Arlaksis

Early Dark Age - Outskirts of Calais, Northern France

The dull blue-grey ocean was coated in a thin sheen of mist as thick clouds hung high above in the sky. The yellow gold pearls of sand on the beach were cold to the touch, yet oddly enough quite soft on his feet as well.

Arlaksis had woken up earlier that morning. He found he started getting better sleep if he got out more often. He took his ether before the rest of his crew had woken up, and then he left the mouth of the cave.

The Captain really didn't know why he was out on the beach. But there wasn't much else for him to do, either.

One of those stark black birds a flown over him. Making its strange croaking noise out of its sharpened beak. Arlaksis felt its eyes as it screamed at him. "Kraw!"

He ignored it as it flew deeper into the woods to his right. Out of sight.

It must've been a few weeks since he and his crew had gone on their outing to the city. He could accurately pronounce its strange name now. "Calais." just seemed to roll off the tongue.

Even though only half of his crew had gone out, all of their spirits seemed to have been lifted. Thanks to the Small Machine, of course.

Calia had been quite an unexpected help when it came to understanding the "humans" as she called them. This seemingly weak species, while frail as he had initially suspected, were quite fervent in their beliefs and imagination. They had evolved quickly and had spread out and changed their world to suit their purposes in a matter of a couple hundred thousand years.

Much like the Eliksni had come together and constructed Riis in the sky of luscious pink clouds and green fire.

Arlaksis was absolutely sure this machine had been a gift sent to him by the Great Machine. No doubt she was also grateful to him for having saved her from the barbaric Devils. He knew they would've fired on her the moment they saw her.

As witless as the Devils were, they were however far better equipped than Arlaksis' crew. All of the Devils in Calais had been Vandals and their Captain. There wasn't a single Dreg among them.

Now, their unofficial turf was home to the red cloaks. And Arlaksis didn't really know what to think about it. There wasn't much he could do without incurring the wrath of the Devils' Ketch residing in the city that Calia had called 'Paris'.

Which only made Arlaksis wonder what in the hell Craask was thinking when he split the House into tiny fractions.

His first report to Shivaliks was due quite soon in fact. Though Arlaksis was quite sure he would go unread. Still, he'd report of the Devils' presence nearby and he'd request to put together a strike force to put them down. His crew could just as easily go into hiding in their cave if the Ketch came to investigate.

He couldn't stand the insult the Devils represented. They were underhanded and dishonorable, a black stain on the Eliksni as a whole. Even the House of Wolves were more civilized than the Devils. And that was a stretch in itself.

Though now that Arlaksis had thought about it, he'd yet to see both the Wolves and Winter arrive. Neither House had come right to Earth like the Kings and Devils. Though perhaps that was a blessing in disguise…

Arlaksis shook his head out of his thoughts. He was brought back to the sandy reef shore with the crashing winter waves beating against it. The sound was oddly calming to him. The grey sea was a charming sight to behold.

"Once I built a railroad…"

The Captain had his shrapnel launcher in his hands within seconds as he turned around, activating his shields. His heartbeat wildly upon hearing the deep, rich voice coming from the woods behind him.

"...Made it run…" It spoke again, though Arlaksis could not see who it was coming from as he desperately scanned the treeline. "Made it race against time…"

Reluctantly, the Captain decided to approach it slowly. He quickly moved up behind the closest tree that was thick enough for him to hide behind.

"Once I built a railroad… Now it's done…" The voice was a bit closer this time, but it didn't seem to be moving at all. And it certainly did not sound like another Eliksni. A human… He gripped his shrapnel launcher tight as he ducked his head out behind the tree. "Oh, brother… Can you spare a dime…"

His pearly blue eyes widened in surprise as perhaps fifty feet away, he saw the outline of a human- male judging by the deepened voice and large frame- sitting on a wood log in front of a fire.

"Once I built a tower… to the sun…"

The figure had been facing away from him. Arlaksis knew he should end this creature before it could kill him. Calia said that humans were crafty creatures, very tricky despite their size.

But there was something strange about this one. It was the first live human Arlaksis had set his eyes on, and somehow, there was a strange but prominent sense of familiarity with this one.

"Made of brick, rivet, and lime…" The man continued…singing. Or Arlaksis had realized that the man had been singing all along. Which only made him frown.

Was that not such a horrendous thing to do in the wilds? Surely this human knew that the Eliksni now walked his planet. And Arlaksis's people were not very friendly to strange races.

He quietly began making his way around the tree and stepped silently through the snow towards the human. "Once I built a tower… Now it's done…" Each footstep was more mute than the last.

Now he must've been forty feet away. The voice only got louder. "Brother, can you spare a dime?"

Arlaksis took another step forward in the thick blanket of snow and raised his shrapnel launcher. The nugget of doubt had grown substantially in the few seconds he'd aimed down the sights of his weapon. There was an overwhelming feeling that was telling him to put the weapon down. But why?

"Once in khaki suits…" The man's voice was almost a powerful blast into the Captain's covered ears.

His clawed hands were violently shaking. Come, Arlaksis… You have killed other Eliksni before… Why not this human as well? Be strong!

"Kraw!" Arlaksis nearly jolted his head in the direction of the black bird that had flown over him again. It perched itself just above the small clearing where the man was sitting.

He was only thirty feet away, but he cursed himself as he saw the man turning around suddenly in his seat and looked directly at Arlaksis.

The Captain had frozen instantly. Even from a decent enough distance away, he could focus his gaze on the man's devouring blue eyes. And Arlaksis was absolutely terrified by what he saw.

Complete and utter indifference.

Arlaksis still felt that shaking familiarity, but as he continued staring at the blue-eyed man, he realized that he'd found something other than easy prey. There was something behind those eyes-mismatched as he now took them in. One piercing eye was a much deeper shade of blue than the other.

The man stood up to his full height and turned to face him. Arlaksis realized that the man was likely just a few inches shorter than he was. Quickly, those narrowed, indifferent eyes had widened, and the man's face turned cheerful. His mouth had curled upwards. A gesture which Arlaksis knew, was of happiness.

"Come! Join me by the fire, my boy." The voice was rich and grating but in a soothing way. Arlaksis felt the man's warmth invade his senses, and the Captain was helpless to stop it.

Slowly, he lowered his shrapnel launcher and walked towards the clearing with the fire. Are all humans like this? Are they all as fearless as this one? He was wondering in his head as he came closer to the tall man, letting his shrapnel launcher dangle from its sling on his back.

He now stood in front of the blue-eyed man now, only a log situated between the two of them. Arlaksis had been surprised again when the man slowly drew his hand and held it out in front of him.

The human's skin was pale. Not like the snow, but it was more tan and hairy than Arlaksis had expected. The lower half of the man's face was covered in prickly black hair with white strands while the hair on his head was much smoother.

Arlaksis frowned at the gesture. He didn't know what it meant. He still didn't know why he hadn't fired on this creature.

"You shake it." the man said with a warm smile and crinkled eyes. "With your own hand."

The Captain took the human's much smaller hand in his own and tentatively shook it. "Like… that?" It was surprisingly soft and the human had squeezed his own hand back.

"Exactly like that, my boy." The man flashed his white teeth, but Arlaksis knew somehow it was not anything malicious. This human seemed quite comfortable in his presence. "Come. Sit! I absolutely adore having company."

Arlaksis did as he was told. On the other side of the crackling fire, he found a dry stump to sit on, while the human resumed his place on the log.

"I suppose I should introduce myself, hmmm?" The old man smiled again. "My name is Svidir."

The Captain had frowned again. "S-S-vid-er?"

"No, no, no." A clicking sound came from the man's mouth. "Svidir." He pronounced the name more slowly this time.

Arlaksis gave it another go. "Svid- Svidir." He smiled as he had gotten the name just as the man had said it. The human was equally proud, apparently as he brought his hands together and clapped.

"Yes! That's it." The man nodded approvingly. "And what is your name?"

Out of all the things he'd imagined he'd do on this world, Arlaksis never once thought he'd be sitting across the fire, speaking with a human-one of the creatures who had stolen the Great Machine from his people- and trading names with one. "Arlaksis."

"Arlaksis?" Svidir asked, his eyebrows raised. The Captain nodded at his correct pronunciation. "Well, it's certainly an honor meeting you, Arlaksis."

"And you, S-Svidir." Arlaksis was surprised at how easily the words had rolled off his tongue. He figured he should try and ask the human questions to ease the boredom. "What are you doing here?"

Svidir chuckled softly, the rich voice rumbling in his chest like the rolling of thunder in the sky. "Why, I'm looking for my son."

"Son?"

The tall man across from him simply nodded. "My, eh… Blood." Svidir put a hand to his chest. "He is my blood… but he is not me."

"So…" Arlaksis paused. He supposed he'd figured out what the human was trying to say. "You are his father?"

Svidir snapped his fingers. "Precisely! I'm his father, and he is my son." the old man had let out an exhausted sigh. "He's gotten lost, the poor lad. I'll have to find him and take him home."

"Home?" Arlaksis asked again. All sorts of questions about this man and the humans were filling his mind. What did they hunt? Were they fighting the Eliksni? Were there any others remaining besides this man and his… son? "Where is your home?"

The mismatched blue eyes glanced playfully towards him. "Iceland," Svidir said with a faraway smile. "Ah, beautiful Iceland… lonely little island just up north. Couldn't miss it."

Arlaksis couldn't help but smile underneath his mask as the old man spoke warmly of his home. It had partially made Arlaksis envious himself. He did not have a place to call home.

"Of course, my son had moved out. Always the adventurous one, that lad-though, I'll take credit for that. He really does take after me…" Svidir had directed his eyes into the fire, but he must've realized he'd been staring too long as he snapped his head up and looked plainly at Arlaksis. "But I'm being a poor host. What about you, my tall friend? Why are you out here all alone?" he asked as he leaned forward.

Arlaksis did not think that the human would understand the political turmoil of his people. As kind as Svidir was, he did not know of the Devils and of Arlaksis's orders, and of Craask.

But the old man was patient. He sat with a light smile and gave Arlaksis his complete attention. The Captain would have to omit a few details.

"I… am here with my crew." Arlaksis began as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "We are alone. Surrounded by Devils. They destroyed something over there." he pointed across the sea, from where he remembered seeing the great mushroom cloud on the horizon. "They are… villainous and uncivilized. Barbaric."

He thought the old man would be confused, but Svidir simply nodded his head as if he understood everything Arlaksis was talking about. "And?"

"I am of House Kings." Arlaksis picked up the tail of his golden cloak and held it so Svidir could see. "We are gold. Devils are red. We are not as… many as the Devils are…"

Svidir sat back, posting his chin on his hand as he reflected deep in thought. "You can still attack them. Make raids and the like. Why not strike?"

"We cannot." Arlaksis shook his head. Even if he did not like them, orders were orders. "Our Kell does not want us fighting. He wants us to… observe."

He couldn't believe he'd just let those words come out of his mouth. Arlaksis was singlehandedly giving away top-secret orders to a human, a complete stranger. An enemy for all he could know.

"I see." Svidir knit his thick eyebrows together. "This… Kell. Does he fight with you?"

That question had not been what Arlaksis was expecting. While he knew Craask was far away from him, likely back on the Kingship, Arlaksis still felt wildly fearful to speak ill of the Kell of Kings. But he would not lie. "N-no. He does not."

Svidir refocused his intense blue eyes on Arlaksis as he sat forward again. "Then why fight for him?"

Why fight for Craask? The question was seemingly preposterous, yet the more he had thought about it, the more it pervaded his mind. Why fight for Craask?

Craask had been Kell long before Arlaksis was born. Everyone had bowed to the Kell when he passed by or cowed when he'd taken notice of them on rare occasions. The Kell of Kings ruled his House through fear, with an iron fist that made all those underneath him tremble with fear that they'd one day be floating outside the airlock. Dead.

Yet now… Arlaksis was hiding in a cave. Far away from the Kell of Kings or the sheer terror he held as a weapon. Why fight for him? Why fight for Craask?

"See…" Svidir broke the silence that had made its way between the two of them. "Humans more often than not follow the Man who deserves to be followed. It doesn't matter how big or small he is. Only that he has a will of iron and a heart of steel."

Arlaksis understood what the man had meant. Humans did not follow one because of their size. They followed one because of the things they did, because of who they were. A pipe dream, of course. Look at their homeworld. "Eliksni are not the same as Humans."

But the old man merely scoffed. He even began laughing loudly into the clearing. "My boy… there's much for you to learn…" Svidir wiped the tears of joy that had come from his eyes. "Humans and Eliksni are more similar than you think… I mean, I've got to be the first one you've ever met, and look at the two of us!"

The Captain shook his head in flat disagreement. "Other humans may not be as kind as you, Svidir…"

"True." The old man held up a finger as if he was teaching a lesson. "However, other Eliksni may not be as kind as you, Arlaksis."

Arlaksis had stopped himself from opening his mouth. He blinked as he replayed the old man's statement again and again. "But… That is only one similarity."

"And one is all you need to get along." Svidir smiled warmly. Arlaksis did not understand this strange blue-eyed man from... Iceland. He was certainly an outlier among his own species. "Another question, though if I may?"

The Captain simply nodded. He was curious what the man might say at the least.

"Did you follow your Kell's orders because you wanted to? Or did you follow them because you were told to?"

That one question seemed more of a gut punch than anything. Arlaksis froze in his seat as he realized what the human was onto…

He did not want to follow Craask's orders. Not while the Devils had gained so much ground and planted their flag onto the Earth that rightfully belonged to House Kings. They'd shown up first, had they not?

Arlaksis did not like Craask. He respected the Kell for his iron grip over the rest of the House, but he did not like him. He only followed the Kell's orders because everyone else was… Weren't they?

Yes, they were. Everyone was following Craask's orders. Orders that might get him killed by his crew one day. Orders that would let him be vulnerable to an attack by the Devils…

"All of us were told… told to observe…" he said the final word with such an uncharacteristic disdain. Scouting and intelligence gathering had their uses, but his Kell had given up a valuable grip on the human's homeworld. A foothold they would've needed to take back the Great Machine.

"And if he's not with you, and you do not like him…" Svidir continued. "Why do you still follow his orders?"

Arlaksis looked upon the old man in a brand new light. Just moments ago he'd been utterly terrified at the potential powers this man might have. The Captain had worried he'd found a fearsome predator among the ashes of this dead world.

This man Svidir… This tall human with his mismatched blue eyes who was looking for his son… He was wise. A very wise man indeed to help a foreign creature come to such a simple yet outlandish conclusion.

Arlaksis suddenly found that he no longer wished to wage war against these humans. If they were all decent like this man sitting in front of him… He did not wish them harm. Besides…

He would be waging war against his own House. Against the Devils, even. His crew may simply have him killed in the night once he told them his newfound plan. But at the same time… maybe not…

He'd seen the appreciative-albeit scared looks that his Vandals had given him as he told them to go hunting for food. Even as he was sitting here with this strange man, his Dregs were building fortifications outside their cave. They were pleased to be doing something at the least.

And Craask had wanted them to do nothing. Just to watch and wait.

Arlaksis squeezed his fist tight as he realized his folly. The boiling rage he felt for the Kell of Kings had erupted in his heart like a raging volcano ready to burn and soil the lands below. Craask… the bastard!

Svidir smiled at him warmly. The old man sat back in his seat. "Now you know…" he reached into his bag and took out a small wrapped bundle. He easily slid off the strings holding the cloth together and revealed it to be a portion of dried meat and something else that Arlaksis did not know of. "What do you plan to do about it?"

The Captain of the House of Kings stood up slowly from his stump. Through the snow-covered branches and trees, he could see the ruined and desolated towers in the city of Calais.

"I will bring ruin to the Devils… Or die trying."