Legend of Ransera

First Star I See Tonight

"Lucius," she acknowledged with a serious nod.

Kala opted for the truth.

"I was born the second child of Lady Akshara Yushis of House Leukos, hatakomon sworn to Great House Briathos, and Lord Vatar Tsuyoshi of House Qoros, who died in service to the thirteenth Synnekar Shokaze of Kalzasi. I found a Rift Gate and sailed the Aetherial Sea to Atoria, where Garel the Necromancer gave me wings, made me a Firstborn." She paused, and then her voice changed once more. Apparently, she was going for shock and awe on this one. As she spoke, an eye-watering fervor spread over Indric's face. He, at least, was a true believer.

Mother Naori took me into Her realm and made me Her Moritasi of Unity.

Kala thought she could be the new Obelisk to keep the Kathar safe and sane, but Naori hadn't given her a detailed plan—She merely demanded the freedom of the Kathar. The nascent goddess didn't know if Lucius' mind would make that leap, whether he was a dissident or wanted back into the Emperor's good graces. Sometimes it was difficult not to think of their Kathar cousins as mentally deficient. She knew they weren't, but she also hadn't lived through what they had; she couldn't empathize with the propaganda and the control that enforced their zealotry.

Still, she tried. She gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"We mean you no harm. We tended your hurts, we broke your curse. If you will not come to hospital, I have marrow gum to speed your bone fusion and blood liqueur to bolster your body's strength as it heals. If, after you are healed, you wish to return to your Handler, I will not stop you just as I did not stop Ser Baudric when he returned to the Imperium. If you wish to leave now, half-healed, we will not stop you, but I will not allow you to leave with a hostage."

After Freya responded, she did as well.

"If you are referring to Talon Novalys," she said, struggling to remain normal, which she was suddenly finding difficult while literally answering a prayer and working toward the goal Mother Naori had bequeathed unto her. "Then, no. He is no longer Shinsei; Karam Senue is the new Shokaze of Kalzasi. And I would only bring you to either of them at your request. I am not doing this as a Kalzasern citizen. Soon enough I will transcend citizenship. I am here to offer you a choice. Free will, as intended by the Gods.

"If you choose to return to your handler, I will not stop you, but in the meantime, will you let me finish my healing?"

Even as he relaxed a bit around Freya, Kala relaxed her arcane grips on his lungs and his bondage. She pulled faintly glowing phials out of her satchel, though one could hardly tell they were glowing for her own glow.

Indric cleared his throat. "I will see what I can do about the carriage."

He eyed Lucius as he rose to his feet and brushed off his knees. There was genuine concern for the stranger there, but also wariness. Indric, like most Synnekar, wanted to free his Kathar cousins from the Emperor's control, but he wouldn't risk Kala's safety for it.

"Thank you, Indric," she murmured, and he smiled almost beatifically.

Indric paused to listen to Freya. He gave one last glance back at Lucius and Kala, then smiled and nodded to Freya before striding purposefully toward her carriage. He and Ceran hadn't had their mercenary troupe long before Kala became the youngest moritasi and they had found religion. At first, they were able to protect her. Now, he knew how powerful she was growing and he felt less like he was protecting and more like he was there for moral support. Of course, she was still vulnerable; Talon Novalys had been taken by agents of Zaichaer and the Imperium. Regardless, he had learned to temper his ambitions. He would guard her when he was able; otherwise, he would be helpful.

Kala paused a beat to watch him walk away. They could feel a different sort of bond between them, which grew rapidly more tenuous as he walked away, but even when he reached the carriage, it wasn't tensed to snap. He was still close enough to remain a part of this little miracle.

Her gaze returned to Lucius.

"Very well," she said, putting away her phials, and then kneeling in a contemplative pose on the ground, regarding him calmly. "We did good work. That you are conscious and able to defend yourself now is an encouraging sign." She looked at him, and she Sembled him as she had learned how to do at the Tranquil Gardens. Yes, he was healing apace. "The necromantic treatments would speed things along, but sometimes letting the body set its own pace is wise, as well.

"You are correct in that I cannot perfectly empathize with the Kathar. I was born among my feathered brothers, likely too small to be able to bear more of our kind. But I have seen the Obelisk. I have Sembled it, back before my wings would have made me a target. I have some understanding of how it goes in the Imperium. Would you care to enlighten me further?"

It was a polite invitation. She could prove herself merely by flying. If she were an animist, she would have to radically alter her musculature, lighten her bones like a birds, in order to fly with wings of that size. Avialae wings were magical; they shouldn't be enough to enable flight and yet, they did. That was why the removal of those wings stole many of the benefits that set them apart from their other races, not only flight.

He was an elementalist, something they had in common, and the talons he had used on Freya were the product of animus. Well, then he wasn't equipped to suss out the truth with arcane senses.

Kala looked from Asteri on her shoulder to Freya with bemusement, but offered a smile and no reproach. Perhaps this was merely a way for Freya to absent herself physically from the difficult conversation while still being able to listen through her aidolon; at least, that was how she understood it from Asallon, her absent Silver Wing, and Indric, who was quite skilled but always seemed to defer to the Siltori when it came to magic. She gave the spirit a little nuzzle with her cheek, then let her simple smile fade to seriousness as she looked at the Kathar once more.

At least now, Freya was no longer threatened. Even if he had it within him to get up and attack her, now Indric could stop him or, if not, at least slow him down while Kala attacked his exposed flank. She didn't want to, but she wouldn't let him harm people just because he as a fellow Avialae. She wondered how different this might have gone were this happening the first time she met Freya, when she had three Avialae. Perhaps seeing Kaus, Ceran, and Indric working together and working with her might have tapped into that Avialae need for belonging, for bonding. But that was not the case.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then, "It will be three years at the end of Frost since I saw Ser Baudric. He was injured somewhere, somehow, and picked up by Kalzasern patrols. When he woke up, he was in our hospital, and his collar was broken. It broke my heart to see his reaction, how he thought it better to find a sword to fall upon rather than accept healing from his Synnekar cousins or, even Kalzasern healers with no stake in the matter except wanting to heal. In the end, he allowed us to heal his body, and he went back to the Imperium to turn himself in. He supposed he would be exterminated for having been away from his handler, for having allowed his collar to be broken, and for allowing himself to be polluted by our presence."

She smiled again, softly, sadly. "Philosophical differences are one thing, but I just saw another warrior with wings who needed help. Like my brothers. Like my father who died in service. It is a shame we are so divided by our loyalties. I did offer Baudric an alternative to punishment and death. I offered to bond to him to ease whatever negative repercussions to the broken collar he might suffer... to give him a home until he decided he wanted to set out and make his own. Alas. I hope whoever encountered him first saw his loyalty and devotion and at least paused to consider the circumstances, and his unimpeachable honor.

"That would have been... a full season between the last time I saw him and my journey to find Atoria. I was young then. Well, younger... and perhaps naive. I am still young and still probably naive, but I chose to help Freya heal you all the same. Even if that meant you might wake and harm us. As she said, you are free to go. I would suggest walking rather than flying while your ribs are healing. I'm not certain where we are, but the two of you could probably reach a town before her supplies run out. Or even a farm. I would have Indric open you a portal, but he hasn't been to Gel'Grandal or any population center in the Imperium for obvious reasons. We can't stay long. Freya's prayer brought me here and..." She laughed quietly at her own expense. "I'm new to this nascent divinity thing. When we do leave, though, I hope I can count on the honor of a Kathar warrior that you will not cause her any more harm. I do not know what happened to Ser Baudric, but if you underwent the same moral training as he did, then I will take you at your word."

Meanwhile, Indric had found cracked timbers and the like. Nothing was shattered entirely, but he already had a wild spirit helping him mend the wood by the time Freya arrived. He almost didn't hear her coming between his work and attempting to pay close attention to Kala's emotional state through their bond. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but if she felt an instant of fear, he would bolt back to her side no matter what.

He blinked sheepishly at Freya.

"I think I explained to the little sylvan what I needed it to do," he said. "I'm mending what seems broken, and it should get you to where you are going, but I would have an expert look at it before you wander off the beaten track again."

The little wood elemental hooted helpfully.

Perhaps it was something in the finality of his words, the certitude. Her nature would not allow her to overawe him into submission; she believed too much in the freedom of choice the Great Gods had granted the soul. She began to fade, albeit slowly.

"If I have your word, then I am content. I worked alongside Freya to heal you at her request, answering her prayer. You owe me nothing. If you feel a debt is owed, then repay her. Don't fly away, but see her safely to the next town to be sure her wagon's repairs are complete and she isn't stranded on the road."

At the wagon, Indric realized he was fading, too. He hurried to tell Freya what he thought she should know.

"I looked under and I think the chassis is fine, the axles intact. You should have no trouble, I think, but better safe than sorry. The sylvan will stay until the aether I offered him runs out... If the work isn't done, you will have enough time to contract him yourself." He paused, but only briefly. "Thank you for what you are doing. For the Kathar. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but... thank you." His hand was over his heart, kneeling there beside her cart as the wood elemental fluted a song as it worked.

Kala paused too, then, "If you would be so kind, though, Ser Lucius... Should you encounter Baudric..."

She paused again. What could she say? She wouldn't know if he had survived, so how could Lucius tell him that she was pleased at his survival or not.

"Well, should you encounter him, please respect his loyalty. And if you would have me in your debt, should you ever have the life of a Kalzsern citizen or Synnekar Avialae in your hands, show what mercy you might. Loyalty is an excellent virtue, necessary even, but it takes true strength to be kind."

Indric stood and hurried back, not nearing Lucius lest he react poorly, but unsure whether being too far from Kala would cause some sort of divine problem. There was no logic too it, merely fear. The traveler did not want to be left behind. They were flickering now. Soon, no doubt, they would be gone.