Or had they been starved and worn down from life in huts, exposed to harsh elements?
I looked around. The planet wasn’t barren; it was rocky, yes, but trees studded the hills and low grasses and shrubs clung to the hillsides. The sky was a mild blue and dotted with fluffy clouds. If all the skilled and strongest members of the community had been sent away, it was no wonder the populace was in dire straits.
A grim and dangerous knot of men and women, we walked toward the rough settlement. Carlotta took her job as bodyguard seriously. I walked with her to my left and Griffin to my right. To my amusement, a tall, heavily armed woman had fallen in on Griffin’s other side. He’d been assigned a bodyguard as well.
Griffin’s men fell in behind us with military precision, while Carlotta’s guerillas kept to our perimeter. Councilman Evan couldn’t help but notice the protective stance they’d taken, and he scowled. A single rusty skimmer pulled up, driven by a young man, and he paused next to the portly councilor, taking him up and speeding away.
“Well that was interesting,” I murmured to Griffin.
He glared at the receding skimmer.
“Is this procession necessary?” I was a bit concerned about the show of force.
Griffin just scowled at me, and Carlotta answered.
“It’s most definitely necessary, King Helios. Your strength is the strength of the people.” She’d adopted a rigid, military formality toward me. I sort of missed her bitchy side.
I searched the crowd and gestured for my sister to return to my side. She linked her arm into mine as we walked.
“I have many questions to ask, Deirdre.”
While I’d been away, my sister should have been regent in my stead. She’d have been next in line to the throne, followed by Alexander. Instead the throne had sat empty. Well, in a figurative sense; there was no real throne here. I’d have to have somebody build one for me. One with a really soft cushion. I got the feeling I’d be sitting and listening to a certain councilman for hours on end.
“I have much to tell you as well, Helios.” She looked at Carlotta, who dropped back a bit. “We should talk now, while we can.” She glanced at Carlotta once more, and then came to a stop. Recognition flooded her expression. “These are your bodyguards?”
“Don’t worry; these are the Talisians who joined me before the end of the fighting. They’ve sworn loyalty to me.”
“And we will do so again, with your people to witness.” Carlotta’s face was carefully neutral.
I suddenly remembered Carlotta on her knee, offering her weapon. A tall, bulky man had knelt at her side. Automatically, I looked for him but couldn’t recall his name.
“But you’re….”
“I’m Alexander’s other aunt.” She gave Deirdre a smile then, the smile that spoke of so much lost and yet so much to hope for. “I look forward to meeting my only living relative.” Emotion gleamed in her eyes. “I thought I’d lost everyone. But my brother-in-law lives, and my sister’s son as well.”
We stood there on the dusty trail as two strong women came to an understanding of sorts. When Deirdre smiled back, I knew the start of a bond had been formed. Still, the memory tugging at my mind wouldn’t let go.
“Carlotta, there was another with you, a large man… back then….”
She understood. “That was Caius. He was a lieutenant in my father’s army. He was my right hand.” She broke off, and a look of grief flashed over her face. “He was terribly wounded. He lives still and will arrive within days.” This had been someone important to Carlotta. My curiosity was piqued.
“There is so much to tell you, Helios. So much! But for now, there are some on the council you must be wary of. Some in the village as well.” Deirdre drew my attention from Carlotta.
“That one we just met?”
“He’s greedy but mostly harmless, I think.”
I looked at Griffin to see if he agreed with her judgment. He looked uncertain. How well did he know the members of the council?
“You aren’t really a member of this community, are you, Grif? None of the soldiers are. Have they truly exiled all of you?” I looked from face to face, realizing the enormity of what had been done to them.
We gathered into a small cluster. I wished for privacy, but at the same time, everyone had something to say. They’d been waiting very long for someone to listen.
“Initially we needed to strike out into space to feed the people, to bring back supplies and materials for building. But when we tried to organize, to lay out the camps and repair the homes and equipment, we were sent away.”
I looked at the woman who spoke. I remembered her from another life. She’d served in the same unit I’d originally trained in.
“They… certain members of the council, insisted that the people didn’t need our protection, that they needed us out there, making money. I’d have gladly moved to farming if they’d have allowed me to stay.”
“I was forced to leave my wife and children….”
“I have skills that could have been useful here….”
Their voices whispered around me like dry leaves in the wind, with long-suppressed anger and despair.
“Is this true, Griffin? Were you forced to leave behind your daughters?”
He looked up then at the faces of all those who’d gathered around us. Carlotta’s people had dropped back; I was surrounded by eight of my own soldiers. I looked away from them, up at Captain Griffin Hawke.
“Helios, I’d have never given up the search for you, not ever. But I’d have chosen to do it differently. I see my girls rarely, when I return to the planet to deliver supplies. I’ve watched them grow up via video feed.”
My heart was cold, and my anger was hot.
Diedre spoke urgently. “Helios, they are afraid of the soldiers. They were afraid that they’d try to take over leadership and make it a military government.”
I looked at my sister in shock. “That is the purpose of the military, to take control until normalcy is returned. Our men and women are well trained.”
“The general objected as well, but he’s old, and the council overruled him. They would not accept me as regent in your or Alexander’s stead, though I’ve been allowed a presence in the council. They initially voted to seat Alexander as king upon his twentieth birthday. I had to battle tooth and nail to keep him with me.”
We were on a ridge now, and I looked down at the ragged city unfolding before me. From a distance, the poor planning and construction was obvious. Even with the limited technology they’d had these past years, there was no excuse for such ramshackle construction.
“Griffin, did any of our engineers survive?”
“Yes, Helios. Gwinn and her crew will arrive next week.”
I nodded. Clearly we’d need to sell more candar crystals, though they’d put us in danger. Not only from greedy brokers, but from the Vash and Somian. We were being judged, and if I didn’t get the city on track and self-sufficient, we’d be at risk of dispersal. But we needed funds, and thus far, there’d been no invasive mining.
I glanced at Carlotta, and she nodded, understanding the direction of my thoughts. I’d dispatch her and a crew of her mercenaries to sell the mineral on the black market if need be.
There was a disruption at the outer edges of the circle, and suddenly two children forced their way through the crowd, rushing forward, throwing themselves into Griffin’s arms. A flurry of black hair and blonde, patched clothing, and gleaming skin.
“Daddy!”
“Maia…. Lauren….”
I saw a look on his face that I’d only glimpsed briefly in the few weeks we’d been together. It was love… aching, painful love. He went to his knees and buried his face in their hair.
The blonde pulled away first, and my heart twisted. She was the very image of Suzan. I could see her mother’s irrepressible dimples and vivid blue eyes.
“I’m Lauren.” She approached me cautiously.
“I remember you, Lauren, but you were just a tiny
girl when I saw you last. You are a young lady now.” She giggled at that.
“I’m Maia.”
My heart stopped then and there. And suddenly, I knew I had no choice in my future. All selfish wishes, all fears and doubts slipped away. One heartbeat of time gave vivid clarity to what my duty was to my people.
She stood halfway behind Griffin’s leg, peeking at me shyly. Maia was the image of her father, right down to the black patch that covered her right eye. The tip of one finger was missing. A small scar traced her jaw. I had the sick feeling that there were other scars under her clothing. I swallowed my grief and smiled, dropping to one knee.
“Hello, Maia. I remember you too.” And I meant it; I could vividly recall these two romping around the gardens when I visited their parents. “How old are you now?”
“We’re seven.”
“Almost eight,” Maia piped in.
“Lauren, you are the very image of your mother, and Maia, you look just like your father.”
Her hand flew to the patch, and I caught it, holding it in mine. “And your father is one of the most beautiful people I know, so you must be beautiful as well.”
“I think he’s beautiful too.” She clasped my hand tightly.
Lauren crowded close to her sister. “But don’t say it too loud, or he’ll get mad.” She gave me a sincere look that was filled with suppressed humor. They both moved closer to me, Maia leaving the shelter of her father’s body to stroke my cheek, while Lauren pulled my braid forward.
“Your hair is like a girl’s hair.”
“Yes, but I like it quite a lot. It took a very long time to grow.”
“Why do you have lines painted on your eyes?” Maia had spotted the tattoos along my lash line. She gently stroked the tip of one finger along the inked line.
“Someone thought my eyes were so pretty that they wanted to show them off, so they put tattoos around them.”
“Like a doll?”
“Yes, rather like a doll.”
She touched my eyelid, looking very close. My knees ached from kneeling so long, but that was a small matter. Across from me, Griffin’s face had gone still, his eyes full of pain.
“Why did you let them do that?”
I reached up and touched the skin along the edge of her patch. Her good eye was as dark as obsidian and full of sad knowledge. Lauren draped an arm around my shoulder. The compassion and wisdom these two exuded was breathtaking.
“The lady who did it didn’t ask my permission.”
“Did it hurt?” Lauren was now looking closely. “Because people hurt my sister, but she was so brave. I cried more than she did.”
A tear streaked down Griffin’s cheek. He didn’t try to hide it. “I cried too.” He said it with a smile that said so very much.
Maia broke from me and retreated to her father, offering him comfort.
“Yes, it hurt. But I couldn’t move, or my eyes might have been injured.”
They’d tied me to a table. My arms and legs had been bound, and my head braced into position. At the time, I’d thought it was brutal. But I was intact; Maia wasn’t.
There was movement around me again, and I looked up into a face so similar to mine, it was uncanny. My eyes looked out from a much younger face. Hair several shades darker than mine was cut in a short, choppy cut, similar to the style I’d once favored.
“Alexander.”
He looked proud and strong, awkward and frightened all at once. He was a boy hurtling toward manhood here in this miserable place. He’d be twelve now, or maybe thirteen.
I stood, my sister at my back, my lover at my side, and I faced my son. He had several inches to go before reaching my height but seemed tall for a boy his age. I watched him look me over, from the soles of my booted feet to the length of my hair. He didn’t know whether to shake my hand or throw himself into my arms.
I took that choice away by pulling him close and holding him next to my heart. He struggled to be a man, to not break down and cry, and I simply held him as he regained control of himself.
“Where… where were you?”
I knew there were eyes on us—everyone was listening—but I opted for absolute truth.
“I’ve been on a planet called Warlan. I was a slave there until Griffin came and found me.”
He stood back then, rubbing tears from his reddened eyes. This close, I could see a sprinkling of freckles over his nose. His eyes weren’t as gray as mine; they held more blue in their depths. His nose looked a bit like Carlotta’s. Looking at him with that knowledge, I saw him as he truly was: a bridge between two cultures.
“Did you try to escape?”
“All the time. I’m afraid I was a very bad slave.”
That drew a guffaw of laughter from Griffin, who stood now, two little girls clinging to his hands.
“Captain Hawke promised that he’d find you.” He looked up at the big man. “Thank you, Captain Hawke.”
My son was remembering his position and his pride. I smiled; we’d soon break him of that. Hopefully he’d quickly return to being a boy.
“Fath—Papa.”
I smiled. That sounded good.
“I saw Fury on the way up. He’s been grazing up closer to the town. We might see him on the way back.”
“There’s not much grazing to be had around here.” I looked around, seeing straggling weeds clinging to soil between jagged rocks.
“At night, everything changes. It’s beautiful. You’ll see.”
I hugged him, drawing him close. “I’ll show you the secret to calling Fury.” I winked, then lifted my head. Flattening my lips, I sent a piercing, trilling whistle up into the air. It echoed, then faded away. “He knows I’m here now. When he’s ready, he’ll find me.”
“Just make sure he doesn’t bite you on the ass,” Griffin said. Alexander stifled a laugh.
“Alex, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. She’s a very special person.” I reached back and caught Carlotta’s hand, bringing her to my side. “This is Carlotta. She’s your mother’s sister.”
“My aunt?” He looked her over appraisingly.
“She is indeed your other aunt. And she’ll be staying here with us.”
Carlotta stepped close, taking both his hands. “I haven’t seen you since you were an infant.” Her lips curved up, her smile sweet and pure. “You are indeed a Dayspring, but you have a look of my sister about you.” He flushed slightly, then looked up at me.
“You are staying? All of you?” His voice was hopeful.
“We are all staying. And in the next few days, more of the soldiers are coming home. I have been found and returned. There is no reason for anyone to leave again.”
A cheer went up, and I looked around, shocked to find that the small group had become a large crowd. I saw faces that I recognized and in a surreal moment, found myself being passed from person to person. They examined my face, some hugged me, and others pressed their foreheads to my hands.
There were hostile eyes, to be sure. I took note of them and moved on, finally arriving at a face that made me laugh and cry at once. His face was as lined and elderly as it had been when I was a youth, and his blue eyes still smiled.
I went to my knees in front of Basil Alexander, the high priest of the Sun Temple and namesake of my son. This man had taught me the kilij and its forms. He’d ingrained something in me that had survived the chip and the memory wipes and years of conditioning. He’d been the priest whose vision had pulled me from Griffin and the army to Cloris and the temple.
In a moment of clarity, perhaps even precognition, I understood what he’d done. If I’d remained on the path I’d been on, Griffin and I wouldn’t have survived the first wave of the invasion. We’d have been commanders on the front line. We’d have died.
There would have been no Alexander, and like an arrow into the future, I saw my son taking the throne as I stepped down to rejoin the Temple. I saw him leading our world into a brighter, prosperous future. I looked around and s
aw crops in the fields, animals grazing. I saw a splendid city rising in the distant hills. The vision left me unbalanced.
On the ground, something caught my eye. I leaned forward and pushed a bit of dirt away from a rock. Turning it to the sun, it blazed with white fire and then with a deep red gleam.
This single stone would bring technology to the planet, and would bring water to the surface. Another like it would bring shelter and safety. Candar, the sunstone.
I remembered that not so long ago, I’d given up on the Sun.
“You will now be our priest king, Helios. And after you, your son, and then his daughter….” My moment of sight had fled, but his continued. Next to me, Alexander had also dropped to his knees. Basil held tightly to my arm, still caught in our shared vision. His face was radiant.
“Dad, I saw something….” My son’s eyes were wide with awe and swimming in tears.
“Helios. You’ll send the prince to me when I call for him. In the meantime, you are to begin his kilij training.”
I struggled to my feet, blinded by my vision and the tears that accompanied it. A strong hand steadied me and remained on my arm for the time it took for me to recover. I slid my hand down Griffin’s arm and laced our fingers together, gripping him tightly. I blinked, looked up, and saw hundreds of faces looking on in awe. It seemed that the prayers of many had been answered. I took a deep breath. I looked to the sky, blinking at the brilliant light of the star that gave life to this planet. I then looked at Griffin.
“I am ready.”
He looked steadily at me, and then nodded, raising one fist to shoulder level. Around us, soldiers took formation and began to move. I saw a single rider leading several horses. My ride. I grinned and mounted up, pulling Alexander up behind my saddle. Griffin rode beside me. One little girl rode on the saddle in front, the other perched behind, her arms tightly around his waist.
Deirdre rode with Basil. My guards rode unencumbered.
From my mount, I could see the crowd all around us. Yes, they were poor and ragged, but they were joyful. My heart pounded painfully. It was time to make it official.
“I have come home.”
Many excited voices echoed through the air. When the noise settled, I spoke again. “I’ve come to our new home, which is called Neo Domus.” It was a very old language, one that I’d learned from Basil. The Sun Priests communicated in code. The sword sets told stories, and we kept our secrets in a long-dead language. There were few priests left, so perhaps it was time to share the old stories.
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