Kalon

  Chapter Ninety-Five: Hal

  Galactic Quadrant: Darna Quadrant

  Ruling Government: Talum Merchant Federation

  Solar System: D-447

  Planet: Ora

  Location: Above the planet's surface

  It has been another twenty minutes since I retold what I was able to Kotina. Luna has since given up trying to speak with me it would seem, I am glad for it. Hearing her pleading words drives the spike in my chest deeper.

  “Looks like my contact finally got back to me about the cartridge,” Kotina says, pulling up a display on her holopad, “Well, I have good news and bad news, which do you want to hear first?”

  “Good,” Luna says before me, her somber expression changing, despite what occurred between us, there is still this thread that connects us.

  “Bad,” I say.

  “Well, the bad news is that the person it was issued to, is already dead,” she explains.

  My eyes fall to the floor, how can I avenge Riza and the Arasha woman… a hollowness begins to grow from the goal that I had formed, the purpose it gave stripped from me.

  “Then what is the good news?” Luna asks.

  “They are already dead,” Kotina says.

  “When though, and how?” she asks.

  Kotina sighs, reading through the message, “It’s been mostly redacted, but the majority of the platoon they belonged to died that day prepping for…” her face grimaces as she reads it, “Prepping for the Grand Hunt, death certificates were validated ten years ago.” she flips the holo away, muttering under her breath, “Serves them right.”

  “What is the Grand Hunt?” I ask, recalling that the medical woman had mentioned it before, saying her lover was a survivor of it in another system.

  “Well, it is a really fragged way of reminding people what the bottom looks like,” Kotina says, then looking to Luna, “I’m surprised she didn’t tell you about it.”

  My eyes look to Luna whose gaze finds the floor.

  “Guess she didn’t want you knowing what the Alverian, her people do to yours,” Kotina shrugs, giving another glance to Luna then back to me, “To be fair though, our House doesn’t participate in them.”

  “That doesn’t explain what the Grand Hunt is,” I say, giving another glance to Luna who grips her chest tighter now. Neither of them answer, leaving me with my thoughts.

  Ten years ago, that’s how old the permits on the Arasha woman’s shuttle were. So, they died around the time they killed her, there is some justice in that. Knowing that they didn’t live much longer. Still, there is bitterness, that I made a promise upon the bones of the Arasha woman, a promise I cannot keep. A stain on my honor. One does not swear the sacred oath lightly.

  “What of the brothers?” I ask.

  “Nothing back yet,” Kotina answers.

  “There is still hope,” Luna says, slowly reaching her hand in vain towards me until I turn from her.

  The purpose that once burned bright now falling upon a single thing, if they are dead, I will truly have nothing left. I had fantasized about going with Luna and traveling the stars, a fantasy that ended when I realized she cannot be trusted.

  “Were you ever going to tell me?” I find myself asking her.

  “I would have, after…”

  “After what?”

  “After we returned to my House’s territory, I was going to tell you everything.”

  Her eyes seek comfort, I do not give it. I do not believe her, having witnessed her lie to Kotina, a woman she respects highly. No, she is a deceiver. Whether by na?ve purpose to spare me a truth, because she feared what I would think of her, or any other reason, I don’t care. Truth is the foundation of trust. The words the Sage spoke…

  “So, the Sage was your Grandfather,” I say, gritting my teeth, “Then he lived among your people?”

  “He did, for a long time, until…” she swallows, “Until my mother died.”

  It is strange how much can change between two people so quickly, were it a few days ago, I would find my arm trying to comfort her. Now it does not seek her, even if my heart burns still, I will not be her fool any longer.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know,” she begins, blinking for a few moments as though trying to remember, “He just left, I didn’t even know he was alive until…”

  “Don’t say the rest,” Kotina warns, “Your mission may be over, but I doubt they’d want you to speak it.”

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  My eyes hang in Luna’s, waiting to see if she will defy Kotina and show me a glimmer of hope, that maybe… just maybe there could someday be trust, even if it isn’t in this lifetime.

  “I cannot say anything else on the matter,” she says, her face contorting, she wants to say, but she won’t, “I can speak on him though if you wish?”

  The bitterness froths in me. Finding no resistance. Only Arrum has ever been worthy of my trust. Even the Sage had his own secrets. His words feeling hollow as I see his truths are laid bare. He lived among the masters, dined at their tables of suffering. Was an accomplice to their way of life. Vek him. Vek his words.

  “I do not.”

  Luna wishes that her wanting to say but can’t is enough, but it isn’t, not for me… not after a lifetime of liars and betrayers. Enough is enough. The cold seeps into my chest as my walls try to rise back over my heart. Clarity and calm humming inside, trying to guide me. We have been through much, Luna and me. It feels like I have known her a lifetime, yet still. I must be firm in my convictions.

  “Kalon, I am sorry,” Luna begins, moving closer to me yet again, “I wish that I could tell you everything, I wish that it was as simple as that, but it isn’t.”

  “Truth is simple,” I retort.

  Her face grows frustrated, “There is nothing you haven’t told me then?”

  “No, there is nothing that…” I pause, I haven’t told her of the horned woman, not for lack of trying, I haven’t told her Krotha’s name. When I retold to Kotina what happened since I met Luna, I simply said the demon, she didn’t ask more than that. I didn’t tell Luna or Kotina that the boundaries I passed were Netheric and not Etheric. I didn’t even tell Kotina the points that I did pass them. She never asked about that.

  “You never told me that you were Ulima, you made me find out from Fennec,” she says, her jaw tensing, “All those times you let me think you harsh when you spoke about them, when in truth you lived it.”

  “I…”

  “You didn’t tell me that you were betrayed and sold,” she says softly, yet there is conviction in her voice too.

  “I did not want your pity,” I admit.

  “Pity?” she asks, drawing back.

  “I don’t want it, do not give it.”

  Silence falls between us as she measures my words. Perhaps she is right, perhaps I have also been unfair by not speaking all of my truths yet expecting her to. As the silence drags on, I realize that Krotha has been silent too. Is it because of the Etherius Prism Flower that Kotina thinks Tavjac gave me? Can I speak her name without her coming? I wonder if the horned woman…

  “You judge me harshly, yet you also keep secrets,” Luna says, there is anger in her tone, but it falls away, “Then you should understand, some things cannot be easily shared.”

  She is not wrong, there are things I have kept from her. Things she never asked, out of respect.

  “The demon, the one who torments me from the Cursed Edict, I know her name,” I say, my heart beating faster in my chest. This is a bad idea, one that could lead to her coming back, yet this might be my only chance to gain knowledge on her. I do not plan to die by Kotina’s hands, I must fight. I must grow stronger, not just in body, but in knowledge.

  “It told you its name?” Kotina asks, glancing back at me from the command seat.

  Luna says nothing as she takes advantage of my distraction and slides her hand into mine.

  “Her name…” my hand shakes, deep and purposeful breaths find the nerve to finish, “Krotha.”

  Luna’s hand squeezes mine tightly, her eyes wider now. Even Kotina says nothing as she stares at me, her eyes searching for meaning. There is a strange sensation that crawls across my skin for a moment, yet she does not appear, nor do I hear her laughter. Relief.

  “That’s, well, slag... you’ve been dealing with her?” Kotina asks.

  “Since after the crash, she… tortures me with the other demons, there are nine including her.”

  “Slag,” Kotina says, shifting uncomfortably, “See what I mean Luna, your Goddess caused that. I didn’t even know she was in that Edict, Hekate’s tit, that’s heavy.”

  Luna doesn’t speak, she grips me firmer, waiting for me to finish, but I don’t know where to begin… focus. Find out what you need to know.

  “I need to know her weakness, I need tools to fight her,” I say, thinking faster, more clearly, “How do I press her from what you call the Spiritual Realm?”

  Kotina moves her mouth to speak, but does not for a few moments.

  “You cannot expel a Goddess from your Spiritual Realm, it’s not possible, even trapped in an Edict, even weakened by it, their will is simply too strong for a mortal to beat, trust me on this. I have seen what happens when mortals defy their gods,” Kotina says, her eyes looking toward the floor, “I have seen people’s souls destroyed for it.”

  “But I did expel her once, when I passed the second boundary,” I object.

  “When you…” Kotina trails off, a confused expression on her face, “You’re mistaken twice, you didn’t expel her, and it couldn’t have been when you passed the second boundary. You’ve been around the Edict for less than three years.”

  Luna gives me a warning look, one that I ignore.

  “I did, when I passed the second, just before I passed the third.”

  “What?” Kotina says, turning fully now from her seat and standing, her face confused.

  “He’s tired, and remembering it wrong,” Luna says.

  “I am not,” I say, pulling my hand from hers and moving away, “I broke the boundary and the energy pressed her out.”

  “Right, I heard you all three times you said it. I’m saying you’re wrong. You cannot pass two bounds in a day, it cannot even be done in a year. It’s impossible. The fastest it can be done is within three of the last, under three is called double bounding. Luna is exceptionally gifted and she barely managed to double bound.”

  Luna gives me another glance, one that pleads that I stop. Yet I will not be silenced.

  “I know what I saw, and I know what I did.”

  “Then what you’re saying is ludicrous, breaking three bounds in less than a year has never been done,” Kotina says with a head shake, “You must have taken a few blows to the head, or maybe Krotha scrambled your brain a bit, or maybe a bit of both.”

  My teeth grind, I tell the truth and she does not believe me again. Perhaps Krotha was right, I should not speak of breaking the bounds with them. Perhaps the Netheric boundaries are different than the Etheric they know. Yet, so much of what she said lines up with what I felt change. How are they different? Just because one is based in Netheric and the other not? My head spins with questions. Even doubts, did I really expel Krotha? Or did she choose to not follow down to the depths? Maybe Kotina is right, maybe it was another one of her games… a game to make me pass the boundary, to make her blade sharper…

  Kotina looks down at her chiming holopad on her wrist.

  “Well, got good news,” Kotina says, before she finishes another chime hits her holopad, her face turns a little, faintly annoyed, “And bad news.”

  “What’s the good news?” Luna asks.

  My mind is still occupied so I don’t ask about the bad. Is there a way to ask her about the Netheric boundaries without her taking my head immediately? Something tells me that Kotina isn’t going to kill me, her stance, her attitude, maybe I’m imagining it, but she is too relaxed. Maybe it’s another deception.

  “Found the brothers,” Kotina begins, my eyes look up toward her towering figure as she leans against one of the support beams, “The bad news, Fennec has requested we bail him out.”

  Luna looks at me, hope filling my chest, they are found.

  “They are alive?” I ask.

  “Yeah, in Tarvashal like you thought,” Kotina says, looking at her display, “Guess they moved Fennec there as well, three birds, one very large stone.”

  Kotina sits down in her chair, swinging it around, inputting commands.

  “You must be happy,” Luna says, trying to move close again.

  Am I? My face feels lighter, so does the tension on my shoulders.

  “Hal,” my eyes blink, “Yes, I am.”

  Kotina, moves her hands rapidly through the displays with impressive precision, not even looking at one of her hands.

  “Should take us less than an hour from here,” Kotina says.

  The gravity actuators in the ship hum louder, my eyes take in the landscape from the front viewport, her ship is much faster than Fennec’s and the Arasha woman’s.

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