AN: Hello again! I know I've been posting a lot and very quickly, but that's because I wrote the first four chapters before posting the first one. Not to disappoint too much, but it'll be a lot slower from here on out. I haven't quite figured out a posting schedule, but I'll keep everyone posted when I do. Please leave a review or a comment, or anything really! It's encouraging to get almost anything related to the story.

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Chapter 4: New Altaira

No matter how long she had lived in the capital city, returning to New Altaira consistently filled Almira with dread. Every return to the royal court made her wings and legs itch with the desire to return to her brothers in arms and fly away from the crater as soon as possible. The fragrant bouquets of court pettiness and drama were so rampant in the air, it was as if she was forced to drink it down with the heavy perfumes and oils of the aristocracy. To say that royal life never suited her style was the understatement of the century.

A shudder ran down her spine as she exited the red lion behind Keith, emerging into a large hangar embedded in the cliff-side. It existed from days of old, where battle cruisers were still operational and in numbers that made their current fleet look like adolescent teenagers. The only positive side to their lack of numbers lay in the vast improvements and modifications that had been performed on older units. It filled her spirit with pride to know that she had led the construction of many modifications herself alongside her brother Akil, who loyally mentioned her name whenever receiving praises for his accomplishments. She was already venerated in her ranks in the military and respected among her peers, but the ever obstinate and pig-headed nobles refused to recognize her achievements, stuck in their sexist ways that preferred to take women lying down. Another shiver wracked her body as she thought about the lecherous looks of the filthy noble men; Almira would love nothing more than to challenge their egos to a duel to death in the battle simulators, but diplomacy demanded her smile stay ever on her lips as she suffered patronizing comments one after another.

Their air was damp from the condition of the caves, but the ground was sturdy enough, not yet to the point of becoming muddy. The other pilots were dismounting from their lions, heading towards the cave entrance where Shiro and Arden were already conversing, looking out on the crater below. Helmet back on her head, securing her snowy locks while the faceplate lay open, she stepped into time beside Keith. Arden turned first to the pilots, who gathered behind them.

"Welcome officially to New Altaira." The yellow and green pilots burst forward to see the view in person; even Almira had to admit that seeing the view in the lions had nothing on breathing the fresh air and looking down upon the emerald treetops for themselves. Although the night had finally settled in a blanket over the planet, the behemoth plant life was awe inspiring all the same.

"I thought the capital city was here? All I see are trees." Lance peered out from the edge, a hand shading his view dramatically as he attempted to look for any signs of modern civilization.

Keith walked over to the blue pilot's location, pushing his shoulder playfully and rolling his eyes. Almira walked over to stand between Shiro and her brother, a fond and amused look on her face as she gazed at the interaction between the two paladins. "Obviously not, idiot. They're hidden from view. How would they survive the Galra?"

"Oh, right."

Arden smiled, giving his sister a knowing look. "Keith is right. The power of the city and our entire civilization is that we live right under the Galra's noses, hidden in plain sight."

Breathing a deep breath and exhaling dramatically, Almira raised an eyebrow. "Welcome to the city of aristocratic rabble and loud mouthed know-it-alls who shove their titles down your throat and feign politeness when convenient."

"Just because you hate this place-"

"Spare me, brother mine. We both know we hate this place equally." Although there was a light tone in her voice, there was an underlying dark humor that turned the joke into something more serious. Cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders, she noted the squadron of racer pods driving up the sloping hill to their left. In their final few moments alone, Almira turned her attention to Shiro, her attitude changed to one of complete seriousness. "Keith mentioned that your communication systems with this castle of yours have been downed since landing on Fleogas."

The lead paladin nodded, tilting his head in Arden's direction. "Arden and I had just been talking about that on our way here. He says that you can work things out."

Crossing her arms, Almira frowned almost imperceptibly. "The Galra have the capability to hack into our communications down here, so it can be an all out war over frequencies just to get secured lines. It's probably better for you that your lines have been down. But no worries," she uncrossed her arms and granted them all a small smile. "We'll get a secured line for you as soon as we get down into the city. I know that it's pretty imperative to get in contact with whoever you have up there."

Pidge poked her head around Shiro's figure. "I know the frequency that we normally use. That way you won't be searching for a signal and hoping to find the right one."

The grin that spread across Almira's lips was genuine, and potentially the biggest one that the team had seen yet. "That'd be great. It'll save us a lot of time."

The pods had finally reached their location, the engines settling down to a gentle purr as they came to a halt along the mouth of the cavern. Arden and Almira took the lead, motioning the group over. "We'll need to take you to see the King first, just to get formalities out of the way. After that, we'll head over to the tech stations to see what we can do about getting a line up."

Lance punched the air enthusiastically. "Alright! We get to meet a king! Maybe we can get a huge ceremony and some food too."

Inwardly chuckling, a smirk gracing her sharp features at Keith's eye roll at the blue paladin's dramatic daydream, she hopped onto the back of one of the pods. "Knowing the celebratory nature of our people, you'll get that before the sun sets tomorrow."

If the paladins of Voltron had been set up to believe that the Fleogan civilization was humbly living beneath the fronds of simple tree tops, they were nearly physically blown off their escort pods as they raced through the upper city and into the castle compound.

Hulking tree trunks were more artfully wrought than even the most awe inspiring columns and archways of both Earth and alien architectures. While the darkness of night still sang through the air, the gentle glow of lights from the castle buildings illuminated the brilliant buildings that, although fashioned from wood and some even integrated with the trees themselves, spoke of powerful craftsmanship and delicate aesthetics. The city was the perfect combination of nature and technology, intertwining the two so closely that the grafting used in the grand design was lost to the awe of the façade as a whole. Streams danced between the buildings, soft trickling complimenting the gentle roar of a waterfall some odd miles away.

As the group began to approach one of the largest buildings, Almira took advantage of their slowing speed to look back at the paladins. Each one seemed to be lost in their surroundings, faces in awe as they tried to comprehend this ancient civilization's combination of nature and technology, leaning far closer toward nature than expected. A warm feeling filled Almira's chest as she looked at them; that her home could inspire and strike even intergalactic travelers reflected her own occasional reflections upon the incredible endurance of her people.

Pod finally coming to a halt at the entrance to the castle, Almira murmured her thanks to her guide while patting his shoulder, his nod of confirmation dipping as she hopped off the back and onto the firmly packed dirt ground. Streams of moonlight threaded through the foliage and peeked around a thick wooden tendril that nearly covered the entire entrance. What the moonlight did not illuminate was assisted by the gentle glow of lamps along the ground. As the paladins carefully got off of the pods they continued to survey the trees along the entrance. Arden pulled up beside Almira, helmet removed and one hand attempting to smooth the tangled ponytail that swished through the air. "They're ready to receive us." His voice was hushed, as though to not disturb their guests as they surveyed the nearly magical, soft air around them.

Almira nodded in confirmation. "Just father?"

"Alastrine and Akil as well."

A moment of quiet before a brief chuckle came from the duo, neither knowing who laughed first. Almira removed her helmet and began to mimic Arden's movements, attempting to soothe her shining white tresses that seemed to absorb the moonlight. "Poor things, being woken up in the middle of the night."

"It's about time they suffer like we do on a daily basis. Imagine Alastrine sleeping less that five or six vargas every night."

Almira chuckled, a breathy sound that floated through the air and snagged the attention of the captivated paladins. "He'd be even grumpier than he can already be."

Arden placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at the paladins who were finally approaching the duo, placing their sight seeing on pause. "The king is ready to receive us."

Shiro looked at the two, both had mysterious, indecipherable smiles on their faces that neither sent a shudder of unease down his spine nor put his conscience as peace. While he had been in conversation with Arden the entire ride into the crater of New Altaira, he had a distinct feeling that there were more layers to this armored prince than he had already revealed. Almira was even more mysterious, as her golden eyes seemed to pierce everything she looked at even more than her older brother, who bored a similar color in his irises. Mentally shaking his head to himself, he pushed all thoughts and observations aside, getting down to the business that lay in front of them. Copying the motions of the two, he removed his helmet as well, the rest of the paladins following suit. "Let's get this done then."

Up ahead, a set of enormous doors waited patiently. As the party approached the steps, they opened slowly to reveal a grand foyer, lit in a similar fashion to the area outside. Climbing a small flight of stairs, the siblings passed through first, leading the way with Shiro and the rest of the team close behind. As soon as they passed through the threshold, the doors slowly slid closed behind them, swinging quietly on their hinges until they locked into place, a distinctive clicking echoing through the hall.

"Uh, how did the doors do that?" Hunk was the first to pipe up, his voice slightly nervous. The rest of the group looked back at the doors, pausing for a moment. "I mean, they opened and closed, but there's no one there. I mean, this place isn't haunted or anything, right?" A few paladins groaned slightly at the mention of a haunting, and Almira could have sworn that Hunk was turning pale.

Arden's face was patient as he answered. "Usually there are guard here to open the doors during the day, but during the night they're sealed to keep most people out of the palace."

Hunk's eye twitched. "Okay, that doesn't make me feel better."

The siblings' eyes met for a moment, and another incomprehensible smile passed between the two of them. Not breaking eye contact, Almira put one hand on her hip, the other resting her helmet on the other side of her hip. "It's the wind." This time, Shiro noticed humor lining their eyes, sharing some sort of secret that he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

A moment of silence passed before the duo looked back at the group. Almira continued. "The doors are impossible to move if you don't know how."

"We can talk about that later. Introductions first."

Hunk nodded timidly, casting occasionally glances back at the door while fidgeting with his helmet. "Yeah, okay. Introductions. Then you tell me about the haunted doors you have."

Taking his comment as permission to continue, the duo strolled through the massive foyer area, the paladins returning to taking the sights in and following in suite. It was nearly impossible to predict what they were going to find in this city; given the military technologies that the native people had possessed, it wasn't hard to imagine that the city would rely on similar technologies in their everyday life. The foyer took on the appearance of a large ballroom, with the high arched ceilings and walls made out of wood. Glittering marble floors reflected the gentle lighting that shone from the walls and a massive, wooden, chandelier that hung from the ceiling high above heads. This one room alone could hold a multitude of individuals, perhaps a few hundred. Far to the left and right were corridors that assumedly lead to other places in the castle, in front of them another shimmering staircase that no one could see over the top to where it lead.

"This is the grand foyer, or the common area." Arden took a slight lead over the group, as Almira fell into step next to Shiro with a warm smile. He returned it, slightly confused at her retreat from her brother's position, but not questioning the earnest smile he received. "During the day, many nobles and courtisans take up the space. It's usually quite busy."

Almira rolled her eyes. "Busy with puffy know-it-alls that are mostly wastes of space and breath," she muttered under her breath, although Shiro heard every word and smiled briefly at her obvious discontent with the nobility. If the castle had been on fire with the nobles inside, Shiro got the feeling that Almira would have been as content as a cat to let it burn.

Beginning to ascend the stairs, Arden rolled his shoulders back. "We're entering the throne room now. Hopefully we'll be done soon."

The paladins all readjusted their posture to look more alert; the late hour of the evening and the events of the day were beginning to take a toll on them, but they made the conscious effort to look sharp before the sovereign of the planet. Almira rolled her shoulders and her neck, hoping that the introductions would be quick so she could hopefully catch some sleep before tomorrow.

But what would happen tomorrow? The abrupt thought almost made her pause in her steps nearing the top of the white marble staircase, but she moved on as her mind retreated inside itself. What would happen now that these paladins of Voltron were here? Surely she was not about to return to her normal patrol the next day.

The winds of change shake trees of leaves; consume yet disregard routine.

Nothing was to be the same, of this she was sure. The sudden and nearly inexplicable appearance of Voltron on their planet seemed to both promise the ever-elusive freedom that she and her kinsmen sought to achieve and the agony of war and battle. What exactly would tomorrow bring, and the next day after that? The idea was almost enough to keep her from sleeping for another week. Brushing the thoughts aside temporarily, she and the others crossed over the final step, entering the massive hallway that was the throne room.

While Almira had often ventured into the throne room for various occasions, it was a new sight to see it bare of almost all inhabitants, moonlight acting as a silken sheet that shimmered on the floors. Where most events in the throne room often left Almira dreading her entrance to it because of the throngs of cacophonous nobles and dizzying formalities, she found herself in awe of the quiet night and the running water that passed by. It was as though this moment was the only peace she would ever find in its presence, and she relished the beauty accompanied by muffled quiet.

There were few walls that lined the throne room; it was more apt to say that a few tree tendrils had wrapped their arms around the upper and outer boundaries of the room, giving its inhabitants ample view of the nature surrounding them. The multiple paths of the river surrounded them on all sides, and the giant trees that shielded the city from view of most of the sky lumbered over them gracefully, allowing a few beams of light through their canvas. The white of the marble floors further aided the glittering appearance of the room, leading to a dais on the far side, a willow tree visible far in the background.

While called a throne room, there was a surprising lack of a throne. A small bench with arm rests, made of shimmering gold was instead placed on the raised dais, aiding in the simplistic design of the room and calling focus upon the more natural elements. The real reason for the lack of a back on the stool, however, was gloriously mounted upon the back of the king, and the paladins made a double take at the vision before them.

King Khayin Almiriykh was no unimposing figure, towering with all the regality expected of a king of his nature. His posture was rigid, muscles poised as though sculpted of clay instead of flesh. Even for the late hour of the night, he was dressed in full robes, a white tunic and pair of pantaloons contrasting with the glittering gold shoulder plates and braces, along with a sandy colored sash and cape that tumbled to the ground. From under the cape spread a set of wings, each nearly as large as the man himself. Downy feathers ranging from creamy golds to sandy whites lined the massive wingspan. They seemed to be spread slightly low as a demonstration of power, not quite fully displayed, but at a degree that suggested the power that could be exhumed from them.

Stationed on either side of him stood two men, both sharing a stature and appearance of age that resembled Arden. The two were similarly clad in browns, creams, and reds, the largest difference between the two lying in their hair and eyes. The man to the right hand of the king wore scarlet locks loosely around his shoulders, crimson eyes sparkling from a face that almost mirrored the king in structure. On the other side, teal strands were secured in a high bun upon the head of a more slender face, no less sharp and mature than the other. It was harder for Almira to spot in the evening light, but she knew that cerulean irises were carefully scrutinizing the approaching party.

There was little sound save the footsteps of the group; louder footsteps for the paladins in their armor, paired with the softer, skulking, steps ingrained in the two stealth masters that led the way. Arden paused a polite distance from the dais, indicating that the rest of them should stop. The two siblings clenched their right fists to their heart, bowing at the waist before the throne. "My king father." Righting themselves, Arden gestured to the paladins, stepping aside. "The paladins of Voltron."

"We apologize for being so late." Shiro gave a curt nod to the throne, bowing slightly to compliment the gesture. The rest of the paladins silently followed suit.

"The hour is no matter." The king rose from his seat and glided forward, a vision of majesty. "The enemy of the enemy is my friend, as it is said, but even more so if it is truly the legendary Voltron." Extending his hand in a gesture of comradeship towards the leading paladin, his face only just showed the trace interest of the fleshless hand that met his own. "I am King Khayin Almirykh, of Fleogas and the Fleogan people."

"I'm Shiro, and these are the paladins. We're here to assist you however you need. The paladins of Voltron will fight with you, if you wish."

The corners of his beard lifted into a weary, yet grateful smile. "The freedom of my people from the Galra has weighed upon my predecessors for ten thousand years. It is not just my wish, but the wish of all of us that we would sail upon free skies once more."

"Father." Almira's voice, dimmed to match the burbling water just yards away, barely registered to the paladin's senses. She stepped forward, bowing her head in deference. "The paladins are unable to communicate with their leader and support out in space. They've expressed a desire to get in touch with them, as soon as possible."

It was in this close setting that Shiro, standing at the front of the group, saw the glittering gold of not just one, but three sets of eyes. Where molten gold appeared to carry from father to son, Shiro wondered at the electric yellow from expressive eyes. In comparison, Almira almost seemed more dangerous, more lethal at this close setting. He looked away quickly to the king, who seemed to look at the young woman with fondness, yet also distance. "Indeed. It would be wise to reestablish contact." Turning back to Shiro and the paladins, the smiled vanished completely into seriousness. "Our house is your own, for the time. Plans for an offensive may be discussed tomorrow," his eyes grazed over the paladins, who for all their effort must have seemed weary to some degree, "when you are well rested.

"Arden." His attention turned to his son, who bowed at the waist again. "Thank you for your speed and quick thinking. The Warpers do well to have you as their general."

"Father." Turning again, the regent focused this time on his daughter, who remained with a bowed head.

"My dearest, you do us all proud. I hear that the storm conjured was the largest yet."

Raising her head, a brilliant but slightly reserved smile burst across her face, golden eyes softening into something more exuberant than predatory. "Thank you. I am sure that there will be larger ones in the future."

Solemnly, the king nodded. "There is always room for improvement, but let us not forget to give credit where credit is due." With a dramatic swirl of his cape, he turned his back on the party and returned to the dais. "Get the paladins in contact with their leader, then let them retire for the evening. I am sure there is much to be done tomorrow."

Silently saluting again, the two siblings began to back out of the room, Arden gesturing for the paladins to follow them. Almira turned her head to look back upon the dais. The king remained with his back turned toward her, but her eyes locked with the two men, who had moved to stand next to one another. Crimson eyes twinkled in a slight smile, while the man with blue hair and eyes more enthusiastically smiled with a nod of his head. Satisfied with their response, Almira bobbed her own head before turning back toward the staircase into the foyer.

Arden stopped the group at the bottom of the stairs, giving a cheeky grin. "I think this is where we part ways for tonight. I'm not a tech genius like Almira here, so I'll catch up with you all in the morning."

Putting a hand on her hip playfully while continuing to balance her helmet in the other, Almira faked a scowl, although the corners of her lips betrayed her. "You're just saying that because you want to get more sleep."

The general playfully put his hands up, mocking surrender. "Hey, I've been busy too. It's hard work being a general, miss captain." Moving over to her, he placed a hand on her shorter shoulder, forcing her to slightly look up into his face. "You can take care of this?"

Almira rolled her eyes. "What can I not handle, brother dearest?"

Her only response was a smile and a hug. "Sometimes, I wonder myself." Parting and backing toward a corridor, he saluted the group. "Until tomorrow." The paladins half heartedly gestured similarly, turning their attention back to Almira as the general stalked off with the intention of getting as good a night's sleep as he could.

"Man, I'm beat. All this fighting and traveling's got me real tired." Lance stretched his arms up in the air, cracking his spine. "I'm still stiff from sitting so long in Blue."

"We can't sleep yet. We've got to get in contact with Allura." Lance glared at Keith, who returned the look. Shiro sighed at the antics of the duo.

"I know it's been a long day, but Keith is right. We have to get in contact with the castle." Turning to Almira, he sighed inwardly. "I'm sorry to do this to you."

Almira shook her head. "It's important, I understand. I'd feel the same if I were separated from my troops." Starting in the opposite direction from Arden, Almira turned her head toward the group as Shiro fell into step beside her. "Luckily, we have a communication tower inside the castle compound. It's not too far. Although," she paused her thoughts, surveying their armor with thought, "you'll have some jumping to do."

Pidge sent a weary but otherwise happy smile her direction. "Our suits have boosters in them. We can handle it."

A sigh emitted from Hunk as he put his helmet back on, clutching his head with his hands. "Yeah, I mean, I guess they can. I dunno, I feel like a nap might be good too."

"As soon as we contact Allura and Coran, you can sleep all you want until tomorrow."

Shiro's words stuck in Almira's head. Until tomorrow. There was no point in stressing about tomorrow until it arrived, and at the moment there was work to be done.

"Alright, the sooner we get there, the sooner we sleep!" With a sudden burst of energy, Lance had his helmet secured on his head and propelled himself further along the hallway with his booster pack, leaping into and gliding through the air.

"Aw come on Lance, wait!" Hunk followed suit in the steps of the blue paladin, with Pidge sighing by his side and copying their movements.

"None of you even know the way!"

"Sounds like you're gonna lose, Keith!" The words from the cocky blue pilot egged the red paladin on, as he grumbled and shoved his helmet aggressively onto his head, taking off after the trio.

"Like hell I'll lose to you!"

Almira blinked at the near childishness of their antics, turning her head at Shiro's sigh as he began to put on his helmet. Casting a sympathetic glance to their guide, he smiled apologetically and shrugged. "If we don't catch up, they'll get lost."

Playfully rolling her eyes, Almira coiled her silvery locks upon her head and slid her helmet into place. "Playing tag with a Fleogan is not a good idea."

An eyebrow raised at her comment. "How so?"

If he didn't know Almira at this point, Shiro would have slunk away from the playful grin in her face that accompanied a predatorial, sparkling look in her fiercely golden eyes. "Like I said, it's the wind. You don't play with the people who invented the game."

She vanished from in front of his eyes. Shiro blinked twice before fully comprehending what had happened in front of him as she suddenly reappeared twenty feet down the hallway in the direction that the paladins had begun chasing. The grin hadn't faded, and if anything had gotten bigger from his reaction to her sudden disappearance and reappearance. "How…?"

"We've got a race to win, don't we?"

Recovering from his shock, Shiro blasted through space to land quickly next to her, smiling back, although less enthusiastically than the woman whose yellow eyes seemed to be sending pure electricity through her limbs. "As long as I get to be on your team, I'm game."

AN: Again, please leave a review! It really helps me :)