Chapter 26

Sable pushed a cart down the red-carpeted hallway, the omnipresent sand-colored walls of stone seeming to radiate warmth as they reflected the lights of the yellowed chandeliers overhead. Frescoes of past exploits of the house of Azer adorned the walls, spanning centuries of history: wars that they gloriously led the people to victory in, scientific advancements thought impossible at the time they came to be, the magnificent pageantry and beauty on display within their courts... As if she needed more propaganda fed to her about the people who ruled this planet.

Speaking of those people…

Her eyes turned upon the contents of the cart before her. Fine dresses and robes wrapped in protective material laid before her, each one worth more than what she made in a year, all laid in a pile as if this were nothing more than an ordinary load of laundry. Stopping at each door, she gave a gentle knock, and waited to see if an Azer responded. If they didn't, she breathed a sigh of relief, entered the room, hung the clothing up in their closets, and left, doing her best to not spend too much time lingering and examining each luxurious apartment.

If the occupants were present, she made sure to put aside her feelings and beam her best smile, handing each sand cat their clothes. Sir, here are your clothes. Ma'am, your garments. Oh, it's no trouble, thank you. Let me put that in your closet. Here, have a pleasant day. She became like a pre-programmed animatronic as she said those words, having the inflection and tone down like a recording. While most of the Azers let her go about her duty without a second glance, a fair few of them still thought she was sincere and smiled as she said those words. If only they knew.

Sable told herself she shouldn't be greedy. For what she was doing—her mother frequently reminded her—she could be getting paid far worse if, for example, she cleaned hotel rooms for foreigners in Sirtta instead. It ought to be considered an honor for her to work in a place like the Palace of Azer.

I know, but I thought I'd be destined for something greater in a place like this. That's why we came to this city, after all. Threw everything away to move to Gerrant and make something of ourselves. But I'm as invisible as a gnat on the wall here… at least until these clothes are late.

She stopped at the next door, giving it a sharp knock. No one replied. Sable pushed the door open, dragging the cart inside as she went to the nearby wardrobe, hanging up the garments one by one. All of them were for a young girl, and since everyone in the residential wing of the Azerian Palace was a sand cat that meant they looked more like they were meant for a toddler.

Sable tried to not look at the room, but she couldn't help it, turning around anyway. While this apartment was still as opulent as any other suite along the corridor, it still showed signs of being occupied by a child: a row of dolls filled a shelf, colorful picture books lining the shelf beneath them. Near the window, an easel, canvas and the finest art supplies available occupied one corner, but the tubes of paint had been scattered about as carelessly as crayons.

A rich scarlet cover laid over the bed, the mattress slightly indented in the middle so you would sink into it...exactly as a feline would like it. We always do like to sleep in snug, warm spots, don't we? Not like my lumpy mattress back at our apartment.

Thinking of that, this entire suite for one girl was bigger than her entire apartment in the Old Quarter, and Sable had to share that with her parents. She couldn't even see the entire room from here, given there was a wall behind the bed dividing it into another section.

Grumbling, she moved back to the cart, turning it around to the door.

Thump.

Something fell over on the other side of the wall behind the bed, Sable peering up to look. Princess Kula came into view. Her beautiful blue dress was frumpy and wrinkled. Sable could see why, as the little girl knelt and crawled around on the ground in search of something.

She didn't seem to notice Sable, as she moved around the floor, looking underneath drawers, pulling up rugs, and searching anywhere else she could think of. However, she couldn't seem to find what she was looking for. As the moments passed, tears came to her face, droplets watering up on the edge of her eyes. There would be a downpour at any moment. Shaking her head, the girl rose to a stand, wiping her face.

She noticed Sable, as tears streamed down her face. "Miss, could you help me find it?!"

"Find what?" Sable asked.

"My tiara! I have to wear it for a reception downstairs, but I can't find it!" She gazed around the room, her eyes frantic as more tears ran from them. "I have to hurry! It's almost time!"

Sable was tempted to roll her eyes. Young children were so irresponsible, no matter how much wealth they grew up in. Nonetheless, Sable put on that happy mask of hers and smiled, speaking with a gentle voice. "Of course, Princess Kula. I'll help you find it. Where do you remember it being last?"

Kula stopped crying for a moment. Apparently she hadn't considered that. "Uh… I think I had it on over by the window."

Sable glanced in the direction of the window, near the easel and paint supplies. It had been left slightly open, the shelf in front of the window empty.

"Hmm… do you think it fell out?" Sable looked outside, the view filled with the elaborate palace gardens. Trees, grass, and beds of flowers spread from here to the cavern wall.

Kula ran over to the window next to Sable, looking down at a bush in the garden far below. "Oh, you're right! Maybe it did fall out!" By this point she wasn't crying now, her reddened eyes clearing again. A jump was back in her step, as her tail eagerly swayed back and forth.

"Well, perhaps we should check outside now, Princess Kula." Sable closed the window.

"You can just call me Kula." Kula giggled a little bit, wiping her eyes. "All my friends do."

Surprised by her words, Sable smiled, and this time it wasn't fake. "Of course, Kula."

"What's your name?"

"Sable, your highness."

"You don't have to call me that either." Kula beamed up at her. "Anyway, thank you for helping, but we need to hurry!"

Within a few minutes they were down in the garden. Sable walked towards the bush underneath Kula's window. Sure enough, something sparkled underneath the leaves, catching the light of the fiber optics in the ceiling above. Kula stood on the tips of her toes, but she was too short to grab it. Sable reached in and plucked the object out, revealing a bronze tiara with a rich red ruby set into the center of it.

"Oh, that's it!" Kula cheered, jumping up and down. However, her enthusiasm was soon tempered. "Um… but it's dirty."

Looked like the tiara had picked up a spot or two from sitting in the bush. It wasn't a problem though. Sable pulled a cleaning rag from her pocket and soon she'd shined up again like it was new. Sable smiled at the princess, holding the headpiece up. "Here."

Kula laughed and leaned down, as though this were some sort of official crowning. Sable herself found this amusing too. Almost like they were playing a game of pretend. She set the tiara upon the younger cat's head.

Kula stood back up again, beaming up at Sable. "Oh, thank you! Mommy would've been so mad if I'd lost this!"

Even if she was jealous of this girl's wealth, Sable could tell that praise came straight from Kula's heart. Say what you would about their maturity, children showed their true feelings.

"Kula! Kuuuula!" the Queen called out in the distance.

The happy meowing of a kitten sounded from the same direction. An older female sand cat—wearing an elaborate green dress—stepped round the corner, looking around. That would be Queen Iltani Azer. She held a baby sand kitten in her arms, wrapped in a small red robe. The kitten happily yowled in his mother's arms. "There there, Giichi!" the queen smiled, petting him on the head.

Giichi happily gurgled from the petting, kicking his little arms and legs around.

If Sable recalled, the reception today was to celebrate Giichi's recent birth, and it would cost more than what she made in a lifetime. She sighed.

Kula turned around, smiling at Sable. "Do you think we could talk later, Sable? I wanna reward you!"

Sable's eyes lit up upon hearing that, forgetting about Giichi. Some recognition around here, at last? Her smile returned again. "Of course, Kula. You should probably hurry though. Your mother's looking for you."

"Thanks again!" Kula took off running, waving to Sable as she left. "Mommy! I'm over here!"

The Queen turned around, hearing Kula's cries. "There you are! Come, let's hurry! What was keeping you so long? Your brother Razir was ready fifteen minutes ago."

The sand cats soon rounded the corner and were out of sight.

Sable didn't know what she should expect from Kula, but nonetheless this intrigued her. Having the favor of royalty in a place like this could only lead to good things...

~X~

Queen Kula lay crying on the floor before the elite of Thaljista, the staff they'd spent so much time and effort and money to acquire laying at her feet. Humiliated. Utterly humiliated. The staff had not raised Thaal-Ja, and no one seemed to know what to do now, everyone glancing at the queen and then at each other's faces in silence. That went for Sable as well.

The black panthress froze, staring down at the queen… dreading the moment when Kula would get over her anguish and ask her what the hell happened and how she screwed it all up. All these years spent working my way into the royal court, becoming the queen's caretaker, and then her personal adviser. It's all about to go down the drain! I'm going to be left with nothing after this!

She considered running out of the hall they stood in, tail tucked between her legs, and never coming back. But no… she couldn't. Not after decades spent working her way to her current position. She wasn't going to throw it all away.

"Kula…" Sable sat down on the ground next to her, pretending no one else was in the room. "I… I don't know what to say."

Queen Kula was as teary-eyed and sniffly as the day she'd lost that tiara twenty-seven years ago.

Though she was expected to rule a nation, Kula had not been prepared when the role was thrust upon her. King Ubar and Queen Iltani died suddenly when she was only thirty years old. Kula still had much more grooming and schooling left to do before she was prepared to assume her role as queen. After all, it was thought she would not become queen until far later in life… at least until her fifties.

Sable leaned over to Kula, holding her. "Ssssh… It's okay." She pat her on the back, hugging her. It was like what she'd done the night she had to tell Kula about what happened to her parents. She'd sat by her the entire night, comforting her. Almost as though she were the queen's older sister. It was a good thing she had prior experience to draw on. Her life might depend upon her making Kula not think of rashly punishing her in any way. "It's okay."

Kula looked up at her, those eyes of hers suddenly looking a couple decades younger. She glanced around at the elites of Thaljista among her, the heads of all the houses and many other sand cats from the Azer clan, all staring down upon her. The useless staff weighed heavy in her hands, as she swayed to a stand under their gaze, knowing all of them were scrutinizing her and waiting to see how she would respond.

"Can… can we go somewhere else?" Kula squeezed the staff in her hands, looking at Sable.

Sable nodded, offering a forced smile, like she had all those years ago.

The two of them walked towards the nearest exit, Hanzu walking in front for their protection. Nobody wanted to get in the way of a Retinue, after all. On the way out, they had to pass by the Caruso house and Casimiro himself. Though it was hard to see with his dark fur in the dimly-lit room, Sable could sense the old man giving her a huge shit-eating grin as she walked by. I'll deal with you later. She didn't lock his eyes with Casimiro as she passed, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of stealing her attention.

Kula and Sable stepped into a small side chamber off the side of the main hall everyone had gathered in. The queen needed a moment to recover, leaning against one of the nearby walls. Strange markings and ancient Thaljistani script lined the dark walls around them, gently pulsing with an orange energy, the outlines growing faintly behind them within the wall. Hanzu moved to block the door, giving the two of them some privacy.

After Kula composed herself, terror coursed over her face. "What will we do now?" She gazed at Thaal-Ja's Calling in her hands. "We have the staff, but no gem! Where is the gem?!"

Sable kept smiling away, doing her best to not panic. "It is merely another test from Thaal-Ja… like all of the other trials we have faced to reach this moment. You aren't the first one to join this quest to raise him, and it's possible you may not be the last. Though this failure is discouraging, do not lose hope. Thaal-Ja will provide, I am sure, as he provided what we needed to overthrow the lions."

Though she was thirty eight now, Kula seemed awed by the words, as though she were a young one all over again, learning about Thaljism for the first time.

It always was easy for me to wrap her around my finger. It changed my life. Although this time I think it may be a little harder to bullshit than it has been in the past. Sable held that grin on her face, even though deep down she wanted to tremble in fear. How the hell am I going to get that gem now? Whatever, for now, I need to divert her attention.

"Would… would you like to go for a walk?" Sable gestured to the door. "You always did like to do that when you were stressed out. Let's go outside. You know how beautiful the sky gets over the Cradle at this time of night."

Still fighting back tears, Queen Kula nodded, rubbing her eyes. The two of them headed for the exit, Hanzu at the head. They passed by the various royal houses again, many of the cats present staring at Sable. Besides Casimiro, she was sure a few of them were enjoying watching her getting taken down a peg, even if they didn't show it on their faces. Many of them didn't think she deserved to be here, not being true nobility like them. Nonetheless though, Hanzu's presence kept them all quiet. And hopefully, soon… once I've completed my plans with Panther, I won't need the Retinue to keep them quiet.

Sable, Kula, and Hanzu exited into another hallway. The dark walls of the corridor to the outside slid past, more of the ancient script and designs upon the walls still pulsing with that orange color. Though they'd pulsed with that steady rhythm for over a millennium now, tonight they felt more muted, as though disappointed that Thaal-Ja's Calling had not worked. Kula needed to lean upon Sable a few times, the black panthress giving her a reassuring pat. The walk outside felt as though it took hours, even though it was only a few minutes. Sable used the darkness to let her smile drop, and ruminate upon what she'd been through tonight.

As they exited into the cool night air, a group of black-robed security officers appeared from nowhere, forming a loose box around them. Sable paid them no mind, long since having grown used to their presence. They were just part of the scenery wherever the Queen traveled, after all.

Fresh grass crunched underfoot, a rare thing outside of Thaljista's wealthier cities. Out in the countryside, not many people had enough water to waste on a vibrant green lawn. Without thinking about it, Kula kicked off her shoes, letting the blades tickle her bare paw pads. Sable did the same. The sensation helped ease both of their minds, the two of them almost smiling as they focused on the sensation. Dew clung to the blades, sparkling under the stars.

It was a miracle grass grew here, yet miracles were in the nature of the Cradle. This is where it was said Thaal-Ja created the cats of this planet over a millennium ago, after all. For followers of Thaljism, it was a requirement to make a pilgrimage to the Cradle at least once during their lifetimes, if at all possible.

Sable turned back at the cavern they had exited. The cave entrance yawned black against the stone wall, not much visible inside but the faint shine of the lamps and the glowing pulse of orange upon the walls. Only a couple of generations ago, it was thought by doubters of Thaljism that such a cave only existed in myth and legend… but the mighty Azer clan had proven them wrong by finding it. All native Thaljistanis had been created within that cave, and in spite of setbacks it would eventually be where they would be reborn to take their rightful place beside Thaal-Ja himself.

Facing forward again, Sable stared around the dark fertile valley, taking in the green trees that spread far and wide, reaching up along the mountains hemming in the grassy plain. The entire valley was one long descending slope, steadily going deeper and deeper into the planet's crust, the walls rising higher on either side. They stood at the deepest location, right before Thaal-Ja's cave.

In front of them, a lake spread out and filled most of this side of the valley, like the bowl at the end of a spoon. Glowing, colorful hues of blue, green, and pink fluttered in and out of focus in the water, reflected down from the glowing night sky above. Sable and Kula turned upwards, catching a full view of the nebulae coursing their way through the starry sky above their heads. The glowing star dust above cast a rainbow of colors across the shadowed green plains, almost like fireworks frozen in time. Though still in a saddened mood, the sight calmed Kula down. Thaljism said that Thaal-Ja created these nebulae to awe and inspire the people of this planet in times of need, showing them where they could go and what they could create if they only persevered for their god.

The smallest hint of a smile appeared upon Kula's face, and with that Sable relaxed a little herself. Seeing the nebulae calmed even the most distressed soul, as they had for so many other generations before them.

"I suppose it can't be helped right now." Kula sighed. "We'll have to go back to the capital and regroup. Get some rest, and think about what to do tomorrow."

Sable waited in silence, preparing for the other shoe to drop… What sort of punishment would she receive for her failure to get the staff intact?

"Sable…" Kula said.

Here it comes. Sable straightened herself up, tensing.

"Make sure that what happened here tonight doesn't leak to anyone outside of the royal court. I want to keep the Separatists and everyone else guessing. It'll help keep my brother Razir from making any moves on our territory. He's been getting bolder with Sentinel operating in Lylat."

Sable bowed. "Of course, your majesty. I will ensure the word is passed to all of the houses in attendance tonight." She gave a pleasant smile, and not only out of politeness. Sable turned to one of the black robed bodyguards who'd been invisible to her up until this point, and gave him a nod.

He nodded in return, going back into the cave to inform the rest of the audience in attendance tonight.

"I will be going back to the palace now." Kula walked away from the lake, looking over her shoulder. "Care to ride with me, Sable?"

Sable wasn't sure if she wanted to be alone with Kula right now, although she seemed pleasant enough at the moment. I'm surprised how relaxed she is, considering what just happened. Almost like… Like I'm afraid she's faking it, and she's waiting to snap at me once we're alone. Nonetheless, she didn't think it'd go over well to refuse Kula's offer. Sable returned a nod.

The two of them took one last look at the glowing lake, before they turned back, walking to a shuttle waiting nearby. Within minutes they were in the air, Nidi and Hanzu providing escort in their Retinue fighters. Dark mountains glided past beneath them, little in the way of light from below, aside from small scattered villages and towns. In the far off distance—almost like a sun rising beyond the horizon—could be seen the light of Sirtta, silhouetting the mountain that Gerrant resided within.

Not a word passed between them, Kula leaning on the window sill to look at the city approaching in the far off distance, her eyes distant. "I thought the next time I'd be returning home, Thaal-Ja would have risen. That we would become as powerful as him."

Sable sat off to the side, the silence still awkwardly lingering in the cabin.

Kula turned to face her. "I'm glad you were there, Sable. I'm not sure what I might have done if you weren't there to calm me down. Whatever I did in front of all the houses, it could've been a lot worse."

Sable smiled. "It was nothing, Kula." However, she was still on guard, expecting the queen's words to become harsh at any moment.

"Always looking after me, like the bigger sister I never had."

The two of them chuckled with each other. "Like with that tiara," Sable said.

"I know. You were just bringing me my laundry. I didn't know who you were."

Though Sable maintained her smile, her thoughts darkened upon the mention of that.

Kula continued. "Hard to believe you started as a maid."

That's something I'd like to forget. Sable wanted to say that, but kept her mouth shut. Is she trying to tell me something by bringing that up? She hasn't come down on me or anything like that over the staff…

"And here we are… twenty-seven years later." She gazed back to Gerrant, shaking her head. "Incredible what can happen over the years. So many things have happened that I never saw coming."

Sable still wasn't sure if Kula was trying to drop a hint or not.

Nonetheless, the queen carried on, still looking out the window. "Maybe you're right. This is only another unexpected challenge. The Azer house has overcome worse, and we've been waiting multiple generations to raise Thaal-Ja. I feel like we can wait a little bit longer."

I should feel relieved that's how she feels, yet I do not.

Kula finally turned around to face Sable. "Nonetheless, this problem must be fixed somehow. We don't have the staff's gem." Kula held Thaal-Ja's Calling in her hands, looking at the empty hollow at the head of it, and then back at Sable. "What are you going to do about it now?"

That was the closest thing Kula had made to a threat since they'd started on this trip back. Yet somehow, Sable was relieved. She was expecting something a lot worse, and she was ready to show that she wasn't going to shirk away from such difficulty either. She put on that forced smile again… even as what she said next almost caused bile to rise up in her throat.

"Star Wolf was successful in retrieving the staff the first time from the Cornerians. If the CDF had the staff, surely the gem must still be in their possession. I will contact Star Wolf again, and ask if they would like to take out a second contract. If not, there are other options to explore."

Kula nodded, appearing content with that for now, as she looked back outside. However, Sable knew it'd be an uphill battle trying to talk Wolf into doing another job. Either he'd say no, or he'd demand even more money than what he'd been given the first time. There were other mercenary outfits within Lylat, though Sable didn't know of any others right now who had the manpower and resources to pull off what Star Wolf had done.

Sable glared at the staff in Kula's hands. She was expecting she would never have to speak to that dog again, though fate seemed to have other plans. Their next call was not one she was looking forward to.

~X~

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update. I know it's been more than half a year since I updated Hazardous Contents. It's not for lack of trying though. As you can see, I've made a new cover for this story, and I've also got a fair bit of story material already written in my documents.

The problem is I didn't have this part of the story planned out very well, so most of that text is just me writing what comes to mind and experimenting. There are some scenes I knew I wanted to write and include, but I've also run into the problems of not being sure what order I want to show these scenes in. Throughout this part of the story, there's events happening in a bunch of different places, hence why I'm not sure of the order.

Because of this, I think I'm going to make the next few chapters on the shorter side. I think this'll help me figure out better how I want the story to progress. Most of the next few chapters are going to be character development and world building focused, like this one was. Hope you guys are OK with that.