Somewhere in the Valonian Desert...

Vajira

Dust devils race along the horizon. Brambles and dry plants growing out of the rusty red ground wait for rain, which rarely falls. Located in the middle of the biggest continent of the planet the Valonian Desert is the driest yet most peaceful place on all of Cetus. And since Menkar have rather thin skin and need to keep their gills moist, nobody expects a large group of nomads traversing the Desert.

Vajira is one of many Menkar, who call themselves Desertwalkers.

She currently sits on a large boulder still emitting the remaining warmth of the sun, contemplating her life and the lives of all the other Menkar traveling the Valonian Desert with her. No place where they belong. No location to call home. While still young she had seen this lifestyle as a burden — just like many Morphlings do. But now she sees the Desert and the people around her as her home. A home always with her no matter where she goes.

„Is a life without a home as life?“, Vajira asks the dark night sky with its thousands upon thousands of stars. „Is a journey without a destination a journey? To know the answers is to have... died? No… This isn’t right. How went the quote again?“

She frowns. She has read Alenrau's Thousand Solar Circles countless times. The book is a true doorstopper of a novel, but she never manages to remember Alenrau’s prose, despite it being one of the reasons she liked to read it.

Without much of a choice, she leaves the boulder behind and walks into the campsite. She knows her way and does not pay much attention to the narrow alleyways between the sand-coloured tents and their inhabitants. All of them are busy fulfilling their chosen roles like weaving fabric, sewing clothes, cocking or repairing different contraptions. Only a few of them glance up and greet her before resuming their work.

Vajira’s destination are the three tents marking Talliomere's so-called headquarters — at least according to Weldenwall, who once was a terrestrial Drone in the service of the Imperial Fleet. As Vajira gets closer to the largest tent, she already hears Weldenwall's deep rock-like voice over the hum of some technology present inside the tent. He isn’t loud by any means but his voice carries long distances.

„Why are you hesitating?”, he asks Talliomere sternly.

„The Morphlings, Welden,” he replies with his warm, soothing voice, which sounds like the polsr „And not to forget those with heavy deformities. They can't fight. Only a few can barely live their lives without constantly relying on others to help them.“

„Then we need to get them to safety.“

„How?“

„The Flares, Tallio. We can use them to bring them to a secure location.“

„We haven’t enough Flares for this. There are also no save places on this planet or any other planet for this matter. You were a soldier. You must know how far-reaching the Empire is.“

„But we can’t do nothing! We have to move!“

„We do move.“

„I don’t mean moving in time and space, Tallio. How long do you intend to wait for your god to return? Twenty Circles? Forty? A thousand?“

„I wait for as long as she needs to return“,

Weldenwall sighs, „You’re a dreamer, Tallio. A damn dreamer.“

„Is it really so bad to have dreams?“, he asks soothing like always. „How many of our species have given up on their own?“

„This isn’t about dreams. It’s about the survival of our kind,“ Weldenwall replies after a few silent seconds. „If the current Empress continues to lay more and more eggs the deformities will get worse. It’s simple genetics.“

„What are you talking about?“, Vajira asks and finally enters the tent.

Welden — well over seven feet tall — looks at her with his remaining blue eye in utter surprise. Talliomere, who is even taller than Welden, sighs and walks up to Vajira.

„Oh, Asaria,“ he says and looks for a moment confused before he kneels to be level with her. „I’m sorry, I mean Vajira. How much have you heard?“

„Everything,“ she replies shy, fidgeting with her two tick braids.

„Oh dear…“

„What do you think?“, Weldenwall asks and makes a step forward.

„What do I think?“, she replies surprised. „About an attack?“

Slowly she lowers her braids and takes a deep breath. Although she doesn’t like to look at people directly, she forces herself to look in Weldenwall’s general direction.

„I think Tallio is right,“ she answers thoughtful. „We must think of those who can’t fight. We've sworn to protect them.“

„It seems my plans got overruled by the majority,“ he muses with a warm smile.

„You haven’t asked Geniva,“ Talliomere remarks and brushes his hand in a gentle motion over Vajira’s head.

She smiles and again buries her face behind her braids.

„Why should I ask her?“. Weldenwall wonders. „She’s always of the same mind as you.“

„Geniva is smart — not that I’m implying you’re not. But I know for a fact that she feels like you, Welden,“ Talliomere responds to him before he turns to Vajira. „And what brought you here, princess?“

Startled from the sudden attention Vajira’s smiles turns nervous.

„I… uh… I…,“ she stutters.

„You can ask and tell us anything, dear“, Talliomere encourages her. „We’re your protectors. You don’t need to be afraid.“

„Well, that’s… I wanted to look for something in my books, but your talk has… it has made me think,“ she begins while sitting down and twirling a loose strand of hair around her fingers. „I have a question. But from what I’ve heard you two talk about… I think I can at least guess a few bits and pieces of the answer.“

„You can still ask your question, nonetheless,“ he says and sits down next to her.

Weldenwall also sits down and looks over a few reports, which rest on the metallic table between them.

„Why will there be more deformities if the Empress continues to lay eggs?“, Vajira asks firmly.

„That's a bit of a difficult topic to explain,“ Weldenwall explains.

„But if you don't even try to explain how will I understand?“

„Wise words, my dear,” says Talliomere proudly. „Due to the Empress mothering more than enough children, she causes our species to decline in body and mind. Look for example at the nailwalkers. In the wild herds they're usually of a brown fur-coat with sand-coloured stripes and have short nubby horns, but in our flock, there are also some with spots or even single colour pelts and some with no horns at all. Can you guess why?”

„I remember one of the herders talked to some of our hunters about inbreeding and how she needed new nailwalkers,” she says after thinking for a moment. „I then looked up what inbreeding meant and… Does this mean our species has the same problem?”

„Sadly yes,” Weldenwall answer while scratching his ear with his pinky-claw. „And the Empress knows it. Her time is up for more than a thousand years. But she has grown fond of being in power.”

„But we still have some time left,” interjects Talliomere.

„Some time left…,” Weldenwall rumbles. „Considering the number of mutants and the increasing severity of their mutations it sure isn't much. It isn't just about some born without horns or psychics or deformed feet or arms. It's also about those with damaged organs. I don't want anyone to be hatched to suffer.”

„And here we are again in our earlier argument.”

„Tallio… Hiding is all fine and dandy but what if the Empress finds out about-”

Vajira's ears twitch as Weldenwall doesn't finish his sentence and looks at her with a strange shocked expression. Talliomere also looks quite pale despite his navy skin.

„If she finds out about what?”, Vajira asks confused.

„You should tell her, Tallio. She's more than old enough to know,” says Weldenwall without looking at her.

„I'm old enough to know what?“, she asks thin voiced.

„I said no,” Talliomere growls and shows his sharp double-canines.

„Tallio…”

„Don't, Welden. For the life of every Desertwalkers, you won't say anything.”

„What are you talking about?”, Vajira asks confused.

„That's just Drone business, my dear,” Talliomere replies calm but distant. „You needn't worry about anything like that. Welden, Geniva and I will take care of everything. Now be a good girl and go into your room to fetch what you came for. There're still many things I need to discuss with Welden.”

Vajira doesn’t want to go. This conversation has created so many questions. And, despite being unable to even guess the answers, she fears them. They're keeping a secret. A secret from me? Or a secret of me? Or even both? But what? What's so frightening that Tallio doesn't want to talk to me and even silences Welden? Geniva! She must know something! But she isn't here and I don't know when she returns.

Without another word Vajira goes into her part of the giant tent and retrieves the book. It is a heavy volume. Heavy enough to crush someone, as Tuonis puts it. Tuonis… Thinking of him Vajira can't help but smile. I can talk with him, she concludes and feels a little less tense. Just a few hours and I can talk with him about everything. Maybe he can help me find out what's bothering Talliomere.

With light, springy steps, she leaves her compartment.

In the few minutes it has taken her to retrieve the book Weldenwall has left. Now only Talliomere remains at the table, his forehead resting against his hand. As his ears pick up Vajira's hesitant steps, he turns towards her and smiles. It is a sad smile, heavy with a mix of guilt and pain.

„I'm going back out,” she says to ease the silence. „I… I'll read for a bit by the rocks close by the crafters.”

„That's nice, my dear,” he replies with a sigh. „Have fun.”

„Is… Umm… Is Weldenwall angry with you?”

„It's just a minor disagreement. Don't you worry about anything, my dear. And remember, you get hurt easily, so take care not to bump, cut or bruise yourself.”

„I'll take care, Tallio.”

„I know you will. I love you.”

„I love you, too.”

With that Vajira leaves the tent but not her new-found worries behind.