Acxa bowed before Zarkon, who studied her closely. "Rise, Acxa."
Acxa stood, keeping her head bowed. She didn't want him to see her face. See that it was as frail as he remembered. That she had no idea what was going on.
"Acxa, raise your head."
She had been dreading that order, and she turned to look at him.
"Well, at least you look better than Lotor did on his second day out. Has he been treating you well?"
Acxa shrugged. "I don't really mind how he acts, but I do wish he would stay out of my quarters."
"I'll see to it." Zarkon shrugged. "Acxa, this is my personal adviser, Haggar. She'll see to your needs, but, first, Haggar, why don't you tell her?"
"I'll be running a scan on your quintessence. Maybe it'll be thicker then your brother's." Haggar's cackled.
"That's funny." Acxa thought. "Her voice is haggard. Maybe that's how she got her name."
"It's not." Haggar hissed.
"Wait, I was sure that I hadn't spoken aloud." Acxa thought, beginning to feel uncomfortable in the witch's promise.
"You didn't," Haggar assured her.
"Wait, what?" Acxa eyes widened, but she still didn't speak.
"Haggar can read minds. Not very much, for it wears her out, but she can." Zarkon explained, seeing the confusion in his daughters eyes.
Although he was cruel, and believed that he hated everything and had no regards for other people, his daughter was a speck that remained, a gift from the God above.
"I see. What should I call you?" Acxa timidly asked Haggar. "Lady Haggar? Sorceress Haggar? Witch Haggar?"
"I prefer 'Haggar'." Haggar snickered, no love for her 'former' daughter. "Now, come with me." She bent a crooked finger, and Acxa followed her out the door.
A few moments later they came to a lab, and the two entered.
Acxa held out her arm, expecting her blood to be drawn or something. Honestly, she had little idea what quintessence was, aside from the fact that it had killed her mother and corrupted her father.
Haggar dug her claws into Acxa's arm, smiling wickedly.
First it just hurt. Just a little. Then the pain increased, rattling Acxa's bones. Then the piercing began to draw blood. Acxa bit back a cry. The piercing resumed, cutting into her flesh. Finally Acxa let out a small whimper, and Haggar drew back. "Excellent. You lasted five doboshes." Haggar brought her talons to her face, gently licking them. "Strong quintessence. You would make an excellent apprentice."
Acxa blinked for a moment. That was it? All Haggar did was dig her nails into Acxa's arm, and then lick her fingers. How did that show Acxa's strength…?
"We begin tomorrow. Meet me in the gladiator arena at blonko." Haggar ordered. "And I'll teach you."
"You have to concentrate!" Haggar roared, turning Acxa's hands towards the target. "PUSH all the quintessence to your fingertips, and then push OUT. It's so simple!"
Acxa gently focused on moving all her quintessence to her shoulders, and then moved down the line to her elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, then, finally, fingertips. She tried to exert the energy, push it towards the target. A spark left her fingers.
"You're trying too hard! Focus on pushing it to the target in one movement." Haggar pushed her hands foreword, twisting her fingers. A large bolt of energy jumped from her hands, destroying the target.
Acxa tried again, but this time nothing came out.
"Oh, for…this is the easiest spell! Maybe you're not good enough to be my apprentice." Haggar mused.
"Yeah." Acxa nodded, feeling a tinge of hope. She didn't like hanging around with Haggar, but preferred to talk with Narti, who was waiting patiently for her outside the door.
"Well, you may have used up some of your…quintessence when I was teaching you how to create the force field." Haggar sighed. "Maybe…you just don't have a taste for blood yet."
If Acxa had been Kova, she would have bristled. Blood. The indigo liquid, gushing from wounds. The only liquid that could spell life and death of a Galra.
"Fine, come to the gladiator match that is to be stationed here tomorrow at blonko." Haggar ordered.
"Then you may get a taste for what you did not before." Haggar crackled as Acxa took a half step back, shuddering.
Author's note.
Galra, instead of red blood, they have indigo blood. At least, in my imagination.
Blonko is a time, same as Riggol. Blonko is dawn, Riggol is about 6:30 p.m.