The Truth Unveiled
Shezu had never felt so miserable before. All she saw when she took the lives of those soldiers, were the people who had hurt her brothers and sisters, through a red veil of anger and hatred. Her thirst for revenge had erased every single rational thought from her mind. She had wanted to make them pay. To let them feel the pain they caused on others. But did they really have to die for it? And in such a horrible way? She could hardly believe what she had done. Never thought she would even be capable of murder. Her father always said that it was a bad thing, so that would mean that she was a bad person. And on top of it all, she nearly killed the Emperor, unaware that he had been doing what he could to help her and the others. It just didn't turn out to be the best way.
Looking over the arm of the Mantrinesse named Stith, who still had her arms wrapped around her, she saw that the Emperor was still lying on the ground, clamping the arm that she broke, coughing, surrounded by his family. She had caused so much pain to him and his family, yet they had done nothing to hurt her. Doctors arrived with medical equipment to take care of the injured, and she had left quite a few in her wake. The guards that tried to stop her from making a terrible mistake. She was so thankful that Kirliya had left some sense of reason inside of her, so that she didn't kill so many innocents.
"My lord, let me take care of you" one of the doctors said, falling on his knees beside his Emperor, a shocked expression on his face.
"Please, I'll be fine" Zahn brought out weakly, coughing again.
"Help Jola first. He was trying to protect me with his life."
"Father" Rajah said, with tears in his eyes.
The Prince was glad that his father was alive, despite his failed attempt to save him from a slow and painful death.
"Are you all right my son?" Rajah nodded, touching his beak to his father's.
"Mother. Please get her some help!" Kero yelled.
One of the guards was already back on his feet and Jola seemed to have regained consciousness, growling in pain when he tried to use his arm. They seemed to be doing fine so why weren't they here to help his mother yet?
"Forgive me Prince Kero" one of the doctors said, rushing towards the Empress.
The'lah had become dizzy, her legs no longer capable of carrying her weight. Her son caught her just in time when she collapsed, barely able to stay conscious. The pain in her head was killing her, as if someone put a knife in her brain and was slowly carving it in pieces.
"Thank you Kero" she said, touching her hand to her son's cheek, which felt wet.
He was sitting on his knees, holding her in his strong arms. He didn't know what that girl did to her but it couldn't end like this.
"Please don't take her away from me now" he prayed, squeezing his eyes shut, hoping that when he opened them his mother would be okay.
"I'm losing her!" the doctor said, immediately having the attention of the other doctors who rushed to his aid.
"Mother no!" Rajah cried.
"The'lah, my love!" Zahn growled, using all the strength he could gather to get up.
He had to cease his attempts as the pain was too great. Nothing however could surpass the pain he felt in his hearts when he watched his mate dying in his son's arms.
"What are you saying? Save her!" Kero shouted, a sudden anger appearing out of nowhere.
"I'm doing what I can!" the Orketh doctor said, begging for forgiveness.
Shezu couldn't watch anymore. The'lah was dying because of what she did to her. She noticed Stith's arms were shaking. The male Sogowan, she knew from Stith's mind was her father, named Ganyu, was trying to help where he could. When she looked up she noticed Stith was crying too, silently, soundless tears rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm the only one who can help her" Shezu realized.
Releasing herself from Stith's arms, she began to walk slowly, step by step, into the direction of the Goureg Mantrinesse. Maybe she could undo some of the damage she had done. They would never forgive her but it was a step to becoming a better person. She had to do this. Pulling her messy golden hair from her field of vision she carefully approached them. But when Kero got her in his eyesight he exploded with an anger no one had ever seen from him. Even Stith was shocked by his outburst. He was so sweet and had been nothing but kind to everyone around him but the Prince was hurt deep inside his hearts. She had never seen him so infuriated before. His reaction to Shezu's approach was aggressive and hostile and he made clear he didn't want her near his mother.
"Stay away from her!" he shouted.
"You did this!"
"Please, I wanna help her. Let me help."
Her voice was shaking and she started crying again but her sincerity didn't matter. Kero was furious.
"You've done enough already!" he lashed out on her.
"Go away!"
"Kero…" The'lah said, her voice extremely weak now.
"Please, let her try."
"But mom…" he sobbed.
"Trust me. Trust her. Please..."
It was then when she lost consciousness and Kero burst into tears. Stith laid her hand on Shezu's shoulder and now urged her to do what she could.
"Please, if you can help her…"
"I will" Shezu replied, wiping her eyes on her clothes.
She carefully approached The'lah motionless body. She was afraid to look directly in the eyes of her sons. The two brothers could just about kill her right now, especially the one with the scar over his eyelid. Sinking on her knees beside The'lah, carefully placing her clawed hands around her head she reached inside of The'lah, closing her eyes to concentrate. Within a moment's notice she was inside her mind, feeling the presence of her being, her spirit, her soul. But that was not was she was looking for at the moment. Her violent outburst had damaged The'lah's brain, short-circuiting part of the neural pathways. As she began repairing the damage, everyone watched her hands beginning to glow with an icy blue light. She was using her gift again. Using it to save a life, instead of taking one.
"Amazing" one of the doctor's murmured, watching how The'lah's vital signs stabilized themselves on the portable monitor.
The rest simply watched, holding their breath. After a minute or two, the blue glow around Shezu's hands disappeared. Opening her eyes, she removed her hands from The'lah's head and breathed a soft sigh of relief. At first it appeared like nothing happened. But when she slowly opened her eyes, they all let go of that tense moment in their own way. She was still weak and felt extremely tired but she immediately knew who to thank for saving her life. Directing her eyes at the Fjetahna/Sogowan girl who was still sitting beside her, she smiled faintly. Lifting a trembling arm, she closed her hand around Shezu's.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
Shezu's eyes began to fill themselves with tears again. The'lah was so kind to her. She began to cry again, her shoulders shaking.
"Please, I don't deserve your kindness."
"But you need it more than ever" The'lah whispered.
"You have been hurt. I…"
She groaned softly, reaching for her head.
"Mom" Kero said worriedly.
"It's okay Kero. I just feel so tired. I need to rest."
"It's gonna be okay mom. Let me take you to your room."
But his words were unheard by her. Her eyes had fallen shut and her body had become heavier in his arms. Her chest was slowly going up and down so she was still breathing. His mother was just so tired and disoriented that she couldn't stay awake any longer.
"C'mon brother, help me" Kero said, grabbing his mother under her arms.
Rajah grabbed one of her huge legs and one of the larger doctors the other. Che'kan couldn't take care of all these wounded on his own. As soon as he heard what happened, extra doctors had come from the city as fast as they could to provide medical aid to everyone who had become the victim of Shezu's powers. While Kero and Rajah brought their mother to her room where she could recover, Zahn finally got the medical attention he needed. He just wanted to make sure that everyone else was okay before they got to him. He was sitting on his bottom, growling because of the pain in his arm that was broken in several places. Thumping his tail on the tiled floor, the only thing that mattered to him was his wife at the moment. He wanted to make sure for himself that she was okay, against his doctor's wishes.
"Please my lord" Che'kan said.
"If you would come with me to sickbay we can do something about that arm."
"Not until I've seen my wife" he growled, stamping one clawed foot on the floor in an attempt to get back on his legs.
He succeeded, but only because he was supported. He was still breathing a bit raggedly, his sore throat causing him to cough frequently. Feeling a bit dizzy because of the pain, he placed his hand on the wall for support, trying to make it to the bedroom he shared with his mate. In the mean time, Che'kan signaled his assistants to get a bone regenerator from his infirmary. Why his patients always had to be so stubborn he didn't know but maybe that was just a shared trait among them.
His leave meant that Shezu was left standing in the throne hall with Ganyu and Stith. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to make it up to everyone. In some way. In any way. But she didn't know how and the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was likely that they would never forgive her. The intense feeling of regret over what had done. It hurt so much, deep inside of her, in both her hearts. She was staring at the floor, her long prehensile tail with the white plume at its tip, drooped down, just as her tufted ears. She was afraid to say something, yet she wanted to tell them so badly how sorry she was about everything. Watching her tears fall down, shattering into a million tiny little droplets when they hit the floor, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. The voice that accompanied it was Stith's and she wasn't angry. It was warm, soothing, comforting. Before she knew it, she was in her arms again.
"I'm… so… sorry…" she wailed.
"Shhh, I know" Stith whispered in her ear.
Her father came standing next to her, unable to watch the poor child cry. He softly rubbed between her ears, brushing through her golden hair with his claws.
"Can I get you something?" he asked in an as friendly way as possible.
"W-Water" Shezu said, her voice muffled by Stith's chest.
Her throat felt so dry, and she was pretty hungry too. In addition to that her headache was coming back and she had the feeling that this time it would be a pretty nasty one. But what she had never accounted for suddenly happened. Behind Ganyu in the opening between the huge stone doors of the throne hall, a familiar face stared back at her. And that face was surrounded by seven more smaller faces, laughing, smiling, happy to see her. The face of the large Mantrin was her father's and the children, her brothers and sisters were there too. They were all here, safe and well. "Daddy look, it's Shezu!" the little Orketh girl shouted with joy. Slowly detaching herself from Stith, it took Shezu some time to convince herself that it wasn't some strange illusion, created by her powerful mind. They were as real as the joy she felt when they laughed at her and when her father walked up to her.
"Reylyn, Eyza, Reyan" she whispered.
"Shezu, my daughter" her father said, his voice scratching with sorrow.
"Dad" she said, accelerating her step when he approached her with open arms.
"Dad!" she cried, throwing herself against his chest.
"Shezu. Thank Kirliya" Galen said, pressing his daughter firmly against his chest.
"Sister!" Fran laughed, hugging her tightly.
"Group hug!" Reyan yelled, and it didn't take long before they were all around Shezu and their father, wagging their tails.
"Eww, sister you need a bath" Reylyn laughed.
Maybe that was true, but it was something none of them really cared about at the moment. They were together, all of them. But Shezu's grief was strong. Even Stith and Ganyu could feel her sorrow directly because of her telepathic abilities. It was weird. Stith could feel her entire inside turn cold, taking all feelings of happiness away. She was happy for the young girl but her emotions were so strong, they affected everyone currently in the room.
"Dad, I'm so terribly sorry. I… I killed them. I killed them all" Shezu wailed.
"It's… It's all right Shezu" her father tried to comfort her.
"It's not your fault."
"But it is!" she weeped.
"I'm… sorry…"
"Don't cry sister, you're making me sad" Jicko said, with tears in his eyes.
He wiped them off on the clothes he was given by the Trunali. They were all still wearing the colorful wrappings, except for Eyza and Reyan who had been captured before they reached the tribe. While Shezu cried out in her father's arms, the other children got to meet Stith and Ganyu.
"Are you a Princess?" Pynch asked.
Stith smiled back at the Talocaan boy. They all looked pretty normal to her, but their sister had proved that they were a bit more than ordinary children.
"Children" their father warned them.
"It's not nice to probe people's minds without asking."
"But we didn't do it daddy" Reylyn replied, shaking her head.
"She is here in the palace so she must be a Princess."
"That's right little girl" Stith said in a friendly manor.
She lightly rubbed between the little Orketh's ears.
"This Mantrin here is my dad. His name's Ganyu. I'm Stith."
"It is an honor to meet you Princess" Jicko said very solemnly, sinking on one knee to show his respect.
Following their brother's example, the other children sunk on one knee too, making a slight bow for her and Ganyu. Stith never expected that from young children.
"Please children. You don't have to bow for me."
They all laughed back at her.
"They are sweet, aren't they dad" Stith said, looking in her father's eyes.
"Just as sweet as your children are going to be" he replied, smiling.
They both turned around when they heard Zahn's growling voice. He was still clamping his arm and Che'kan was walking at his side, urging him to go to the infirmary.
"I'm glad to see you are all doing well" the Emperor said, still managing to produce his toothy smile.
"My lord, it is an honor to be in your presence" Galen said, making a slight bow with his daughter still in his arms.
"Please don't" Zahn said, gesturing with the hand of his good arm, when the children prepared to bow as well.
"Shezu?" Galen asked his daughter, brushing her hair out of her tearful face.
She nodded vaguely, detaching herself from him. Then she slowly began moving towards Zahn, who glared down his muzzle with a sad look on his face, still clenching his teeth against the pain. She was standing in front of him, at less than half a meter distance, her eyes still flooding with tears. He sucked in his breath when she suddenly buried her face in his belly and begged for forgiveness. Trying to ignore the pain in his right arm, he used the hand of the left one to softly caress her head.
"It is all right my child. I-I'm sorry too. As the Emperor, it is my duty to protect my people. I failed. I should have protected you and your family. I-I made a mistake. Yes, even I make mistakes and I'm not afraid to admit it. Do you think you can forgive me for that?"
Shezu looked up, unable to believe her ears. Was the Emperor asking her for forgiveness? She quickly nodded, not knowing what else to do. But then, suddenly, a sting of pain made her grab her head. But before she got the chance to recover from it, another one followed, more intense this time. This was no normal headache. When the third one hit her, she fell on her knees. The Emperor had done a step back first but now bowed though his knees to help her.
"My child, what's wrong?"
"Shezu!" Reyan yelled worriedly.
"Ah, it hurts! My head!" Shezu groaned.
She heard the sparks of energy and when she looked at her hands, tiny electric shocks crawled over the backs and over her forearms. It was her energy. It was releasing itself. It was too great. She couldn't control it. Her brothers and sisters wanted to help her but their father signaled everyone to stay away. Especially when a blast of what seemed like lightning hit the ground next to her, blasting a small hole into the tiled floor.
"I can't… control it!" Shezu warned the others.
Her own powers were hurting her, the uncontrolled raw energy escaping her body in every way possible. Another blast struck the floor and another one hit one of the sculptures put up for display in the throne hall, reducing part of it to dust.
"Stay back!" Galen said, approaching his troubled daughter, careful not to get hit by her energy.
"My lord" Che'kan urged again, trying to bring his Emperor to safety and even better, to sickbay.
"What's happening to her?" Ganyu asked.
He could almost feel her power, so strong was it.
"Her energy level is too high. She's unable to control it and her body can't handle that much power. She's too much affected by her sorrow."
"Shezu, concentrate!" her father yelled, still trying to get closer.
"I can't!" she whimpered, clamping her head.
"It's too much!"
"Everyone get out!" Galen shouted.
Doing what he said, his children hesitating first, they brought themselves to safety. Making sure his daughter got to safety first, Ganyu pushed her to the entrance, hurrying Galen's children to do the same. In the mean time Galen had reached his daughter, who was trying as hard as she could to prevent her powers from harming him, or anyone else for that matter.
"Shezu, you have to let go of your anger and your grief" he said, softly shaking her shoulders.
She was still clamping her head, her slightly curly golden hair being blown upwards by the wind created by her power.
"I'm trying, but I can't!" she cried.
She could feel it. The buildup of energy inside her body was approaching the critical point. She didn't want that to happen because she knew it could be catastrophic. Anything could happen. The voice of her father gave her strength but no matter how hard she tried, she could feel her control slipping away more and more.
"Dad! Go away!" she tried to warn him, the electric storm around her intensifying.
If he didn't go away now, he could be killed and she would never forgive herself if that happened. To force him to go, she used what little concentration she was still capable off, in the state of total chaos her mind was in, to project a thought into his mind. For a fraction of a second he experienced what she experienced. He saw the power buildup, the possible result of the release of that amount of energy. He didn't know if he made the decision or if it was made for him by his daughter, but Galen felt the urge to turn tail and run and he did. He was glad he didn't look back. He saw his children and Stith and Ganyu cover their eyes against the blinding light, from which the source was his daughter. There was the sound of an explosion, simultaneously with the light, creating a network of cracks in the tiled floor of the throne hall. Shezu's energy was released with a powerful blast, shattering cultural artifacts, sending crackling lightning in all directions and shaking the entire palace. Galen was knocked off his feet while trying to bring himself to safety, feeling a rain of dust and stone coming down on his back when he broke his fall with his strong arms. The others had trouble to keep standing too, holding on to the walls and each other. When it was all over, he heard the sound of a body hitting the floor. Shezu. Rolling over to his back, his children surrounding him and asking if he were okay, he saw Shezu's naked form lying on the ground in the middle of the wrecked throne hall. The energy had burned her clothes and left her exposed, motionless.
"Shezu!" he yelled, scrambling to his feet, ignoring his chafed knees.
"No" he whispered when he approached her, fearing the worst.
It couldn't be. She was so powerful, so strong. Kirliya couldn't have taken her with her. He pulled out his shirt and used it to cover her private parts and her breasts. Then he lifted her up in his strong arms and carried her towards the entrance, a tear rolling down his cheek. She was still breathing but she was very weak. She had used up all her energy. It was just like that time in his holographic training environment. She had used so much power that she collapsed.
"Shezu. Daddy, is she all right?" Fran asked.
His father didn't reply but nodded vaguely. Che'kan and the Emperor followed him quickly. As a doctor, Che'kan had the obligation to help her.
"Please. Save her" he begged.
"Quick, take her to sickbay" Che'kan said, walking down the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him.
Shezu didn't know what happened. She had the feeling that it was some weird dream but the headache that hit her like a brick wall when she opened her eyes was very real. She woke up on an unknown bed, surrounded by white curtains in a place that smelled weird. Her ears picked up the sounds of equipment beeping and nearby voices. Listening to them, she heard they were talking about her. They sounded concerned and considering what happened, that wasn't surprising. Every muscle in her body hurt but the headache was the worst. She craved for a glass of that water Ganyu promised her and she had gotten really hungry.
"Oh, my head" she groaned when she tried to sit.
Rubbing in her eyes with the palms of her hands, she felt them stinging slightly. Blinking a few times she realized that she was in a hospital or sickbay and then it all started to come back to her. Her energy building to a critical level, her father trying to help her and all the terrible things that happened before all of that. She wished it were a bad dream then she at least she could let go of those nasty feelings.
"Dad?" she asked.
The voices silenced for a brief moment.
"She's awake" one of them said.
When the curtains opened, she became surrounded by the Orketh doctor, her father, her brothers and sisters, but also by Stith and Ganyu who also seemed concerned about her judging by the look on their faces.
"How do you feel honey?" her father asked.
"Not so good" she replied, forcing a smile on her face.
"My head hurts so much."
"I'd expected that" Che'kan said, holding up the hypospray filled with a mild painkiller in his hand.
"This will help against the pain."
Slowly tilting her head to one side, she allowed him to press the little device against her skin and inject the medicine. She was surprised how fast it took effect. It helped against her sore muscles and her headache but there was still her hunger and thirst.
"Is there something you want? Do you want to eat something?" Galen asked.
She nodded, looking in Ganyu's direction.
"Ganyu was your name right?" she asked carefully.
The Sogowan Mantrin nodded.
"I think I'll have that glass of water now."
"Of course. I promised I would get you some."
She breathed a sigh.
"I need to use the bathroom" she said, already lifting the sheet to get out of bed.
However she quickly put it back over her body when she realized she was missing something. She looked at everyone with a shocked expression on her face. Did they see her? She could feel her ears and cheeks turn a different color and she actually felt ashamed by it.
"Why am I naked?" she asked very softly.
"Your clothes were burned when you released your energy. I tried to make sure that no one could look at you and brought you here as quickly as possible. I was afraid I was going to lose you" her father answered.
"Here you go" Ganyu said, handing her a large glass filled with cool water.
She gratefully took it and brought it to her beak. The moment the cool refreshing water rinsed her mouth, she drank faster, spilling a little over the sheet, very greedy, with both hands holding the glass. She had never experienced such thirst before. When she was finished she held out the glass to Ganyu.
"Can I have some more?" she asked, a hopeful look in her differently colored eyes.
"Don't forget to say the word" her father said.
"Please?" she added, stretching out her arms a little further.
Ganyu smiled and rubbed between her ears.
"Of course you can. You can have as much as you want" he replied, taking the glass from her.
They were all so kind to her, despite what happened earlier. The Emperor was here too, undergoing bone regeneration on his arm. She felt so guilty that she didn't want to look at him, afraid that he might look back. She hadn't been out for long as it was still day though it probably wouldn't take long before the sun disappeared. When she finished her second glass of water she asked if they could give her some privacy.
"I think I'll have my bath now" she decided.
"And when you're finished, we'll eat something, together" Ganyu suggested.
"I don't know about you all but I'm getting really hungry."
The children all cheered upon hearing his words. Shezu was sure she could use a good meal. She hadn't eaten since last night. That was almost a full day without food.
After Galen and his children, including Shezu had left the infirmary, Kero entered, glad that everyone was all right.
"Stith" he said, embracing her shortly, licking behind her ear.
"Don't worry, I'm all right" she said, touching the tip of her beak against his, giving him a soft lick between his nostrils.
She noticed her father left to give them some privacy.
"What happened? I heard an explosion of some kind and when I could finally bring myself to leave my mother alone, I returned to the throne hall only to find out that the whole place was wrecked."
"How's your mother? I hope she's all right."
He nodded quickly, biting his bottom lip.
"The doctor's say she'll be okay. Apparently that girl saved her life. But tell me what happened."
Stith took a deep breath, remembering her own experience, before, after and during those moments. She could feel that intense grief again. That feeling that was, according to Shezu's father transmitted by his daughter, because of her psychic abilities.
"It was Shezu" she began.
"She was so… overwhelmed by her sorrow over what she had done. Her father explained to us that, when his children experience strong emotions such as grief or anger, that others around them can feel that directly. I felt it too. It's a little frightening actually. I could really feel her sorrow, as if I myself killed those people and felt sorry for it."
"That sounds horrible" Kero replied a bit shocked.
He could only imagine what it must be like. To feel other people's emotions. To go through what they were going through at that very moment.
"Anyway, her father also told us that those same emotions can also strengthen their gift. Shezu was so affected by it that her energy reached levels far too high for her. She couldn't control it anymore. Her own grief over what she had done nearly destroyed her, literally."
Her mate didn't know what to say. He was feeling a bit guilty that he yelled at her. He was so angry at her for hurting his mother that he lost his temper. That practically never happened but as Stith said, it could be the effect of Shezu's emotions on him.
"If you had felt that for yourself you would know that words are not enough to express her regret. We must not forget, despite everything that happened, she's still just a little girl. I can't believe what those warriors did to her and the others."
"I'll offer her my apologies when I see her. I shouldn't have yelled at her. She was really trying to help."
Stith nodded briefly and heaved a sigh.
"Enough about this. It's been a weird day. It's giving me a headache."
She gently caressed her swollen belly.
"But that could also be because of these two here" she said with a laugh.
"I can't wait" Kero said excitedly.
He was really looking forward to it. He had seen Shezu's brothers and sisters on his way to sickbay. They looked just like ordinary children to him. He loved children and was already looking forward to the fun he was going to have with theirs.
"I forgot! We were supposed to visit the ship today" she suddenly exclaimed, hitting herself on the head.
"Eh, yeah about that" Kero began, scratching his back.
"I just got a call from Rilas. There seems to be a glitch in the Son of the Empire's main computer systems."
"Nothing serious I hope?" Stith asked, leaving sickbay with Kero on her tail.
"They're currently running a full system's diagnostic but they're having trouble locating the problem. The launch has been rescheduled to two days from now."
"Well to be honest, I can't say I really mind" she said, turning left to the palace's main entrance.
What was I doing when this all started? Now she remembered. She was having a little relaxation in the gardens with her dad, talking about what happened in all those years they'd been separated. She was thinking about going back to that spot under the tree under the motto of "why not?". Now that the Son of the Empire would be in space dock for an extra day, she didn't have something to do.
"There's something else" Kero continued.
"Do you mind if I join you by the way?"
"Nope" she replied, shaking her head.
"Have you been following the news lately?"
"Not really no. Did something happen?"
"You can say that."
She didn't really like the way he said that. When her mate started talking that way, she knew it couldn't be good. Sometimes he had the tendency to worry about things that seemed trivial but over time she had learned not to assume that right away.
"What's wrong?"
"Very recently, there have been attacks on several ships in this region."
Stith came to a halt so suddenly that he nearly bumped into her. Turning around she slapped with her tail against his leg.
"Are the Machines back?"
"No, it's not the Machines. But it's not much better. There doesn't seem to be any pattern to it but the Republic is talking about a new enemy calling themselves the Seraphim. Stith, I've seen an image of one of their ships. They were the ones that attacked the Myrana and murdered my former crew."
"What?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"I know. I was a little shocked myself when I discovered this fact. Apparently the Republic has received help from a group of humans from another universe. They've dealt with these aliens before and driven them back to their own realm. I've heard that they're willing to help us do the same."
Stith snorted and crossed her arms.
"Well, I think we can beat them on our own. We've faced the Drej, the Machines… In the past the Imperial Guard stood against several other hostile races and prevailed. I'm not afraid."
"That's my brave warrior girl" Kero replied, wrapping his large well-build arms around her from behind, lying his head in her neck.
He bit her softly, playfully in the scruff of her neck, feeling her shiver softly in his arms. A burst of air escaped through her nostrils when he did that so he did it again with the same result.
"Shall we go to the gardens?" he asked.
"I was planning to" she replied, already forgetting about what he said. It wasn't time to start worrying about such things just yet.
Later that day, in the evening, with the sun trying to stay up as long as possible Zahn entered the room he had his servants prepare for Galen and his children to spend the night in. Their home in the forests of Sogowa had been ravaged by the soldiers. They had destroyed his lab, his work and their home just because Mithras ordered them to do so. As the Emperor he had to protect his people but in his fear for recurrence of what happened when Galen's first experiment failed he had sent soldiers after him and his children, forgetting that they were his people too. Now that he finally met them in person, he could hardly believe that he did that. He had offered his sincere apologies to all of them -he was glad that they accepted but he wouldn't have blamed them if they didn't- and assured them that Mithras and anyone else involved with treating them so badly would be prosecuted and punished for their crimes against citizens of the Empire. But now, he had an even more difficult task ahead of him. He was not sure they were going to like it, especially Galen not, but his children had the right to know the truth about their father.
"Hey guys, can I come in?" he asked, smiling when he entered a room full of children playing on, under and around the beds.
He didn't know what kind of game it was they were playing but to him it looked like a pillow fight between two camps. Just their laughter made him happy. To see them play like all young children should be able to. Dinner had also been a wonderful experience. It remembered him about the time his sons were still young. He had enjoyed every second of it.
"Of course, of course" Galen replied quickly, after he realized who he was dealing with.
"Children, easy please."
"No, no, don't stop because of me" Zahn said, his laugh bellowing through the room.
"Can I play with you?" he asked, feeling the child in him awakening.
The children hesitated first until one of them said: "Sure, grab a pillow."
"Just joking" he laughed.
"I'm too old for that."
"Aahhhh" they all said in unison, expressing their disappointment.
They had already forgotten that he was in fact the Emperor they were asking to join the fight. But they all stopped doing whatever it was they were doing, one of them still having the other's tail in his hand, when the tone of his voice became serious.
"My tail" the Sogowan boy said, giving the other boy, a Talocaan, a playful slap on his fingers with the tip.
"Children, I… I want to show you something. There are some people I would like you to meet."
"Are they friendly?" a Goureg boy -Fran he remembered his name was- asked.
"Are they children like us?" Syndar asked hopefully.
"No they're not children but they are very friendly and I'm sure you would like them very much once you get to know them."
A lot of ears flattened when he said that. He could see that they were thinking it over. Galen had one ear lowered to a horizontal position too but didn't say anything. He was a little suspicious thought and waited for the decision of his children.
"Okay" one of them decided, throwing his pillow on top of the bed next to him.
They all followed his example and lined up behind the Emperor. Slowly he began to lead them out of the room, through the corridor to another large room he used to receive only very special guests in. The throne hall was undergoing renovations for now but the people he had invited to the palace at this late part of the day were special. They were eagerly waiting for him to return. The sun was starting to disappear, ending the day with a colorful display of light in a deep orange. Before he opened the double doors to allow them in he slightly hesitated. Was this the right thing to do? There was no way back now. He had to but still felt a little bad about it. But when he overcame his hesitation and pushed open the large doors, opening them widely, he knew that whatever happened next would be out of his hands. Waiting for them in the room were fourteen Mantrins, divided into seven couples. But these couples weren't normal couples. They were parents. Parents that had lost their beloved children a couple of months ago and had almost given up hope of ever finding them again. Beaks fell open when he entered and the children spread themselves over the available space. The children however all looked at these strange people with flattened ears. These were the people the Emperor wanted them to meet? They couldn't quite figure out the reason. Who were they? The children didn't say a word and just stared but the adolescents began to whisper.
"Is that her?"
"It's really him."
Those were only a few of the things said. Shezu was not sure about it. At first she didn't have a clue about what was going on here. But then one of the couples specifically pointed at her brother Fran. The thing she noticed was that the Mantrin and Mantrinesse were both Goureg. Fran was Goureg too.
"How can this be? Could it be?" she thought, her brain switching to its highest gear.
Her father told them that the people who gave birth to them were dead. That they died in an accident. Their father wouldn't lie to them, would he? And even if he did, for what reason? Just to be sure, she kept following what happened. The next couple that began pointing were both Talocaan. And they were pointing at Jicko and Pynch. The two small Orketh's had their eyes locked on Reylyn. The longer she stood there, the more she began to realize that they were no ordinary people. They were parents. Their parents.
"Mom? Dad?" Eyza said carefully, doing a few steps towards two Mantrins that appeared to be Sogowans.
She rarely talked but Eyza was extremely bright and had already figured it out. When Shezu looked carefully, she noticed that the male had a couple of brighter spots on his beak and in his neck. He was a Sonowan and indeed her father.
"This can't be" she thought desperately.
She loved her father. How could he have lied to her all that time? She finally had him back and now it turned out that her real parents had been alive all the time.
"No, you can't do this" Galen said to Zahn.
Shezu turned around, noticing her father standing there with tears in his eyes. He already saw it coming. His children were going to leave and he would never see them back.
"I'm terribly sorry Galen" Zahn said, placing a hand on the Soneth's shoulder.
"But I think it's time for you to accept that they are not your children. I know you only had good intentions but you never should have taken them away from their parents. They deserve to live like normal children. To live ordinary lives. You can't deny them that."
The scientist was sitting on his knees, crying. All that time he had been deluding himself from the truth. At first they were just an experiment but from the first day they awoke from their artificial sleep, awakening with a gift beyond his imagination, he started loving them. He wanted to take care of them, like a father. In their eyes he was their father and now that dream was gone forever. They would probably hate him for what he did.
"I know. But I love them" he sobbed.
"Dad. Dad, don't cry" Shezu said, flinging her arms around his neck.
"S-Shezu?" he said, placing his hand on her back, rubbing softly.
"No matter what happens, no matter what you have done. You will always be my dad and I'm grateful for it."
He was overwhelmed by her kindness. She knew he had been hiding the truth but still, she couldn't resent him. In her eyes, he was still her father.
"Thank you so much Shezu but… I have to let you go. Farewell my daughter. I hope you'll be all right."
"No dad. I'll stay with you. I want you as my dad."
She couldn't help herself but cry. She didn't want to leave him. They couldn't take him away from her.
"Shezu? Is it really you?" a feminine voice asked.
When Shezu let go of her father, softly stroking his ear, she turned around, looking into the golden eyes of a Fjetahna Mantrinesse. She had the same hair color as she did, golden but without the streaks of silver in it. Her skin was a shade of light brown with her belly and neck being almost white. Her ears were tufted just like hers and she had a black muzzle and hoof-like feet. Her father was a Sogowan, slightly lighter brown than average with darker patches on his arms and legs. His eyes had a very unusual color, a very dark shade of red but didn't make him look unfriendly in the least. In fact, he laughed when she looked at him, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. The Mantrinesse who was her mother, shot Galen a filthy look. Fjetahna females were dominant and just her look made clear that she wasn't the type of woman you wanted to be messing with. The scar on the side of her mate's beak was an example of that even thought she was smaller than he was.
"You" she grunted.
"I'll kill you!"
Razor-sharp claws extended and she was bringing her arm back to bury them deep into Galen's flesh. But her daughter stood in between and spread her arms to protect him.
"I won't let you hurt my father!" she bit, growling softly.
Retracting her claws and slowly lowering her arm, her mother was surprised and didn't know how to react.
"Shezu, I am your father" the male said, his ears sagging a bit.
"Not to me" Shezu said, tightly holding on to the Mantrin she still considered her dad.
"Shezu" the Emperor said, seeing in which direction this was going.
"Please, they are your parents. I'm not telling you this because I wanna hurt you but because you have the right to know the truth."
"I don't care! You can't hurt him!"
"I'm so sorry" Galen said.
"It's all my fault."
"Damn right it's your fault!" the Mantrinesse in front of him shouted in his face.
"How could you? Huh? Taking away our children! What did you do to them anyway? How could they've aged so much in a few months time?"
Before Galen could reply Shezu did it for him. She noticed that her brothers and sisters were getting along just fine with their parents. Reylyn was crying of course, sitting on her mother's leg. She was crying too, touching her beak to her little daughter's. They were tears of happiness. Reyan looked a lot like his dad. His father was large for a Sogowan and didn't look like the friendliest type around but even he was glad he had his son back, holding him in his strong arms. But Shezu couldn't forgot about the care and love Galen had given them. She didn't care if the people in front of her were her real parents or not. She was not going to let them hurt the man she had known as her father all that time.
"Our father gave us powers. He taught us everything and made us strong" she said, moving her hands into the direction of a small cultural artifact displayed on a table.
Just by the lift of a finger, the small sculpture began to hover above the table, floating in their direction.
"Please be careful with that Shezu" Zahn said, hoping it wouldn't break the girl's concentration.
"It's very delicate."
But Shezu was far beyond this simple technique. The sculpture floated through the air and landed perfectly into the Emperor's hands. Satisfied when she saw the faces of her parents she put her hands on her hips, flashing Galen a smirk.
"That's… that's amazing" her mother said.
"Amazing or not, you took our children!" the voice of Reyan's dad bellowed through the room.
He approached Shezu and her father, who was still sitting on his knees on the floor, with a threatening speed, ready to beat the hell out of the Mantrin who took his little son.
"He should be executed for his crimes!" Syndar's father added.
Now they all began to meddle with the whole situation. Reyan tried to stop his father but he was too large and he was too small.
"Daddy please don't. He took good care of us. We love him. Don't hurt him!"
But his father didn't seem willing to listen to his son. He was taking big steps, his foot claws scratching over the tiled floor, his eyes shooting fire. But before he or any other parent could take action, the children raced towards the scientist and formed a circle around him, defending him against the rage of their parents. Zahn was the only adult in the room that didn't seem to be bend on killing Galen.
"Come here children. You are safe with us. This is a bad man and he must be punished for his crimes" Fran's mother said.
"No!" Syndar yelled.
"Only if you promise not to hurt him" Fran said to his mother.
"Reyan come here!" his father grunted.
"No!" the boy repeated, baring his teeth.
"Reyan I am your father and you will listen to me. Now do as I say and come here!"
A little scared by his father's outburst the boy gave in.
"Yes daddy" he said timidly, his ears and tail sagging, breaking away from the others.
The other children remained in the circle and were not planning to give up right away.
"Why do you insist on defending him? He denied you a life with us and with other children" Reylyn's father asked.
"Because he took good care of us. Because he helped us with our powers and because we love him! Why don't you understand that?" Shezu shouted.
"Shezu" her mother said softly, knowing the hard approach was not going to work.
She sunk on her knees before her daughter, so that she was at equal height, placing her hands on her thighs. Looking directly into the eyes of her daughter, she began to talk at a very calm tone.
"Please Shezu, think about it. We are your parents and we love you very much. We would like you to come with us."
"But I don't even know you name. Only if you promise that we can keep seeing our daddy and that you won't hurt him."
Her mother sighed, thinking about it. Of course she could scan her mind and tell if her next answer was a lie but that would go against her father's rules. It was wrong.
"My name is Shiweyah, from the House of Irani. Please, I want you back."
Tears began to well up in her golden eyes.
"Do you promise?" Shezu asked again.
"Yeah, we're not going anywhere unless you all promise" Pynch added.
He gained support from his brothers and sisters, giving their parents only one option to choose from. One by one they agreed but Reyan's father merely snorted.
"He must be punished and that's final!" he growled.
Now every parent in the room turned their eyes towards him, even his wife. They didn't look very friendly.
"Oh c'mon!" he brought out in frustration.
His wife gave him a jab in his ribs.
"All right I promise" he eventually grumbled.
The Emperor came standing next to Shezu and her mother and came with a good suggestion.
"You know, it's late already. Why don't you all spend the night at the palace? I have plenty of rooms for-"
"I wasn't done talking yet!" Shiweyah snarled, abruptly shutting him up, not caring about the fact that she was talking to the Emperor himself in that manner.
"Whoa, temper" Zahn said, backing off immediately, holding up his hands in defense.
In an instant, Shiweyah was back to her sweet self when she turned towards her daughter. She didn't have to repeat her request. The look in her eyes was enough.
"Go" Galen said from behind Shezu.
She turned around to find out that he meant it.
"They are your parents Shezu. They love you. They love all of you. Go."
Shezu smiled, patting between her dad's ears.
"Don't worry dad, we can keep seeing each other. That's all I wanted."
With a last whip of her plumed tail she was off, running into her mother's arms.
"I'm sorry mom. I just didn't want you to hurt him."
"I understand Shezu. He really means a lot to you all, doesn't he?"
She could feel her sobbing daughter nod when she pressed her against her chest, brushing her beak through her soft curly golden hair, feeling the tears leaving her own eyes. All children rejoined with their parents, happy that the people, they thought were gone forever, would be at their side for a long time to come.
"What is this?" Shezu asked herself out loud, only to find out that not a single sound had escaped her beak.
She was standing outside in the open, the world around her covered by a thick layer of some grey stuff. It was falling from the sky that was darkened by clouds in the same color. Even the rays of the sun, falling through the cloud cover in the distance had lost their strength, their warmth and she didn't get the happy feeling she usually got from the sun shining. Looking around her she noticed everything had lost its color. The entire landscape, the trees, the leftovers of the buildings around her, all covered in flakes of grey dust. When she walked a single step, it fluttered up around her feet, falling down very slowly. It kept falling from the sky. A rain of ash.
"Hello?" she asked.
She could hear her voice now. It was as if it was coming from a distance of miles. It sounded hollow, strange, not like her own. What's going on here? Hugging herself, when a very slight icy breeze blew straight through her clothes, she took a few more steps. The buildings around her were destroyed, empty. It didn't take long to find out that she was all alone. All alone in this dead world. Nothing survived. She took a few more steps, in whatever direction it was she was going. A sudden crack, nearly made her scream, but what she saw when she looked down did make her scream. Covered in grey ash, was the skull of a Mantrin, staring at her with its hollow eye sockets. The entire body was still attached to it and apparently she had stepped on the right arm. She didn't know what frightened her more, the remains of a dead body here on the street, or that she touched that thing with her bare foot. Gasping for breath she did a few steps back, feeling her own dual heartbeat in her throat. Then suddenly she heard a sound behind her, which almost made her scream again. Lightning fast she turned around and saw a shadow shooting behind the wall of a nearby building. Looking down she saw that her arm was stretched out. She had wanted to launch a blast of energy at whatever it was but couldn't. When she tried to concentrate again she felt empty. Her powers were gone! She was defenseless.
"Who are you?" she asked, frightened by the look of that shadow.
She couldn't prevent her voice from trembling. She instinctively did a few steps back when no reply came. Then she started to walk away from it. First a few more steps, then it was like walking, then she ran, not knowing where she went, looking back to find out that the shadow was following her. It was black, pitch black and appeared to be a creature made up of clouds.
"Help me!" she yelled in panic.
She couldn't run and look at the same time. Something made her trip and she landed on her belly on the street, which was covered with bones. The bones of her own people! Hundreds of them, covered in grey ash. They were all dead. She managed to break her fall but crawled away from it on her hands. She had nowhere to go. The black shadow approached her, taking the shape of a face, and alien face. Just the cloudy whirling contours with two big red glowing eyes. It didn't have a mouth but the voice that seemed to be coming from this monstrous creature made her turn cold to the bone. It was as if her hearts had turned to ice.
"Die" it said slowly, coming closer and closer, making the air around it colder and colder.
It was so close that it could almost touch her.
"Noooo!" she screamed, the fear almost squeezing her throat shut.
When it touched her the dead world around her disappeared and made place for the darkness of the bedroom inside the palace.
"Shezu! Shezu, stay calm! It's all right, we're here! It was just a dream!" Galen said, still trying to control her arms.
"Where is it? Don't let it touch me!" she screamed.
It still took her a few seconds to realize that it was all just a dream, more like a horrifying nightmare actually. Panting like she had just run a dozen miles and bathing in her own sweat she tried to do as her father said but she couldn't get the horrible images out of her mind.
"I… I saw something" she brought out.
"Shezu?" Reylyn said worriedly.
"Our world. It was destroyed. Everything was destroyed. You were dead. Everyone was dead. And then that thing came. It tried to kill me too."
"Shhh. You're safe."
She noticed that her claws had made a few ugly scratches on her father's arms. She immediately felt sorry for it but her dream had been so terrifyingly real. She was afraid to ask her next question.
"Dad? I often see things in my dreams and sometimes they become true. Can… Can I see the future?"
Her father sighed.
"Shezu, your abilities might allow you to see things that could be a possible future but nothing's for sure. The future's not solid."
"But I've seen things before dad. And they all became true. I'm scared."
"Don't worry too much about it girl" her father said, touching his beak to hers.
"The future's always changing."
Maybe he was right but the rest of the night she was afraid to go back to sleep. What if her father was wrong? What if she did see the future?