Azkaban. It was a feared place, M's'rri mused to himself, to the ka-rai-shr - the outsiders. Those who dreamed. What a strange word! What a silly word to describe the bliss that it entailed!
M's'rri was an Akklya'nnir. The word in his language roughly translated to 'People of the Dreamsdeath'. However, the ka-rai-shr had given them another name, that the Akkalya'nnir resented. Dementors.
What strange words, M's'rri continued to think. The ka-rai-shr were, by all aspects, strange to the Akkalya'nnir.
Akkalya'nnir did, unlike some thought, have emotions. But they were small and watery, with only the darkest coming through strong, turning many of their kind into cynics and bigots. Others were strong, and followed the cause of justice and charity. The ka-rai-shr, too weak in Akkalya'nnir eyes, needed aid in keeping their society from falling into blood-riddled chaos. M's'rri puffed himself up with pride, thinking how he was one of the chosen to don the dark cloak and help the ka-rai-shr.
It was a good life. The rampant emotions of the convicts made good feeding, and the Akkalya'nnir, like parasites, fed and were happy from one until it died - then to another. They did not feel the need for guilt. Does the wolf mourn over the elk? They were higher than the ka-rai-shr, were they not? Though every Akkalya'nnir was once a ka-rai-shr beforehand, they had given themselves in the ka-rai-shr life for another, and were elevated to Akkalya'nnir eternity, to carry justice for their former people.
But now the ka-rai-shr were breaking apart again, and M's'rri had to decide.
Before, they had joined the newest group of ka-rai-shr, the rebels against society, the ones who had sweetly talked thier Rayannr leader into alliance. The Rayannr had been a fool, they knew now, weakminded against the ka-rai-shr leader's tricks. But in loyalty, they had followed, and now they regretted.
Yet loyalty was commended, a promise a promise. Akkalya'nnir everywhere wrestled with the problem. To follow the renegade ka-rai-shr again, or stay with the other ka-rai-shr?
M's'rri did not let his mind wander far, however. He had other problems at the moment, all interconnected like a fragile spider's web he saw too often on the stone walls. He had to be ready, for the ambassadorial party was heading out tomorrow to the head of the nonrenegade ka-rai-shr.
And the head Rayannr, commander of the trip, had ordered M's'rri to bring one of the newest Akkalya'nnir along. Kwyuuyai, she was called. Weeping woman.
M's'rri sighed. This was not going to be pleasant. Some Akkalya'nnir retained most of their ka-rai-shr bodies and thoughts. M's'rri looked only ka-rai-shr in appearance, however, Kwyuuyai remained ka-rai-shr like in most ways... Including mourning for her husband and lamenting for her son.
Putting one gray-skinned hand on the door, M's'rri swung it open.
By ka-rai-shr standards, one could say that Kwyuuyai was beautiful. Reddish hair cascaded about her shoulders, and her skin with the transformation had gone from rosyish to a light gray. She sat on the Akkalya'nnir chair, head in her hands, crying... as always.
"Kwyuuyai?" M's'rri said quietly to her. "Kwyuu?" Again he called to her, using her shortened name, translating to just 'weeping'. "Rayannr Jayiir wishes you to come along to the summit -"
"Why should I, M's'rri?" Her voice was harsh and hoarse. "Besides, you know I'm not Kwyuuyai," she said, spitting the name as if it were ash.
M's'rri's voice raised in protest. "You are Akkalya'nnir now, you a-"
The glare she shot him made his voice suddenly falter and cut short. The angry and disgusted veins in her voice grew stronger. "I'm Lily, M's'rri," she hissed. "And I shall always be."
Silence streched for a few good moments, until her voice broke the icy nothingness. "Go tell the Rayannr," she rasped, "To do without me. I'm not going."
M's'rri quietly nodded and left the room, decending again into the maze of passages that made Akkalya'nnirhome.
---
Akkalya'nnirhome was truly a laberythian place.
Tunnels in the earth, tall and furnished on all sides with polished wood and marble, ran for miles on end. Rayannr Jayiir sat at an ebony desk in a room paneled with redwood and floored with marble tile. It was a ka-rai-shr custom that she enjoyed.
Jayiir, in fact, looked mostly human. Dark and stringy hair fell into her angular face, she had a flatchested body type. Only a few things marked her as an Akkala'nnir: her grayish skin, and eyes that were a completely even black with no pupil. It was her likeness to the ka-rai-shr that gained her the elevation of Rayannr. If she only had a fraction's difference to go from ka-rai-shr to Akkalya'nnir, then logically she must be a good leader. And she was.
With that position came the respect. M's'rri walked into the room, bowing before speaking. He took a deep breath.
"Kwyuuyai says she will not go, Rayannr Jayiir."
Jayiir bit her lip, a ka-rai-shr habit she knew but did not care. "Her loss, M's'rri."
M's'rri's brown, pupilless eyes looked at her questioningly. "May one respectfully ask explination?"
She let a quiet smile trail around her mouth. "One can, M's'rri. And you can lose the formalities." Jayiir let her smile become more jaunty as she saw M's'rri slump his shoulders in embarrasment. "It's Kwyuuyai's loss because her son will be there."
M's'rri's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Jayiir smiled secretively again.
"He's coming with the ka-rai-shr Rayannr to the summit, and is highly respected amongst his peers." She gazed at M's'rri, smile vanishing from her face. "He says he will come to Akkalya'nnirhome to help relations. We must make a good impression, M's'rri."
He nodded quickly. "Yes, Rayannr. His room is ready, and all Vyiirs are ordered to stay away." Vyiirs were the lowest on the Akkalya'nnir social chain, being mere ghosts with vaugely human form. They worked among the ka-rai-shr more readily, having to be ordered about and having no emotions of their own, while Akkalya'nnir like M's'rri preffered to work behind the scenes instead of on the field.
Jayiir looked up, and smiled at him. "Very good, M's'rri. I see you are prepared." She stood, a signal for him to go. "You know the time to report. Be ready, for this summit shall not be easy."
As he turned and left, her voice stopped him once more. "Oh, and M's'rri... Make sure Kwyuuyai knows none of this."
M's'rru nodded once fiercely, and Jayiir was left alone once more in her room to prepare for the daunting challange that would face her the next morning.