Chariots of Heaven by R.T. Edwins
CHAPTER 8
Two days passed as the girls spent their time confined in their quarters. The monotony of the long hours was only broken up by a game Thanatos brought them. The game was a contest between two opponents, who each raced fifteen rounded stones around a track of twenty-four triangles. Kira wasn’t sure how she felt about the game, but Kaya seemed to love it; no doubt because she kept winning. Out of twenty games, Kira had only managed to win six; a fact Kaya was more than pleased to rub in.
Kira was about to lose her fifth straight game when Thanatos interrupted to tell them they would be arriving at Tython in less than an hour. Thanking the heavens, Kira quickly cleared the board, ignoring her sister’s complaints.
Standing up, she turned to straighten the sofa she’d been sitting on, but Thanatos stopped her. “Don’t worry about it. The servants will clean it once we’ve left the ship.”
“Why wait?” Kira wondered.
Sighing, Thanatos replied, “You’re new to this, but being the descendant of Kronus is no small thing, Mistress Kira. On Tython you will be seen as royalty, and as royalty you will be expected to adhere to certain rules of etiquette.”
“Etiquette?” Kaya asked, handing the collapsed board game back to Thanatos.
“I suppose you don’t really know what that is, do you? If you’re going to survive the council, you must show that you can act as one of them, and I promise you, none of them would be caught dead cleaning. That is the work of the lesser ones.”
“Who are the lesser ones?” Kira asked.
Sighing again, Thanatos walked over to one of the chairs and sat in it. “There is so much you need to learn. The lesser ones are one of the races that Velion and the council rule over. They actually look quite similar to humans but they do not come from Earth. They make up the lowest caste system of the twelve kingdoms, and are regarded as little more than slaves.”
“You sound like you feel bad for them,” Kira suggested.
Thanatos’s look of exasperation shifted to one of alarm, and with a fierce look he said, “I will forgive the error this one time, because we are alone and you didn’t know better, but do not insinuate such a notion again. There are a great many things happening on Tython that concern the lesser ones and their treatment and anyone who sympathizes with them is seen as a traitor.”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t know.” Kira said sheepishly.
Seeming to calm down, Thanatos continued, “It’s fine; just don’t do it again, especially around the others. As I was saying, the lesser ones make up the lowest caste system and are the servants of the royal family. But between you and me, I do feel a little bad for them, although not for the reason you think.”
Puzzled, Kira asked, “What do you mean?”
“I don’t feel bad for them because they are treated like slaves. I feel bad because so many of them are grateful to be treated as such. You’ll soon come to find that most of the lesser ones enjoy their captivity.” Thanatos clarified.
“Why would they like being treated like slaves?” Kaya asked, shocked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. It’s just how they are. It’s probably the reason they were enslaved to begin with.”
“You said they were the lowest caste, what does that mean?” Kaya asked.
“The twelve kingdoms include several species of intelligent life, and each of them makes up a caste level. At the very top, is the royal family, which I guess now includes the two of you.” The sisters exchanged a brief look of surprise as Thanatos continued, “Each member of the royal family rules over one of the twelve kingdoms. Right below the royal family is their distant relatives, which includes me. We are charged with the lesser ruling positions. Below us is the rest of my race, or the people who come from Tython. After that are several other species, until you get to the very bottom, where the lesser ones are.”
“Why isn’t everyone equal?” Kira interjected.
Thanatos fixed her with a strange look before saying, “Because they aren’t. On Tython, the strong rule over the weak. That’s how it’s always been, and it would serve you not to question it.”
Kira understood the warning and changed the subject. “When we were talking with Velion, you said something about there not being an heir for centuries, what did you mean?”
Thanatos smiled, “I wondered when you’d ask me that. It’s a long story but simply put, the royal family hasn’t had a new addition for a very long time. The last child born to the royal bloodline was nearly eight centuries ago, and the poor thing died before his first birthday.”
“If there are no heirs, then won’t the royal family eventually die off? Who would rule then?” Kira asked.
Thanatos nodded, “A question that’s been asked and fretted over more than you can imagine. The council has extended great effort to continue their bloodline, but until the discovery of the two of you, their efforts were in vain. ”
“How so?” Kira felt uneasy at the mention of her and her sister.
“There isn’t time enough to explain, so suffice it to say that the royal bloodline was found to be incompatible with any known species. That is, until we found you,” Thanatos finished quietly. Kira didn’t know what to make of the information. She still wasn’t completely convinced that she was related to these strangers at all, let alone the answer to their procreation problems.
Interrupting, Kaya asked, “What does it mean to be part of the royal family?”
Thanatos seemed relieved at the change in subject. “It means that the people you rule over will not love you, but they will fear you. The members of the royal family are seen as gods by their subjects, and they will expect you to act as they do. If either of you wish to make it through this, it’s important that you embrace the fear of those subjects and never exhibit weakness or sympathy. From what I have seen, both of you have unflinching nerve, so use it. You will get much more respect for being brash than for being timid. Do you understand?”
Kira and Kaya exchanged glances and nodded.
“Good. Now, before I escort you to the transport, there is one last thing you should know. As we speak, there are groups throughout the twelve kingdoms that are fighting to free the lesser ones. Right now it’s only a minor issue, especially in light of our rediscovery of Earth, but there is no telling what might come of it. This is not widely known, so I expect you to keep it to yourselves.”
“What does finding Earth have to do with it?” Kira asked.
“There is no time to tell you now, but I promise to explain later. Are you ready to leave?” Thanatos asked, peering at each of the girls.
“Yes. We didn’t really bring anything with us,” Kira reminded him.
“Right, I guess not. Well then, let’s go,” he said, turning to the door. With a hiss it opened and the three of them set off down the long corridor.
After several minutes of walking they came to a large marble door that resembled the one at Velion’s chamber. Thanatos walked to a panel next to it and started using the controls until the door quaked to life. Sliding open, it revealed an enormous hangar that held a solitary ship. It was the enormous vessel that Velion had flown to their village.
Kira gaped at the monstrosity and asked, “What is that thing?”
Kaya laughed and said, “I forgot, you never did see the ship they came in did you? Well that’s what they flew to our village while you were asleep.”
“But I thought we were in that ship already… does that mean we are in a larger ship?!” Kira wondered aloud as she looked around the enormous hangar in disbelief.
Thanatos grinned, “Both of you were asleep when it happened, but after we left Earth we docked inside this hangar, which is a part of the Trident.”
“The Trident?” both girls asked in unison.
“The Trident is the royal flagship. It is the most powerful battleship we have in the fleet and you’ve been living on it for three days,” he finished as he led them down a carpeted walkway heading to the ship.
As they approached the side
of the ship, the platform came to life and started to lower. Stepping up onto it, the three of them were lifted into the belly of the vessel. Kira was amazed at the craftsmanship of the smaller ship.
“How can such a large thing fly? How can you even lift it off of the ground?” Kira wondered.
“All in good time, Mistress Kira. Velion and Aeria should be waiting for us on the bridge, so let’s hurry,” Thanatos instructed, hastening his pace.
Somewhat to Kira’s surprise, Velion was there to greet them with a large smile. In a booming voice that seemed too big for the confined space he said, “Good! You are clean and properly dressed. Are you ready? Today is a historic day indeed!”
Kira replied, “Do we really have a choice?”
His smile fading to a frown, Velion responded, “You did have a choice, and your sister made it for you before we left. Now, I trust Thanatos has briefed you on what’s going to happen?”
“A little, but I still don’t know what to expect.”
“Well, I’ll tell you then. We are going to be flying down to the surface of the planet. When we arrive there, you will be escorted to the palace. Once there, I will convene the Council of Twelve and you will be presented to the others.”
“What happens then?” Kaya asked.
Velion grinned again and replied, “You’ll just have to wait and see. Now, both of you go sit up front. I’m sure you’ll want to get a good look at your new home.”
Both girls obeyed and moved to sit in the front as the vessel’s engines ignited. Feeling a sensation she’d never imagined, Kira stared out the large panoramic windows. The vessel lifted off of the ground and hovered towards two massive hangar doors at the end of the platform.
Flashing yellow lights on the hangar floor burst to life as the doors started to part, revealing an ocean of stars sitting just beyond a green force field. Kira gazed at the stars in awe; she had never seen so many. Once the doors were completely open, the ship accelerated with breakneck speed, slamming Kira back against her seat.
Passing through the green force field, the vessel shot out into space with immense speed. Kira couldn’t believe her eyes as it turned to face the planet Tython. It was an enormous blue-green ball floating gracefully against a backdrop of colors that she could scarcely believe. Massive stellar dust clouds of purples, yellows and greens stretched out across the heavens in an awe inspiring backdrop of grandeur.
It seemed so strange to Kira, yet something about it felt… natural. She understood then what a planet was. She never guessed that her home was just a ball, floating in an ocean of emptiness and stars like this one, but now there was no denying it. Her mind reeled as she processed all the images before her. How could this be? Nothing could prepare her for this. The vastness of the scene made her feel uncomfortably small and insignificant. What would the villagers say if they could see this? Would they change, knowing that the planet they lived on was just one of many and that places like this existed? How would she ever explain it to them if she returned to Earth? Would they even believe her?
Thanatos walked up behind the girls and whispered “That’s the Talos Nebula. It’s all that’s left of a giant star that collapsed billions of years ago.”
“It’s beautiful,” Kira whispered in awe. Kaya was speechless.
Kira pried her eyes from the breathtaking nebula and focused on Tython. It was mostly covered in land, but had several vast oceans. Around the exterior of the planet floated three massive rings. “What are those?” Kira asked, pointing at them.
“Those are the planet’s rings. They are the debris left over from when two of Tython’s smaller moons collided with each other about one million years ago.”
“Two moons?” Kira asked, gaping as the rings.
Thanatos chuckled, “Tython has fourteen moons, two of which have people living on them.”
Both girls were at a loss of words. Neither one could adequately process the sights before them as the vessel headed towards the planet. Kira watched in wonder as the planet grew larger as they approached it. Soon it filled the entire window and she was no longer able to see the nebula. As they flew closer, a feeling of panic started to fill Kira’s stomach. How would they ever stop? They were falling towards the planet with such great speed; there was no way they’d be able to stop.
Gripping the arms of her chair in panic, Kira watched in horror as the outside of the ship seemed to burst into flames, filling her view with fire and smoke. Looking around in terror, she noticed that she was the only one who seemed bothered by the new development. “Is that normal?” she asked, trying to hide her alarm.
Thanatos clapped her on the shoulder and said, “Happens every time. Don’t worry, the ship has shields that prevent the atmosphere from reaching the hull. We are completely safe, Mistress Kira.”
“What’s wrong? Don’t like flying?” Aeria taunted from behind them, but Kira ignored her.
After a few seconds the flames disappeared and Kira was able to clearly see the clouds and ground below her. As they careened towards the surface, she could see large settlements stretching out for miles. From this altitude, she could see several individual settlements connected to each other with strange strips of flattened land. The whole scene looked like some strange spider web.
Pointing at the largest settlement, Thanatos said, “That’s where we are heading: the royal city of Ishkur.”
“Is that our new home?” Kaya asked anxiously.
“Perhaps, Mistress Kaya. It depends on what the council decides,” Thanatos responded.
The two girls sat and watched as the city of Ishkur grew larger and larger until they were flying down wide avenues like canyons, walled in by enormous buildings. They were magnificent; taller and brighter than anything either girl had imagined, and there were so many of them, each more fantastic than the last. How can so many people live in such a small area? Kira wondered to herself. Every inch of the ground was covered by pavement and the city stretched as far as the eye could see. Looking towards the ground, Kira could see countless people moving about the city, apparently unaware of her flying above them.
Taking her eyes off the ground, Kira watched in awe as they headed towards a massive rounded structure. It had seven enormous tiers, each successive level encompassing a slightly smaller diameter. The bottom three levels were complete circles that supported the top of the structure. The top four levels formed crescents that wrapped around a tower standing at the center of the structure. This inner tower rose upwards and inwards, forming a point that stood high above the rest of the structure.
At the base of the colossal building sat an enormous courtyard of grass, and as they approached, Kira could see that there were thousands of people standing in it. Looking to Thanatos she asked, “What are those people doing down there?”
Smirking, he said, “They are waiting for us.” Both girls exchanged looks of alarm at the news. Thanatos, noticing their distress, said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole way. Just try to ignore them, if you can. Remember what I said about appearing strong.”
“You didn’t say anything about huge crowds of people!” Kira reprimanded.
“You’ll do just fine,” Thanatos tried to comfort, but his words did little to soothe their nerves. Both Kira and Kaya fidgeted anxiously in their chairs and kept exchanging worried looks.
As the ship began its descent into the courtyard, a sinking feeling filled Kira’s stomach and her mind raced with anxiety. She’d never seen so many people in her life and they wanted her to just act normal? How was she supposed to do that with so many strangers watching her?
She wanted to protest but there was no point, as Thanatos had already walked away and was talking with Aeria. Kira squirmed in her seat as the ship landed gracefully on the ground. Through the window she could just start to make out individual faces, all of whom were either cheering or yelling. Were these the lesser ones? She wondered. She understood then why Thanatos had said they weren’t much different than humans. They
didn’t look all that different from Kira, except their skin was much paler.
“It’s time to go. Are you ready?” Thanatos asked as he walked back over to the girls. Kira and Kaya both nodded. Smiling, he assured them, “It will be over before you know it.”
With that, the three of them made their way out of the control room and started down the ship’s corridor. Each step seemed to amplify the apprehension Kira felt in her stomach and as they made their way onto the platform she had the distinct sensation that she might be ill. Why couldn’t this just be a dream? I’d give anything to wake up, sick and dying, if it meant I didn’t have to walk out in front of that crowd! Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by the feeling of her sister’s clammy fingers threading themselves between her own.
Kira’s anxiety melted away as she looked over at Kaya and saw the terrified look her face. She had always been able to shelter her baby sister, but she had a feeling she was out of her depth here. Instead, she smiled and squeezed Kaya’s hand tightly as she leaned over and whispered, “Remember what Thanatos told us. We have to be strong, okay?”
Kaya nodded furiously and, with a look of utter terror, she stood to attention. Catching a reproachful look from Thanatos, Kira also stood up straight, holding her chin high. The platform moved, and with a hiss it started to descend. Immediately the crowd outside roared to life with cheers and whistles.
As the platform lowered to the ground, the noise from the crowd seemed to grow louder and louder until it took everything Kira had to not cover her ears. All around them, on either side of a long paved pathway, stood tens of thousands of human-like figures. Now that she could see them up close, Kira realized that they looked less like humans than she’d originally thought. They were shorter than most humans and what appeared to be pale skin, was actually a glossy, blue translucent pigment. Additionally their mouths, noses and hair were almost normal, but their eyes were slightly bigger and set further apart, and their ears were longer, coming to a sharp point at the tip.
Thanatos indicated to the girls that they should wait a moment while Velion stepped off of the platform ahead of them. After he walked a few paces Aeria followed after him and, with a nudge from Thanatos, so did Kira and Kaya.
As they started to walk down the procession, the crowd thundered with even greater intensity. The roar was deafening and the crowd appeared to be in a frenzy, whooping and cheering as if some great spectacle was before them. Kira didn’t understand. Did they always act like this when Velion and the others returned, or was it because of her and Kaya?
All of it was overwhelming and the walkway ahead of them seemed to stretch on forever. It didn’t help that Velion was walking at a painfully slow pace and kept pausing to greet people in the front row. Aeria, on the other hand, was not nearly as cheerful as her father seemed to be. She walked resolutely behind him without so much as a glance towards the crowd.
Kira tried to mirror Aeria’s disposition, standing tall and walking firmly ahead without looking at the crowd around her. More than a few times she noticed them pointing at her and Kaya as they made their way down the procession, but she did everything she could to ignore them. Almost there… almost there, she kept thinking to herself as they approached the end of the path.
About twenty yards away from a set of huge marble doors Velion did something unexpected. He stopped and turned on the spot to face the masses behind them, holding both of his arms in the air towards them. Unsure of what to do, Kira and Kaya kept walking, hoping to pass beyond Velion and escape the fanfare, but were forced to stop when he turned his gaze to them. With a giant smile he pulled both of them to his side and whispered, “You are doing great, now smile for the crowd!”
With that, he stepped back a pace and cleared his throat. The crowd hushed all around them, and in a voice that was somehow amplified, he called out, “Citizens of Tython! I have returned bearing wonderful news! We have made an important discovery that will change the twelve kingdoms forever!” The crowd roared back to life as thousands of lesser ones cheered with renewed vigor. After several seconds, Velion waved his hands to calm the crowd. “After searching for countless years, we have finally discovered a planet filled with resources without end. Many of our troubles are finally at an end and our future is secured!” The crowd burst to life again, but this time the cheers were mixed with the sound of murmuring and talking.
As the mood in the fanfare turned from elation to restlessness, Kira wished she was anywhere else. They were all staring and pointing at her like she was some strange creature they’d never seen before; it made her skin crawl. Shifting uncomfortably, she looked over at Kaya and noticed that her sister appeared to be handling the situation quite well. She was obviously nervous, but the smile she had on her face seemed genuine. Kira briefly wondered if her sister was actually enjoying this, but her thoughts were interrupted as Velion pulled both girls close and whispered, “I think that will do for now. Go ahead and follow Thanatos, I will see you in the council chambers shortly. Try not to wander off.” Setting them free, Velion turned back to face the crowd and Thanatos beckoned for the girls to follow him.
As they made their way through the giant marble doors, Kira turned back to look at the crowd. Now that she was no longer at the center of their attention, she could lower her guard and truly take in the spectacle. Something about the way the crowd moved in unison was hypnotic. She’d never seen so many people in such a small area before, and it was as if they all melted together, moving as a single massive being. She decided that if she ever made it home, this would be one of the stories she told her people.
The doors behind them shut with a soft thud, and Kira returned her gaze ahead of her. Without so much as a word, Aeria split away from Thanatos and the girls, ducking through a dark passage to Kira’s right. Thanatos didn’t seem to notice as he continued to lead the girls down the cavernous hallway.
All along either side of the corridor stood massive round pillars like the ones in Velion’s meditation chamber, except each of these had a statue of an armored guard standing at the base. Looking up, Kira noticed that between each set of pillars, the high vaulted ceilings had intricate floral patterns carved into them. How is it possible to carve such beautiful designs into stone? she wondered. Nothing in her village was made of stone, except the tools they used for farming and the spear points, but even those were rough and jagged; not smooth and graceful like the patters above her head.
Kira looked over at her sister, who seemed to be preoccupied with the stone guards they were passing. Each time they made their way past one, she would drag her fingers across the stone and look up at the carved face. Quietly she asked, “Thanatos, what are these?”
Without turning to look he merely said, “That is a story for another time.”
Frowning, Kaya decided not to press the issue. Kira turned to look at the stone guard nearest to her and couldn’t help but get the feeling that it was watching her as she walked by. Perhaps, she speculated, that was the reason for their presence in the first place; to give the impression that someone was always watching. She shuddered at the thought, and decided to ignore the stone guards.
The three of them walked for a long time, passing arched doorway after arched doorway until the hall ended at a wide spiraling staircase. Without a word, Thanatos began to climb up the shallow steps. Both girls followed after him, although the stairs were wide enough that all three of them could have walked side by side.
They climbed and climbed until Kira’s calves started to ache and both she and Kaya were out of breath. Finally, the landing at the top of the stairs came into view, revealing a hallway that was shorter than the one below. Kira could see a set of huge doors at the end and as they made their way towards them, they took her breath away again.
They were enormous! Standing high above her, each door was half of an ornately carved mural of a huge dragon with twelve heads. The three centermost heads stood taller than the other nine, and were crowned with unique headpieces;
one with a crown of lighting, the next with a crown of fire and the third with a crown of ice. The other nine heads were all feasting on different types of animals, most of which were unfamiliar to Kira, except one that looked quite like a sabercat.
As they approached, the massive doors seemed to sense their presence because they began to swing open, revealing a large semi-circular room. The room reminded Kira of Velion’s meditation chamber on the Trident, except instead of just one throne there were twelve.
The twelve seats sat around the perimeter of the semi-circular room and varied in size. The two centermost chairs were the largest, dwarfing the other ten, which were identical to each other. All twelve of the seats faced a grand auditorium of benches that sat behind a half wall and climbed row by row up towards a secondary platform. This appeared to be the place where onlookers could watch the council meetings, and by Thanatos’s indication this was where Kira and Kaya were to sit.
The three of them were alone in the cavernous room and every movement seemed to echo across it. Sitting down in the first row, Kira and Kaya looked at each other in amazement. Every new experience seemed to outshine the previous one and everything seemed to be getting more and more grandiose. There was no simplicity to be had, as everything was so overwhelmingly monumental compared to what they were used to.
“Just wait here until I get back. It will be a few minutes before the council convenes, and I have a few matters to attend to.” Both girls nodded and Thanatos made his way out through an auxiliary passage behind the twelve chairs.
“Do you think anyone would believe us if we told them about this place? It seems so... surreal,” Kaya pondered aloud, looking around at her surroundings.
“I’m not sure I believe it myself,” Kira replied honestly.
“What do you think is going to happen? What will the other people on the council be like?”
“I don’t know. But whoever they are, we shouldn’t be too quick to trust them. Remember we don’t know what they want from us,” Kira warned.
“Excellent advice. You should listen to your sister,” chimed an unfamiliar voice. Turning in surprise, the girls found a peculiar figure walking down the steps behind them. The voice belonged to a short man with blond hair who was dressed in extravagant purple and black robes. Dangling from his neck was a long silver necklace, consisting of large silver medallions linked together to form a sort of chain that clinked as he walked.
“Oh, do forgive me; I’ve spoken without introducing myself. My name is Dolius, herald of the twelve kingdoms,” he said, stopping a few steps up and bowing gracefully. Kira and Kaya exchanged confused glances. Standing back up, the man continued his way down the stairs and headed for the throne furthest to the right. Sitting in it, he grinned and said, “Perhaps it isn’t customary where you are from, but when a person introduces themselves on Tython, it is considered rude not to do so in return.”
“Oh... right, umm... My name is Kira and this is my sister Kaya,” Kira announced uncomfortably.
The small man let out a chuckle and responded, “I of course already knew your names, but I thought it fun to tease you none the less.”
“How... how do you know our names?” Kaya asked.
“Oh I’m sure you’ll discover soon enough that news travels quickly here on Tython.” He paused to flap his hands like a bird, and, with a wicked grin, continued, “There are always little birds flying around, spreading news and revealing secrets. Besides, what good would a Herald of the Twelve be, if he wasn’t the first to know about something as important as the two of you?” he asked, laughing quietly to himself.
Kira exchanged a worried look with Kaya and asked, “What is so important about us?”
“Tsk, tsk. Now I wouldn’t want to go and ruin all the fun, would I? I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait for the others to arrive to find out,” he replied darkly. “Although, even then, I doubt you’ll truly understand your role in all of this.”
Kira did not like this man already. He reminded her too much of Felmar, with his cryptic wording and reluctance to divulge any useful information. Trying to hide her irritation, she asked coolly, “Our role in all of what, exactly?” but he would not respond. As she asked the question, another person entered the room. This time it was a woman entering from the auxiliary passage Thanatos had disappeared into.
The woman had long brown shimmering hair and was dressed in a revealing green silk gown. She was tall and slender, and was, by far, the most beautiful woman Kira had ever seen; she even seemed to glow as she entered the room. On her head she wore a silver and emerald tiara that glittered in the light as she gracefully made her way towards one of the largest chairs. Sitting in it without so much as a glance at Kira or Kaya, she turned to look at Dolius. In a refined and well-mannered tone she asked, “Why have we been summoned here, Dolius? My husband was none too specific about why this was so urgent.”
“Forgive me, Mistress Hera, but I’ve been asked not to reveal Lord Velion’s news. I believe he will address us directly when all twelve members are present,” Dolius replied gracefully.
Hera let out a sigh and gave the two girls a bored look. Frowning she asked, “And who are these two? I’m not familiar with them; some distant cousins, no doubt?”
Dolius smirked and replied, “Truer than you might suspect, Mistress Hera. This is Kira and her younger sister Kaya. They, as you no doubt can tell, will be joining us for the meeting.”
Giving him an incredulous look Hera retorted, “I thought this was to be a closed session; why are they permitted to be here?”
“By order of Lord Velion himself. They are his personal guests,” Dolius informed her.
Hera looked back at the girls and glared at them, “Just so long as they aren’t more of his bastard children! I’m tired of discovering the fruits of his torrid love affairs.”
“I assure you, Mistress, they are not. Their origin is much more of a mystery than that,” Dolius replied, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Hera didn’t respond, seeming to lose interest in the subject. Kira and Kaya looked at each other, but didn’t say anything.
The four of them sat in awkward silence for a few minutes as the other members of the council trickled in one by one. Kira could tell from some of the looks that were exchanged as the new members arrived that this council was anything but a happy group. Many of them seemed to despise the others, which gave the room a sort of tension as Velion, Aeria and Thanatos entered together. Aeria took a seat among the other ten, but Velion did not sit. Thanatos made his way back over to the girls and sat next to Kira, whispering, “They are about to begin. I suspect that before the end, they will wish to hear from you, so be ready to be called to the floor.”
With a tone of alarm Kira whispered, “What?! I have to get up and talk to them? What am I supposed to say?”
“They will likely have questions for you. I advise you keep your answers short and concise, and try to speak up; not everyone can hear so well,” he advised, nodding towards a sickly looking woman sitting on the left side of the room. She looked old beyond her years, as if plagued by some disease that had aged her prematurely.
Kira felt a lump grow in her throat and a fluttering feeling filled her stomach. She wasn’t much for public speaking as it was, but the thought of having to stand before these strangers did not sit well. She looked over at her sister, who merely shrugged and gave her a consolatory look.
Velion walked to the center of the room, stopping a few feet in front of Kira and facing the council members. Clearing his throat he addressed the room in an official tone, “My beloved family, I thank you all for coming today, I know some of you have made long journeys without knowing why I’ve summoned you, but I assure you it will be worth your time.”
An older man sitting next to Hera, who looked a great deal like Velion, interrupted in a gruff tone, “It appears that only some of us have decided to show, Brother.” He pointed to the vacant seat next to Velion’s empty throne.
Velion pa
used out of respect, but it was clear that the interruption had irritated him. He replied, “Don’t worry about Hadius; we can deal with that later.”
But the man didn’t back down, standing and raising his voice even louder, “No, I think we should discuss this now! Why is it, when we are all summoned with the utmost urgency, that Hadius doesn’t show?! This has become an unacceptable trend, and I believe it begs the question of his loyalty!”
The room erupted in argument as the council members started talking over one another. Kira wasn’t sure what to make of the spectacle, but felt reassured by the amused look on Thanatos’s face.
Magnifying his voice like he had done outside, Velion boomed, “SILENCE!!!!” His command seemed to make the whole room shake and, in response, the council members all went silent. Glaring at the lot of them, Velion proceeded with an indignant tone, “We will discuss Hadius’s absence in a moment, but that is not why I have summoned you here!” He paused, making sure he wouldn’t be interrupted again. Satisfied that they would remain silent, he continued, “As I was saying, I have summoned you here because I have important news to share with you. On our scouting expedition, my daughter Aeria made an important discovery.”-Aeria beamed at the mention of her name-“After thousands of years of searching, we have finally found Earth!!”
The room did not react at first, but after a moment the man at Hera’s side spoke up, looking at Aeria in shock and demanding, “Is this true? You really found it?” Aeria nodded with a smug look on her face, but did not speak.
At this, the room erupted in conversation again as all the strangers expressed their disbelief; all of them except for Dolius, who didn’t seem surprised by the news. Kira watched him closely, noting that he appeared to be amused at the other’s disbelief. There was something that wasn’t right about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
A hardened looking man sitting to Kira’s left spoke next, “Did you examine the planet? Was it everything Kronus claimed it to be?”
Grinning widely, Velion replied, “Yes, we did examine the planet, and yes there appears to be enough ore to sustain our technology for countless generations to come.”
The hardened man looked stunned, but also deeply satisfied. Like a child asking to play with a new toy, he blurted out, “Please, Lord Velion, would you permit me to assemble a colonization expedition to the planet? I could have a mining operation up and running within the month!”
Velion’s grin widened further as he replied, “My dear Aithos, there will be no need for a colonization expedition.”
Looking alarmed, the hardened man asked, “What do you mean? Are we not going to mine the ore?”
Velion burst into laughter, which only confused the room even more. He explained, “Of course we are going to mine the ore, but what you don’t understand is how easy it will be.” No one spoke, as all of them were looking to each other in confusion.
“You see, it appears Kronus kept more details about his discovery of Earth secret than previously thought.” Again the room remained silent as all eyes were fixated on Velion as he continued, “It seems that the thirty years that he claimed he was stuck in sub-space, he was actually building a mining expedition of his own, outfitted with functional transport buildings. And more than that, he was breeding a native workforce.”
This news sent the room into another uproar as the council members started talking over one another, asking questions and expressing disbelief. This time Velion let them go on, seeming to enjoy the reaction. After several minutes of heated conversation, the council members finally calmed down and returned their attention to Velion, who was patiently waiting to continue.
This time Hera was the first to speak up, asking, “Would the two girls behind you have anything to do with this native workforce he was breeding?” At this the entire room turned their attention to Kira and Kaya. Kira cringed as Velion turned to look at her. With a satisfied look, he gestured for her to come to the floor.
Kira stood and looked down at Kaya, who gave her an encouraging smile. Deciding it might be best for her to go alone, she stepped around Thanatos and made her way towards Velion. Stopping at his side, he put his massive arm around her shoulder and with a formal tone, he announced, “I present Kira, a daughter of Earth.”
“Can she speak?” asked Aithos with a raised eyebrow.
Kira blinked in confusion and blurted, “Yes I can speak! Why wouldn’t I be able to?” Everyone except Dolius and Aeria shifted in surprise, indicating that most of them had not expected her to address them directly.
“You can speak our language?” Aithos asked, dumbfounded.
“Well, I never knew it was your language until I met her in the woods, but yes, I can speak it,” Kira retorted sarcastically, pointing at Aeria.
Aithos looked over at Aeria in confusion, and asked, “You found this one in the woods? How many more are there?”
Velion replied for Aeria, saying, “There appeared to be around a million of them, give or take.”
Aithos blinked, “A million? How did Kronus manage to breed so many? Are they civilized?”
“It’s not clear how many he originally bred, but it appears that he used genetic manipulation on a population of primitive bipeds to create them. They aren’t civilized, but they have retained much of the education Kronus provided. As you just witnessed, they still have the ability to speak our language, even after thousands of years,” Velion explained.
“Genetic manipulation? What kind of manipulation? She almost looks like... us,” Aithos wondered, more to himself than to Velion.
Velion gestured at Aeria, who nodded and pulled out the metallic cylinder from the woods. Tossing it across the room, Velion snatched it out of the air and handed it gently to Kira. “Go ahead, show them,” he whispered.
Kira looked around the room, and with a shrug, pressed down on the first symbol. Immediately the device burst to life, displaying a holoprojection of a new and unfamiliar map in the air. Everyone, even Dolius, gasped in surprise.
Kira didn’t much care for the attention. She wasn’t enjoying having a room full of strangers gape at her, like she was some sort of freak of nature. Shifting her weight uncomfortably, she pressed the button again and handed the device back to Velion.
“How... is this possible?” the man sitting next to Hera demanded with a truly alarmed look on his face.
Velion stood up tall, and in an official tone said, “It’s possible because Kira is a descendant of Kronus.”
This news really caused an uproar in the room as everyone stood to their feet and started arguing with one another. Even Thanatos made his way to the floor to join in the commotion. Kira didn’t know what to do, so she just stood there watching as the room fell into chaos. She turned to check on her sister, but didn’t have to look far. Kaya had also gotten up and was standing right behind her, wearing a look of amusement and concern.
“Do you think they are mad?” Kaya called out over the commotion of the room. Kira shrugged and pulled Kaya close to her, putting her arm around her shoulders. She didn’t think they were angry, but it certainly didn’t feel like they were very happy about the news.
Velion looked over at the girls, and with an unexpectedly soft expression on his face he smiled at them. Turning back to the council, he raised his voice and boomed, “ENOUGH!!” Everyone in the room seemed to freeze in place, falling silent as they looked to Velion in surprise, as he called out, “Return to your seats; there is still more business to attend to.”
Looking sheepish, the group went back to their seats and sat quietly, staring at the two girls. After a few seconds of silence Velion continued, “What I tell you is the truth. Kira and her sister are descendants of my father Kronus. I know this for certain, having scanned them for the appropriate genetic markers. And as you just witnessed, they have the ability to use the royal technology.”
The man next to Hera interrupted, “What about the others you found? Are they also his descendants, Brother?”
r /> “No, Pisus. These were the only two with his genetic markers. The rest appear to be a different hybrid of our species and the native bipeds he found,” Velion answered.
“What of their parents?” Pisus asked.
“I examined their father before leaving the planet and he did not have the marker. Their mother must have been the carrier, but she is deceased.” Kira winced at the emotionless remark about her mother’s death.
Aithos spoke up, “With respect, Father, how could the marker survive so many generations? We’ve been searching for Earth for thousands of years, and the chances that the markers would pass through so many variations without degradation is... unheard of. Even our most promising attempts to pass it on had significant degradation after just one generation.”
“It is remarkable, I agree, but you’ve seen firsthand that the child is able to use our technology. There is no mistaking that she is one of us, as is her sister...” -Velion paused to take a breath- “which leads me to the next order of business. As Pisus has so conveniently pointed out, Hadius is not here today, and we all know this isn’t something new. His continued absence is starting to affect the rest of us, which is why I spoke with him a few hours ago.”
“About time!” Pisus retorted with irritation.
Velion grinned, although it was obvious his patience with Pisus was wearing thin. He went on, “Together we decided it would be best to remove him from the Council of Twelve, and open his seat for appointment.”
This news seemed to go over better than the previous announcements had, as Kira noticed that everyone in the room was nodding in agreement. She didn’t know what to make of the situation, knowing so little about these people or their council, but what came next, she could have never anticipated.
“From now on, Aeria will take over his position and responsibilities as High Lord of the Lower Kingdoms!” All the other council members applauded as Aeria stood and bowed gracefully. “And in her place, I have decided...”-he paused, looking over at Kira with a grin- “to appoint Kira the twelfth member of the council!”
Everyone stopped clapping and gaped at Velion in horror. No one spoke, or even so much as moved a muscle for several seconds.
Kira blinked and looked up at Velion. Had she heard that right? Did he just say that he wanted her to be on the council? Surely there had been some sort of mistake. Maybe he appointed someone else named Kira to the council... that made more sense, didn’t it?
“You can’t be serious!” Aeria blurted out, gaping at her father.
“I am,” Velion replied, standing tall.
“But she’s... not even from Tython! How can she be expected to sit on the council?!” Aeria demanded.
“I have to agree with our daughter, Velion. Who is this girl from Earth that we should appoint her to the ruling council?” Hera interjected.
“She is a descendant of my father, just as all of us are, which gives her a birthright to sit on this council. We’ve been trying for millennia to pass on the royal marker, and none of our work has been nearly as promising as this girl is,” Velion defended.
No one seemed to know how to react, least of all Kira. She blurted out, “What do you mean I’m going to be on the council?”
“Do not fear, child; it is your destiny,” Velion assured her with a wide smile, as if he had bestowed a great gift upon her.
“My destiny? I don’t even know you people, and now you’re deciding my destiny?” Kira protested. “I never even agreed to come here!” she shouted, trying to ignore the pained expression that passed over Kaya’s face. She wasn’t angry at her sister for agreeing to come here, but this was just outrageous. How was she supposed to become a ruler among a people she hardly knew, in a place she’d never even seen before? It wasn’t fair to burden her with so much responsibility without even asking.
“Hush now, don’t do something you will regret later,” Velion cautioned, but Kira wasn’t going to listen.
“The only thing I regret is meeting you. Why couldn’t you just leave us alone?” Kira yelled.
“Enough!” Velion roared. “I’ll hear no more of this! The decision has been made. One day you will thank me! Now, return to your seats, both of you.”
Kira glared at Velion, but noticing an admonishing look from her sister, she backed down and stomped back to her seat. Kaya followed after her, looking uncomfortable and avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.
Velion shook his head and mumbled something under his breath. Collecting himself, he turned back to the council members and continued, “Now, obviously the girls are unfamiliar with Tython and its people, so this appointment will not take effect until both have had some education. Judging from where I found them, I doubt either one can read or write.” This did anything but reassure the council members, who kept looking to one another for some sort of explanation. Finding none, they merely sat in quiet acquiescence.
Thanatos was the first to break the silence, with a thoughtful look on his face he said, “Lord Velion, I think there is something we are forgetting about.”
“Oh?” Velion asked, looking confused.
“The inhabitants of Earth, my lord. What are we going to do with them? They aren’t lesser ones, after all,” Thanatos continued. Kira and Kaya exchanged anxious looks.
“I’m not sure I follow,” Velion folded his arms and gave Thanatos a reproachful look.
“Well, with all due respect my lord, don’t we need to decide how to treat these earthlings? They are their own species after all, and from the looks of it, they are more closely related to us than most of the lower castes are,” Thanatos proceeded with a cautious tone.
Pisus interjected before Velion could respond, “He has a point, Brother. These earthlings could prove to be useful, if they can carry our genetic markers. We should be careful how we treat them; they do have rights after all.”
“Rights?!” Hera spat. “What rights? They are weak and uncivilized, why should we grant them rights?”
“It’s not for us to grant them rights, Hera; that is something they have on their own. We are the outsiders here, not them; or have you learned nothing from the sins of our father?”
“Oh don’t start in on this again Pisus! We’ve heard it all before!” Hera admonished.
“Now wait just a second, I think Pisus brings up a valid point. Do we really want to continue the traditions of our father?” The sickly woman at the side of the room chimed in. Up to this point she had remained silent, even when the room had burst into chaos.
“Oh, shut it! Shouldn’t you be resting? Leave the important things to those of us healthy enough to understand what’s happening,” Hera snapped.
“Just because I’m ill, doesn’t mean I’ll be as insufferable as you, dear sister! At least I have enough sense to listen before I open my mouth and say something foolish,” the sickly woman retorted, snickering until she burst into a fit of coughing. Hera looked livid, but noticing a severe look from Velion, she did not respond.
Velion held up his hand, indicating that he wanted silence. “Perhaps the time for this decision is not now. We will need more information about the earthlings before we choose. For now, Aithos will begin the mining operation, using only the labor of lesser ones. Once the operation is running, he will study the humans from a distance and will report his findings back to us,” Velion concluded. Aithos nodded in agreement.
Two days passed as the girls spent their time confined in their quarters. The monotony of the long hours was only broken up by a game Thanatos brought them. The game was a contest between two opponents, who each raced fifteen rounded stones around a track of twenty-four triangles. Kira wasn’t sure how she felt about the game, but Kaya seemed to love it; no doubt because she kept winning. Out of twenty games, Kira had only managed to win six; a fact Kaya was more than pleased to rub in.
Kira was about to lose her fifth straight game when Thanatos interrupted to tell them they would be arriving at Tython in less than an hour. Thanking the heavens, Kira quickly cleared the board, ignoring her sister’s complaints.
Standing up, she turned to straighten the sofa she’d been sitting on, but Thanatos stopped her. “Don’t worry about it. The servants will clean it once we’ve left the ship.”
“Why wait?” Kira wondered.
Sighing, Thanatos replied, “You’re new to this, but being the descendant of Kronus is no small thing, Mistress Kira. On Tython you will be seen as royalty, and as royalty you will be expected to adhere to certain rules of etiquette.”
“Etiquette?” Kaya asked, handing the collapsed board game back to Thanatos.
“I suppose you don’t really know what that is, do you? If you’re going to survive the council, you must show that you can act as one of them, and I promise you, none of them would be caught dead cleaning. That is the work of the lesser ones.”
“Who are the lesser ones?” Kira asked.
Sighing again, Thanatos walked over to one of the chairs and sat in it. “There is so much you need to learn. The lesser ones are one of the races that Velion and the council rule over. They actually look quite similar to humans but they do not come from Earth. They make up the lowest caste system of the twelve kingdoms, and are regarded as little more than slaves.”
“You sound like you feel bad for them,” Kira suggested.
Thanatos’s look of exasperation shifted to one of alarm, and with a fierce look he said, “I will forgive the error this one time, because we are alone and you didn’t know better, but do not insinuate such a notion again. There are a great many things happening on Tython that concern the lesser ones and their treatment and anyone who sympathizes with them is seen as a traitor.”
“I’m sorry… I didn’t know.” Kira said sheepishly.
Seeming to calm down, Thanatos continued, “It’s fine; just don’t do it again, especially around the others. As I was saying, the lesser ones make up the lowest caste system and are the servants of the royal family. But between you and me, I do feel a little bad for them, although not for the reason you think.”
Puzzled, Kira asked, “What do you mean?”
“I don’t feel bad for them because they are treated like slaves. I feel bad because so many of them are grateful to be treated as such. You’ll soon come to find that most of the lesser ones enjoy their captivity.” Thanatos clarified.
“Why would they like being treated like slaves?” Kaya asked, shocked.
“Honestly, I don’t know. It’s just how they are. It’s probably the reason they were enslaved to begin with.”
“You said they were the lowest caste, what does that mean?” Kaya asked.
“The twelve kingdoms include several species of intelligent life, and each of them makes up a caste level. At the very top, is the royal family, which I guess now includes the two of you.” The sisters exchanged a brief look of surprise as Thanatos continued, “Each member of the royal family rules over one of the twelve kingdoms. Right below the royal family is their distant relatives, which includes me. We are charged with the lesser ruling positions. Below us is the rest of my race, or the people who come from Tython. After that are several other species, until you get to the very bottom, where the lesser ones are.”
“Why isn’t everyone equal?” Kira interjected.
Thanatos fixed her with a strange look before saying, “Because they aren’t. On Tython, the strong rule over the weak. That’s how it’s always been, and it would serve you not to question it.”
Kira understood the warning and changed the subject. “When we were talking with Velion, you said something about there not being an heir for centuries, what did you mean?”
Thanatos smiled, “I wondered when you’d ask me that. It’s a long story but simply put, the royal family hasn’t had a new addition for a very long time. The last child born to the royal bloodline was nearly eight centuries ago, and the poor thing died before his first birthday.”
“If there are no heirs, then won’t the royal family eventually die off? Who would rule then?” Kira asked.
Thanatos nodded, “A question that’s been asked and fretted over more than you can imagine. The council has extended great effort to continue their bloodline, but until the discovery of the two of you, their efforts were in vain. ”
“How so?” Kira felt uneasy at the mention of her and her sister.
“There isn’t time enough to explain, so suffice it to say that the royal bloodline was found to be incompatible with any known species. That is, until we found you,” Thanatos finished quietly. Kira didn’t know what to make of the information. She still wasn’t completely convinced that she was related to these strangers at all, let alone the answer to their procreation problems.
Interrupting, Kaya asked, “What does it mean to be part of the royal family?”
Thanatos seemed relieved at the change in subject. “It means that the people you rule over will not love you, but they will fear you. The members of the royal family are seen as gods by their subjects, and they will expect you to act as they do. If either of you wish to make it through this, it’s important that you embrace the fear of those subjects and never exhibit weakness or sympathy. From what I have seen, both of you have unflinching nerve, so use it. You will get much more respect for being brash than for being timid. Do you understand?”
Kira and Kaya exchanged glances and nodded.
“Good. Now, before I escort you to the transport, there is one last thing you should know. As we speak, there are groups throughout the twelve kingdoms that are fighting to free the lesser ones. Right now it’s only a minor issue, especially in light of our rediscovery of Earth, but there is no telling what might come of it. This is not widely known, so I expect you to keep it to yourselves.”
“What does finding Earth have to do with it?” Kira asked.
“There is no time to tell you now, but I promise to explain later. Are you ready to leave?” Thanatos asked, peering at each of the girls.
“Yes. We didn’t really bring anything with us,” Kira reminded him.
“Right, I guess not. Well then, let’s go,” he said, turning to the door. With a hiss it opened and the three of them set off down the long corridor.
After several minutes of walking they came to a large marble door that resembled the one at Velion’s chamber. Thanatos walked to a panel next to it and started using the controls until the door quaked to life. Sliding open, it revealed an enormous hangar that held a solitary ship. It was the enormous vessel that Velion had flown to their village.
Kira gaped at the monstrosity and asked, “What is that thing?”
Kaya laughed and said, “I forgot, you never did see the ship they came in did you? Well that’s what they flew to our village while you were asleep.”
“But I thought we were in that ship already… does that mean we are in a larger ship?!” Kira wondered aloud as she looked around the enormous hangar in disbelief.
Thanatos grinned, “Both of you were asleep when it happened, but after we left Earth we docked inside this hangar, which is a part of the Trident.”
“The Trident?” both girls asked in unison.
“The Trident is the royal flagship. It is the most powerful battleship we have in the fleet and you’ve been living on it for three days,” he finished as he led them down a carpeted walkway heading to the ship.
As they approached the side
“How can such a large thing fly? How can you even lift it off of the ground?” Kira wondered.
“All in good time, Mistress Kira. Velion and Aeria should be waiting for us on the bridge, so let’s hurry,” Thanatos instructed, hastening his pace.
Somewhat to Kira’s surprise, Velion was there to greet them with a large smile. In a booming voice that seemed too big for the confined space he said, “Good! You are clean and properly dressed. Are you ready? Today is a historic day indeed!”
Kira replied, “Do we really have a choice?”
His smile fading to a frown, Velion responded, “You did have a choice, and your sister made it for you before we left. Now, I trust Thanatos has briefed you on what’s going to happen?”
“A little, but I still don’t know what to expect.”
“Well, I’ll tell you then. We are going to be flying down to the surface of the planet. When we arrive there, you will be escorted to the palace. Once there, I will convene the Council of Twelve and you will be presented to the others.”
“What happens then?” Kaya asked.
Velion grinned again and replied, “You’ll just have to wait and see. Now, both of you go sit up front. I’m sure you’ll want to get a good look at your new home.”
Both girls obeyed and moved to sit in the front as the vessel’s engines ignited. Feeling a sensation she’d never imagined, Kira stared out the large panoramic windows. The vessel lifted off of the ground and hovered towards two massive hangar doors at the end of the platform.
Flashing yellow lights on the hangar floor burst to life as the doors started to part, revealing an ocean of stars sitting just beyond a green force field. Kira gazed at the stars in awe; she had never seen so many. Once the doors were completely open, the ship accelerated with breakneck speed, slamming Kira back against her seat.
Passing through the green force field, the vessel shot out into space with immense speed. Kira couldn’t believe her eyes as it turned to face the planet Tython. It was an enormous blue-green ball floating gracefully against a backdrop of colors that she could scarcely believe. Massive stellar dust clouds of purples, yellows and greens stretched out across the heavens in an awe inspiring backdrop of grandeur.
It seemed so strange to Kira, yet something about it felt… natural. She understood then what a planet was. She never guessed that her home was just a ball, floating in an ocean of emptiness and stars like this one, but now there was no denying it. Her mind reeled as she processed all the images before her. How could this be? Nothing could prepare her for this. The vastness of the scene made her feel uncomfortably small and insignificant. What would the villagers say if they could see this? Would they change, knowing that the planet they lived on was just one of many and that places like this existed? How would she ever explain it to them if she returned to Earth? Would they even believe her?
Thanatos walked up behind the girls and whispered “That’s the Talos Nebula. It’s all that’s left of a giant star that collapsed billions of years ago.”
“It’s beautiful,” Kira whispered in awe. Kaya was speechless.
Kira pried her eyes from the breathtaking nebula and focused on Tython. It was mostly covered in land, but had several vast oceans. Around the exterior of the planet floated three massive rings. “What are those?” Kira asked, pointing at them.
“Those are the planet’s rings. They are the debris left over from when two of Tython’s smaller moons collided with each other about one million years ago.”
“Two moons?” Kira asked, gaping as the rings.
Thanatos chuckled, “Tython has fourteen moons, two of which have people living on them.”
Both girls were at a loss of words. Neither one could adequately process the sights before them as the vessel headed towards the planet. Kira watched in wonder as the planet grew larger as they approached it. Soon it filled the entire window and she was no longer able to see the nebula. As they flew closer, a feeling of panic started to fill Kira’s stomach. How would they ever stop? They were falling towards the planet with such great speed; there was no way they’d be able to stop.
Gripping the arms of her chair in panic, Kira watched in horror as the outside of the ship seemed to burst into flames, filling her view with fire and smoke. Looking around in terror, she noticed that she was the only one who seemed bothered by the new development. “Is that normal?” she asked, trying to hide her alarm.
Thanatos clapped her on the shoulder and said, “Happens every time. Don’t worry, the ship has shields that prevent the atmosphere from reaching the hull. We are completely safe, Mistress Kira.”
“What’s wrong? Don’t like flying?” Aeria taunted from behind them, but Kira ignored her.
After a few seconds the flames disappeared and Kira was able to clearly see the clouds and ground below her. As they careened towards the surface, she could see large settlements stretching out for miles. From this altitude, she could see several individual settlements connected to each other with strange strips of flattened land. The whole scene looked like some strange spider web.
Pointing at the largest settlement, Thanatos said, “That’s where we are heading: the royal city of Ishkur.”
“Is that our new home?” Kaya asked anxiously.
“Perhaps, Mistress Kaya. It depends on what the council decides,” Thanatos responded.
The two girls sat and watched as the city of Ishkur grew larger and larger until they were flying down wide avenues like canyons, walled in by enormous buildings. They were magnificent; taller and brighter than anything either girl had imagined, and there were so many of them, each more fantastic than the last. How can so many people live in such a small area? Kira wondered to herself. Every inch of the ground was covered by pavement and the city stretched as far as the eye could see. Looking towards the ground, Kira could see countless people moving about the city, apparently unaware of her flying above them.
Taking her eyes off the ground, Kira watched in awe as they headed towards a massive rounded structure. It had seven enormous tiers, each successive level encompassing a slightly smaller diameter. The bottom three levels were complete circles that supported the top of the structure. The top four levels formed crescents that wrapped around a tower standing at the center of the structure. This inner tower rose upwards and inwards, forming a point that stood high above the rest of the structure.
At the base of the colossal building sat an enormous courtyard of grass, and as they approached, Kira could see that there were thousands of people standing in it. Looking to Thanatos she asked, “What are those people doing down there?”
Smirking, he said, “They are waiting for us.” Both girls exchanged looks of alarm at the news. Thanatos, noticing their distress, said, “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole way. Just try to ignore them, if you can. Remember what I said about appearing strong.”
“You didn’t say anything about huge crowds of people!” Kira reprimanded.
“You’ll do just fine,” Thanatos tried to comfort, but his words did little to soothe their nerves. Both Kira and Kaya fidgeted anxiously in their chairs and kept exchanging worried looks.
As the ship began its descent into the courtyard, a sinking feeling filled Kira’s stomach and her mind raced with anxiety. She’d never seen so many people in her life and they wanted her to just act normal? How was she supposed to do that with so many strangers watching her?
She wanted to protest but there was no point, as Thanatos had already walked away and was talking with Aeria. Kira squirmed in her seat as the ship landed gracefully on the ground. Through the window she could just start to make out individual faces, all of whom were either cheering or yelling. Were these the lesser ones? She wondered. She understood then why Thanatos had said they weren’t much different than humans. They
“It’s time to go. Are you ready?” Thanatos asked as he walked back over to the girls. Kira and Kaya both nodded. Smiling, he assured them, “It will be over before you know it.”
With that, the three of them made their way out of the control room and started down the ship’s corridor. Each step seemed to amplify the apprehension Kira felt in her stomach and as they made their way onto the platform she had the distinct sensation that she might be ill. Why couldn’t this just be a dream? I’d give anything to wake up, sick and dying, if it meant I didn’t have to walk out in front of that crowd! Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by the feeling of her sister’s clammy fingers threading themselves between her own.
Kira’s anxiety melted away as she looked over at Kaya and saw the terrified look her face. She had always been able to shelter her baby sister, but she had a feeling she was out of her depth here. Instead, she smiled and squeezed Kaya’s hand tightly as she leaned over and whispered, “Remember what Thanatos told us. We have to be strong, okay?”
Kaya nodded furiously and, with a look of utter terror, she stood to attention. Catching a reproachful look from Thanatos, Kira also stood up straight, holding her chin high. The platform moved, and with a hiss it started to descend. Immediately the crowd outside roared to life with cheers and whistles.
As the platform lowered to the ground, the noise from the crowd seemed to grow louder and louder until it took everything Kira had to not cover her ears. All around them, on either side of a long paved pathway, stood tens of thousands of human-like figures. Now that she could see them up close, Kira realized that they looked less like humans than she’d originally thought. They were shorter than most humans and what appeared to be pale skin, was actually a glossy, blue translucent pigment. Additionally their mouths, noses and hair were almost normal, but their eyes were slightly bigger and set further apart, and their ears were longer, coming to a sharp point at the tip.
Thanatos indicated to the girls that they should wait a moment while Velion stepped off of the platform ahead of them. After he walked a few paces Aeria followed after him and, with a nudge from Thanatos, so did Kira and Kaya.
As they started to walk down the procession, the crowd thundered with even greater intensity. The roar was deafening and the crowd appeared to be in a frenzy, whooping and cheering as if some great spectacle was before them. Kira didn’t understand. Did they always act like this when Velion and the others returned, or was it because of her and Kaya?
All of it was overwhelming and the walkway ahead of them seemed to stretch on forever. It didn’t help that Velion was walking at a painfully slow pace and kept pausing to greet people in the front row. Aeria, on the other hand, was not nearly as cheerful as her father seemed to be. She walked resolutely behind him without so much as a glance towards the crowd.
Kira tried to mirror Aeria’s disposition, standing tall and walking firmly ahead without looking at the crowd around her. More than a few times she noticed them pointing at her and Kaya as they made their way down the procession, but she did everything she could to ignore them. Almost there… almost there, she kept thinking to herself as they approached the end of the path.
About twenty yards away from a set of huge marble doors Velion did something unexpected. He stopped and turned on the spot to face the masses behind them, holding both of his arms in the air towards them. Unsure of what to do, Kira and Kaya kept walking, hoping to pass beyond Velion and escape the fanfare, but were forced to stop when he turned his gaze to them. With a giant smile he pulled both of them to his side and whispered, “You are doing great, now smile for the crowd!”
With that, he stepped back a pace and cleared his throat. The crowd hushed all around them, and in a voice that was somehow amplified, he called out, “Citizens of Tython! I have returned bearing wonderful news! We have made an important discovery that will change the twelve kingdoms forever!” The crowd roared back to life as thousands of lesser ones cheered with renewed vigor. After several seconds, Velion waved his hands to calm the crowd. “After searching for countless years, we have finally discovered a planet filled with resources without end. Many of our troubles are finally at an end and our future is secured!” The crowd burst to life again, but this time the cheers were mixed with the sound of murmuring and talking.
As the mood in the fanfare turned from elation to restlessness, Kira wished she was anywhere else. They were all staring and pointing at her like she was some strange creature they’d never seen before; it made her skin crawl. Shifting uncomfortably, she looked over at Kaya and noticed that her sister appeared to be handling the situation quite well. She was obviously nervous, but the smile she had on her face seemed genuine. Kira briefly wondered if her sister was actually enjoying this, but her thoughts were interrupted as Velion pulled both girls close and whispered, “I think that will do for now. Go ahead and follow Thanatos, I will see you in the council chambers shortly. Try not to wander off.” Setting them free, Velion turned back to face the crowd and Thanatos beckoned for the girls to follow him.
As they made their way through the giant marble doors, Kira turned back to look at the crowd. Now that she was no longer at the center of their attention, she could lower her guard and truly take in the spectacle. Something about the way the crowd moved in unison was hypnotic. She’d never seen so many people in such a small area before, and it was as if they all melted together, moving as a single massive being. She decided that if she ever made it home, this would be one of the stories she told her people.
The doors behind them shut with a soft thud, and Kira returned her gaze ahead of her. Without so much as a word, Aeria split away from Thanatos and the girls, ducking through a dark passage to Kira’s right. Thanatos didn’t seem to notice as he continued to lead the girls down the cavernous hallway.
All along either side of the corridor stood massive round pillars like the ones in Velion’s meditation chamber, except each of these had a statue of an armored guard standing at the base. Looking up, Kira noticed that between each set of pillars, the high vaulted ceilings had intricate floral patterns carved into them. How is it possible to carve such beautiful designs into stone? she wondered. Nothing in her village was made of stone, except the tools they used for farming and the spear points, but even those were rough and jagged; not smooth and graceful like the patters above her head.
Kira looked over at her sister, who seemed to be preoccupied with the stone guards they were passing. Each time they made their way past one, she would drag her fingers across the stone and look up at the carved face. Quietly she asked, “Thanatos, what are these?”
Without turning to look he merely said, “That is a story for another time.”
Frowning, Kaya decided not to press the issue. Kira turned to look at the stone guard nearest to her and couldn’t help but get the feeling that it was watching her as she walked by. Perhaps, she speculated, that was the reason for their presence in the first place; to give the impression that someone was always watching. She shuddered at the thought, and decided to ignore the stone guards.
The three of them walked for a long time, passing arched doorway after arched doorway until the hall ended at a wide spiraling staircase. Without a word, Thanatos began to climb up the shallow steps. Both girls followed after him, although the stairs were wide enough that all three of them could have walked side by side.
They climbed and climbed until Kira’s calves started to ache and both she and Kaya were out of breath. Finally, the landing at the top of the stairs came into view, revealing a hallway that was shorter than the one below. Kira could see a set of huge doors at the end and as they made their way towards them, they took her breath away again.
They were enormous! Standing high above her, each door was half of an ornately carved mural of a huge dragon with twelve heads. The three centermost heads stood taller than the other nine, and were crowned with unique headpieces;
As they approached, the massive doors seemed to sense their presence because they began to swing open, revealing a large semi-circular room. The room reminded Kira of Velion’s meditation chamber on the Trident, except instead of just one throne there were twelve.
The twelve seats sat around the perimeter of the semi-circular room and varied in size. The two centermost chairs were the largest, dwarfing the other ten, which were identical to each other. All twelve of the seats faced a grand auditorium of benches that sat behind a half wall and climbed row by row up towards a secondary platform. This appeared to be the place where onlookers could watch the council meetings, and by Thanatos’s indication this was where Kira and Kaya were to sit.
The three of them were alone in the cavernous room and every movement seemed to echo across it. Sitting down in the first row, Kira and Kaya looked at each other in amazement. Every new experience seemed to outshine the previous one and everything seemed to be getting more and more grandiose. There was no simplicity to be had, as everything was so overwhelmingly monumental compared to what they were used to.
“Just wait here until I get back. It will be a few minutes before the council convenes, and I have a few matters to attend to.” Both girls nodded and Thanatos made his way out through an auxiliary passage behind the twelve chairs.
“Do you think anyone would believe us if we told them about this place? It seems so... surreal,” Kaya pondered aloud, looking around at her surroundings.
“I’m not sure I believe it myself,” Kira replied honestly.
“What do you think is going to happen? What will the other people on the council be like?”
“I don’t know. But whoever they are, we shouldn’t be too quick to trust them. Remember we don’t know what they want from us,” Kira warned.
“Excellent advice. You should listen to your sister,” chimed an unfamiliar voice. Turning in surprise, the girls found a peculiar figure walking down the steps behind them. The voice belonged to a short man with blond hair who was dressed in extravagant purple and black robes. Dangling from his neck was a long silver necklace, consisting of large silver medallions linked together to form a sort of chain that clinked as he walked.
“Oh, do forgive me; I’ve spoken without introducing myself. My name is Dolius, herald of the twelve kingdoms,” he said, stopping a few steps up and bowing gracefully. Kira and Kaya exchanged confused glances. Standing back up, the man continued his way down the stairs and headed for the throne furthest to the right. Sitting in it, he grinned and said, “Perhaps it isn’t customary where you are from, but when a person introduces themselves on Tython, it is considered rude not to do so in return.”
“Oh... right, umm... My name is Kira and this is my sister Kaya,” Kira announced uncomfortably.
The small man let out a chuckle and responded, “I of course already knew your names, but I thought it fun to tease you none the less.”
“How... how do you know our names?” Kaya asked.
“Oh I’m sure you’ll discover soon enough that news travels quickly here on Tython.” He paused to flap his hands like a bird, and, with a wicked grin, continued, “There are always little birds flying around, spreading news and revealing secrets. Besides, what good would a Herald of the Twelve be, if he wasn’t the first to know about something as important as the two of you?” he asked, laughing quietly to himself.
Kira exchanged a worried look with Kaya and asked, “What is so important about us?”
“Tsk, tsk. Now I wouldn’t want to go and ruin all the fun, would I? I’m afraid you’ll just have to wait for the others to arrive to find out,” he replied darkly. “Although, even then, I doubt you’ll truly understand your role in all of this.”
Kira did not like this man already. He reminded her too much of Felmar, with his cryptic wording and reluctance to divulge any useful information. Trying to hide her irritation, she asked coolly, “Our role in all of what, exactly?” but he would not respond. As she asked the question, another person entered the room. This time it was a woman entering from the auxiliary passage Thanatos had disappeared into.
The woman had long brown shimmering hair and was dressed in a revealing green silk gown. She was tall and slender, and was, by far, the most beautiful woman Kira had ever seen; she even seemed to glow as she entered the room. On her head she wore a silver and emerald tiara that glittered in the light as she gracefully made her way towards one of the largest chairs. Sitting in it without so much as a glance at Kira or Kaya, she turned to look at Dolius. In a refined and well-mannered tone she asked, “Why have we been summoned here, Dolius? My husband was none too specific about why this was so urgent.”
“Forgive me, Mistress Hera, but I’ve been asked not to reveal Lord Velion’s news. I believe he will address us directly when all twelve members are present,” Dolius replied gracefully.
Hera let out a sigh and gave the two girls a bored look. Frowning she asked, “And who are these two? I’m not familiar with them; some distant cousins, no doubt?”
Dolius smirked and replied, “Truer than you might suspect, Mistress Hera. This is Kira and her younger sister Kaya. They, as you no doubt can tell, will be joining us for the meeting.”
Giving him an incredulous look Hera retorted, “I thought this was to be a closed session; why are they permitted to be here?”
“By order of Lord Velion himself. They are his personal guests,” Dolius informed her.
Hera looked back at the girls and glared at them, “Just so long as they aren’t more of his bastard children! I’m tired of discovering the fruits of his torrid love affairs.”
“I assure you, Mistress, they are not. Their origin is much more of a mystery than that,” Dolius replied, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. Hera didn’t respond, seeming to lose interest in the subject. Kira and Kaya looked at each other, but didn’t say anything.
The four of them sat in awkward silence for a few minutes as the other members of the council trickled in one by one. Kira could tell from some of the looks that were exchanged as the new members arrived that this council was anything but a happy group. Many of them seemed to despise the others, which gave the room a sort of tension as Velion, Aeria and Thanatos entered together. Aeria took a seat among the other ten, but Velion did not sit. Thanatos made his way back over to the girls and sat next to Kira, whispering, “They are about to begin. I suspect that before the end, they will wish to hear from you, so be ready to be called to the floor.”
With a tone of alarm Kira whispered, “What?! I have to get up and talk to them? What am I supposed to say?”
“They will likely have questions for you. I advise you keep your answers short and concise, and try to speak up; not everyone can hear so well,” he advised, nodding towards a sickly looking woman sitting on the left side of the room. She looked old beyond her years, as if plagued by some disease that had aged her prematurely.
Kira felt a lump grow in her throat and a fluttering feeling filled her stomach. She wasn’t much for public speaking as it was, but the thought of having to stand before these strangers did not sit well. She looked over at her sister, who merely shrugged and gave her a consolatory look.
Velion walked to the center of the room, stopping a few feet in front of Kira and facing the council members. Clearing his throat he addressed the room in an official tone, “My beloved family, I thank you all for coming today, I know some of you have made long journeys without knowing why I’ve summoned you, but I assure you it will be worth your time.”
An older man sitting next to Hera, who looked a great deal like Velion, interrupted in a gruff tone, “It appears that only some of us have decided to show, Brother.” He pointed to the vacant seat next to Velion’s empty throne.
Velion pa
But the man didn’t back down, standing and raising his voice even louder, “No, I think we should discuss this now! Why is it, when we are all summoned with the utmost urgency, that Hadius doesn’t show?! This has become an unacceptable trend, and I believe it begs the question of his loyalty!”
The room erupted in argument as the council members started talking over one another. Kira wasn’t sure what to make of the spectacle, but felt reassured by the amused look on Thanatos’s face.
Magnifying his voice like he had done outside, Velion boomed, “SILENCE!!!!” His command seemed to make the whole room shake and, in response, the council members all went silent. Glaring at the lot of them, Velion proceeded with an indignant tone, “We will discuss Hadius’s absence in a moment, but that is not why I have summoned you here!” He paused, making sure he wouldn’t be interrupted again. Satisfied that they would remain silent, he continued, “As I was saying, I have summoned you here because I have important news to share with you. On our scouting expedition, my daughter Aeria made an important discovery.”-Aeria beamed at the mention of her name-“After thousands of years of searching, we have finally found Earth!!”
The room did not react at first, but after a moment the man at Hera’s side spoke up, looking at Aeria in shock and demanding, “Is this true? You really found it?” Aeria nodded with a smug look on her face, but did not speak.
At this, the room erupted in conversation again as all the strangers expressed their disbelief; all of them except for Dolius, who didn’t seem surprised by the news. Kira watched him closely, noting that he appeared to be amused at the other’s disbelief. There was something that wasn’t right about him, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
A hardened looking man sitting to Kira’s left spoke next, “Did you examine the planet? Was it everything Kronus claimed it to be?”
Grinning widely, Velion replied, “Yes, we did examine the planet, and yes there appears to be enough ore to sustain our technology for countless generations to come.”
The hardened man looked stunned, but also deeply satisfied. Like a child asking to play with a new toy, he blurted out, “Please, Lord Velion, would you permit me to assemble a colonization expedition to the planet? I could have a mining operation up and running within the month!”
Velion’s grin widened further as he replied, “My dear Aithos, there will be no need for a colonization expedition.”
Looking alarmed, the hardened man asked, “What do you mean? Are we not going to mine the ore?”
Velion burst into laughter, which only confused the room even more. He explained, “Of course we are going to mine the ore, but what you don’t understand is how easy it will be.” No one spoke, as all of them were looking to each other in confusion.
“You see, it appears Kronus kept more details about his discovery of Earth secret than previously thought.” Again the room remained silent as all eyes were fixated on Velion as he continued, “It seems that the thirty years that he claimed he was stuck in sub-space, he was actually building a mining expedition of his own, outfitted with functional transport buildings. And more than that, he was breeding a native workforce.”
This news sent the room into another uproar as the council members started talking over one another, asking questions and expressing disbelief. This time Velion let them go on, seeming to enjoy the reaction. After several minutes of heated conversation, the council members finally calmed down and returned their attention to Velion, who was patiently waiting to continue.
This time Hera was the first to speak up, asking, “Would the two girls behind you have anything to do with this native workforce he was breeding?” At this the entire room turned their attention to Kira and Kaya. Kira cringed as Velion turned to look at her. With a satisfied look, he gestured for her to come to the floor.
Kira stood and looked down at Kaya, who gave her an encouraging smile. Deciding it might be best for her to go alone, she stepped around Thanatos and made her way towards Velion. Stopping at his side, he put his massive arm around her shoulder and with a formal tone, he announced, “I present Kira, a daughter of Earth.”
“Can she speak?” asked Aithos with a raised eyebrow.
Kira blinked in confusion and blurted, “Yes I can speak! Why wouldn’t I be able to?” Everyone except Dolius and Aeria shifted in surprise, indicating that most of them had not expected her to address them directly.
“You can speak our language?” Aithos asked, dumbfounded.
“Well, I never knew it was your language until I met her in the woods, but yes, I can speak it,” Kira retorted sarcastically, pointing at Aeria.
Aithos looked over at Aeria in confusion, and asked, “You found this one in the woods? How many more are there?”
Velion replied for Aeria, saying, “There appeared to be around a million of them, give or take.”
Aithos blinked, “A million? How did Kronus manage to breed so many? Are they civilized?”
“It’s not clear how many he originally bred, but it appears that he used genetic manipulation on a population of primitive bipeds to create them. They aren’t civilized, but they have retained much of the education Kronus provided. As you just witnessed, they still have the ability to speak our language, even after thousands of years,” Velion explained.
“Genetic manipulation? What kind of manipulation? She almost looks like... us,” Aithos wondered, more to himself than to Velion.
Velion gestured at Aeria, who nodded and pulled out the metallic cylinder from the woods. Tossing it across the room, Velion snatched it out of the air and handed it gently to Kira. “Go ahead, show them,” he whispered.
Kira looked around the room, and with a shrug, pressed down on the first symbol. Immediately the device burst to life, displaying a holoprojection of a new and unfamiliar map in the air. Everyone, even Dolius, gasped in surprise.
Kira didn’t much care for the attention. She wasn’t enjoying having a room full of strangers gape at her, like she was some sort of freak of nature. Shifting her weight uncomfortably, she pressed the button again and handed the device back to Velion.
“How... is this possible?” the man sitting next to Hera demanded with a truly alarmed look on his face.
Velion stood up tall, and in an official tone said, “It’s possible because Kira is a descendant of Kronus.”
This news really caused an uproar in the room as everyone stood to their feet and started arguing with one another. Even Thanatos made his way to the floor to join in the commotion. Kira didn’t know what to do, so she just stood there watching as the room fell into chaos. She turned to check on her sister, but didn’t have to look far. Kaya had also gotten up and was standing right behind her, wearing a look of amusement and concern.
“Do you think they are mad?” Kaya called out over the commotion of the room. Kira shrugged and pulled Kaya close to her, putting her arm around her shoulders. She didn’t think they were angry, but it certainly didn’t feel like they were very happy about the news.
Velion looked over at the girls, and with an unexpectedly soft expression on his face he smiled at them. Turning back to the council, he raised his voice and boomed, “ENOUGH!!” Everyone in the room seemed to freeze in place, falling silent as they looked to Velion in surprise, as he called out, “Return to your seats; there is still more business to attend to.”
Looking sheepish, the group went back to their seats and sat quietly, staring at the two girls. After a few seconds of silence Velion continued, “What I tell you is the truth. Kira and her sister are descendants of my father Kronus. I know this for certain, having scanned them for the appropriate genetic markers. And as you just witnessed, they have the ability to use the royal technology.”
The man next to Hera interrupted, “What about the others you found? Are they also his descendants, Brother?”
“What of their parents?” Pisus asked.
“I examined their father before leaving the planet and he did not have the marker. Their mother must have been the carrier, but she is deceased.” Kira winced at the emotionless remark about her mother’s death.
Aithos spoke up, “With respect, Father, how could the marker survive so many generations? We’ve been searching for Earth for thousands of years, and the chances that the markers would pass through so many variations without degradation is... unheard of. Even our most promising attempts to pass it on had significant degradation after just one generation.”
“It is remarkable, I agree, but you’ve seen firsthand that the child is able to use our technology. There is no mistaking that she is one of us, as is her sister...” -Velion paused to take a breath- “which leads me to the next order of business. As Pisus has so conveniently pointed out, Hadius is not here today, and we all know this isn’t something new. His continued absence is starting to affect the rest of us, which is why I spoke with him a few hours ago.”
“About time!” Pisus retorted with irritation.
Velion grinned, although it was obvious his patience with Pisus was wearing thin. He went on, “Together we decided it would be best to remove him from the Council of Twelve, and open his seat for appointment.”
This news seemed to go over better than the previous announcements had, as Kira noticed that everyone in the room was nodding in agreement. She didn’t know what to make of the situation, knowing so little about these people or their council, but what came next, she could have never anticipated.
“From now on, Aeria will take over his position and responsibilities as High Lord of the Lower Kingdoms!” All the other council members applauded as Aeria stood and bowed gracefully. “And in her place, I have decided...”-he paused, looking over at Kira with a grin- “to appoint Kira the twelfth member of the council!”
Everyone stopped clapping and gaped at Velion in horror. No one spoke, or even so much as moved a muscle for several seconds.
Kira blinked and looked up at Velion. Had she heard that right? Did he just say that he wanted her to be on the council? Surely there had been some sort of mistake. Maybe he appointed someone else named Kira to the council... that made more sense, didn’t it?
“You can’t be serious!” Aeria blurted out, gaping at her father.
“I am,” Velion replied, standing tall.
“But she’s... not even from Tython! How can she be expected to sit on the council?!” Aeria demanded.
“I have to agree with our daughter, Velion. Who is this girl from Earth that we should appoint her to the ruling council?” Hera interjected.
“She is a descendant of my father, just as all of us are, which gives her a birthright to sit on this council. We’ve been trying for millennia to pass on the royal marker, and none of our work has been nearly as promising as this girl is,” Velion defended.
No one seemed to know how to react, least of all Kira. She blurted out, “What do you mean I’m going to be on the council?”
“Do not fear, child; it is your destiny,” Velion assured her with a wide smile, as if he had bestowed a great gift upon her.
“My destiny? I don’t even know you people, and now you’re deciding my destiny?” Kira protested. “I never even agreed to come here!” she shouted, trying to ignore the pained expression that passed over Kaya’s face. She wasn’t angry at her sister for agreeing to come here, but this was just outrageous. How was she supposed to become a ruler among a people she hardly knew, in a place she’d never even seen before? It wasn’t fair to burden her with so much responsibility without even asking.
“Hush now, don’t do something you will regret later,” Velion cautioned, but Kira wasn’t going to listen.
“The only thing I regret is meeting you. Why couldn’t you just leave us alone?” Kira yelled.
“Enough!” Velion roared. “I’ll hear no more of this! The decision has been made. One day you will thank me! Now, return to your seats, both of you.”
Kira glared at Velion, but noticing an admonishing look from her sister, she backed down and stomped back to her seat. Kaya followed after her, looking uncomfortable and avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room.
Velion shook his head and mumbled something under his breath. Collecting himself, he turned back to the council members and continued, “Now, obviously the girls are unfamiliar with Tython and its people, so this appointment will not take effect until both have had some education. Judging from where I found them, I doubt either one can read or write.” This did anything but reassure the council members, who kept looking to one another for some sort of explanation. Finding none, they merely sat in quiet acquiescence.
Thanatos was the first to break the silence, with a thoughtful look on his face he said, “Lord Velion, I think there is something we are forgetting about.”
“Oh?” Velion asked, looking confused.
“The inhabitants of Earth, my lord. What are we going to do with them? They aren’t lesser ones, after all,” Thanatos continued. Kira and Kaya exchanged anxious looks.
“I’m not sure I follow,” Velion folded his arms and gave Thanatos a reproachful look.
“Well, with all due respect my lord, don’t we need to decide how to treat these earthlings? They are their own species after all, and from the looks of it, they are more closely related to us than most of the lower castes are,” Thanatos proceeded with a cautious tone.
Pisus interjected before Velion could respond, “He has a point, Brother. These earthlings could prove to be useful, if they can carry our genetic markers. We should be careful how we treat them; they do have rights after all.”
“Rights?!” Hera spat. “What rights? They are weak and uncivilized, why should we grant them rights?”
“It’s not for us to grant them rights, Hera; that is something they have on their own. We are the outsiders here, not them; or have you learned nothing from the sins of our father?”
“Oh don’t start in on this again Pisus! We’ve heard it all before!” Hera admonished.
“Now wait just a second, I think Pisus brings up a valid point. Do we really want to continue the traditions of our father?” The sickly woman at the side of the room chimed in. Up to this point she had remained silent, even when the room had burst into chaos.
“Oh, shut it! Shouldn’t you be resting? Leave the important things to those of us healthy enough to understand what’s happening,” Hera snapped.
“Just because I’m ill, doesn’t mean I’ll be as insufferable as you, dear sister! At least I have enough sense to listen before I open my mouth and say something foolish,” the sickly woman retorted, snickering until she burst into a fit of coughing. Hera looked livid, but noticing a severe look from Velion, she did not respond.
Velion held up his hand, indicating that he wanted silence. “Perhaps the time for this decision is not now. We will need more information about the earthlings before we choose. For now, Aithos will begin the mining operation, using only the labor of lesser ones. Once the operation is running, he will study the humans from a distance and will report his findings back to us,” Velion concluded. Aithos nodded in agreement.