential is great,” he turned to the stars, “I stay at your side because I
know you’ll lead me in the right direction.”

“Aren’t
you supposed to be doing that for me and the others?”

“I’m
mortal, and a weak one at that. Despite how I carry myself, the pain of Delne
Raekar follows me wherever I go.”

She
held him tightly. “What happened to you? Be honest with me.”

He
looked into her eyes again. “I saw a vision of Dega Jul, one that Delne used to
trick me. I thought she was Seles, but something was off. I could tell by the
way she acted it wasn’t really Seles. I broke her mental illusions, only to see
the awful truth. I was chained to a wall. She enjoyed seeing me suffer. But as
angry as I was I could only see one image haunting her.”

“What
was it?”

“It
was Gaelic Kein.”

“I
don’t know anything about him and Delne ever meeting.”

His
eyes glazed over as he looked up at the starry night sky. “When the two were
very young, before their training in their respective arts, Delne and Gaelic
knew each other.”

“How
do you know about this?”

“When
she was messing around in my mind I saw a number of her memories. I saw her
true feelings, and her greatest sadness. What I saw in Delne’s soul was that of
a broken woman,” he paused, “She was broken by her mother, who taught her the
Kai
.”

“It’s
said the only way to perform the
Kai
is to experience it.”

“That’s
exactly what happened to Delne in her youth. The
Maigar’s
art is the
light, whereas the
Kaida
is the darkness. The
Kai
twists one’s
mind and body, pushing them to madness. But no matter what horror Delne tried
with me all I could see were the tears behind the mask. She was twisted in that
world of darkness and desperately tried to get out. But by the time Gaelic
returned to her life he was with his new love. In her madness Delne consented
to what the Greys had to offer. After the plague hit and as Gaelic was dying
Delne who showed him one last moment of mercy. She provided the tomb where he
prepared the cure for the plague.”

“Seles
told me that Delne had strange smile as she died,” she said. “Promise me you
won’t let the darkness twist you.”

He
smiled. “Time will tell.”

“Do
you remember how to use the
Kai
?”

“I
know how to use it. Saying that, I don’t think I’d ever have the will to go
through with it. My head might not be on straight right now, but I’m not that
far gone.”

The
pair stood together arm in arm, gazing upon the festival, a hint of fire
glowing in each other‘s eyes. “I think it’s about time we got back to the
party,” Valis said, breaking the trance they shared.

“Of
course Valis,” he said.

* * *

The
Sheldik sat in port on Dega Jul, far from the Avoni. Captain Riga headed into the
launching bay. As he entered the cubic room he saw a number of engineers
modifying the Talon that Dreka piloted. He saw Dreka directing the engineers,
shouting obscenities once every few minutes at their incompetence.