Vajira

Sickle-dancing is an ancient art. An art older than the Empress and even some of her predecessors. It is an art almost forgotten yet still practiced by those who have made it their purpose in life to keep it from vanishing.

Weldenwall and Geniva are two of those who still practice this art form and for some Circles they teach it to anyone interested, even Vajira.

The thing Vajira loves most about Sickle-dancing is the mindset needed to operate the twin sickles connected by a long chain. To her, it is like a mediation. When she twirls the crescent blades around herself, she only feels their weight and pull on the chain in relation to her own position. Those moments make her aware of her own physical existence, her place in the world, and her state of mind.

Talliomere hadn’t been happy upon hearing her request to learn this martial art. He always makes a fuss about her cutting herself and was adamant that she didn’t even get in the proximity of anything sharp. The thought alone that she would be twirling sharp blades around herself has nearly caused Talliomere to become hysteric. In the end, Geniva managed to talk him down and make special arrangements for her. She has to never be taught with the others, and only Weldenwall and Geniva are allowed to observe and instruct her.

Talliomere just watched one of her training sessions and left before it was over. Although he didn’t mention it back then and even now doesn’t talk about it, it was more than clear that he wasn’t and still isn’t too happy about it.

—

„You're doing fine, Vaj,” says Weldenwall from the side of the empty nailwalker pen she’s practicing in, which is some way away from the main encampment. „But put a little more speed behind your twirls and don't get too cocky.”

Vajira doesn’t pay much attention to what he’s saying. All she feels is the flow and momentum of the sickles. The weight as they pull on the chains and the speed with which they fly through the air. To her, time might as well stop. Her whole world is just the clatter of the blades and the tautness of the chain. A step, a twirl. Another step, another twirl. Now a change of pace. The left sickle faster. Now the right one faster.

Without showing any of her intentions, she opens her eyes and slams the sickles into one of the training dummies in front of her. Both crescent-shaped blades burry into the soft yet sturdy fabric of the dummies and embed into their necks. With a slight tug on the chain connecting the sickles, Vajira pulls the blades free and continues to twirl them around her.

Suddenly, her concentration breaks and the sickles get buried blade first in the ground.

„Careful!”, Weldenwall cries out and jumps over the wooden fence.

„I'm alright,” she says, embarrassed while hiding her face behind one of her braids as he approaches her.

„You're sure?”, he asks once he’s by her side. „Tallio is going to kill me if you got hurt.”

„I'm fine, really,” she reassures him and smiles.

„What a relief, but why have you dropped them? You're not a beginner.”

„It's just… I’m worried.”

„Worried about what?”

„Tuonis… Everything? I don't really know. But I've this feeling…“

„What feeling?”

„I don't know. But… I think something bad is going to happen, but…,” she says and trails off. I could ask him about what Tallio doesn’t want me to know. But would he really answer me?

Unbidden, she remembers the black, slimy thing dropping from the sky in the Dreamworld. It hasn‘t attacked her and Tuonis and yet, there is still this lingering feeling. The feeling as if this creature has suddenly made the Void more real. Almost tangible.

„Premonition is not part of your psychic abilities, or is it?”, Weldenwall asks her.

„No. I'm just a Dreamwalker. Nothing more…,” she replies and takes a deep breath.

A few moments later, her ears twitch, and she turns her head. Immediately, all worries get pushed aside as Vajira recognises Geniva walking up to them. While she possesses the typical height for an aquatic Drone due to her slender less muscular build, she looks more like a male than a female. Together with Talliomere, she had used this to her advantage and stayed with him despite the fact all female aquatic Drones get always conscripted into the Fleet or take up any job away from Cetus under the current Empress. Despite all of this, she and Talliomere also have their fins cut like those in the Fleet.

„You're back!”, Vajira exclaims in excitement and runs to the fence.

Despite Geniva being visibly exhausted and worried, the moment she looks at Vajira with her rare red eyes, a smile crosses her face.

„I've been looking for you, Ji-Ji,“ she greets her as she reaches the fence.

„When did you return?“, Vajira asks, wiping her tail with the small black fin on it back and forth.

„Since about an hour,” she replies and runs her hand over Vajira head.

„I'm so happy that you're back, but why are you looking for me?”, she asks confused and tries again to hide her face with her braids.

„Talliomere wants to see you, dear,” Geniva tells her and becomes serious. „It's about Tuonis.”

„By the Void! Has something happened to him?” Vajira asks and drops her braids. „H-he isn't… He isn't dead, is he?”

„Oh no, dear. He's allright, but we have a problem.“

„What kind of problem?“

„It‘s better if Tallio explains it to you, dear. Also, Weldenwall, you need to come along as well.”

„I will, let me just store the training equipment back up. You two can go ahead,” he says, and gets immediately to work.

Without asking further questions, Vajira puts her sickles back into her hyperspace bracelets — which Tuonis gave her as present — and follows Geniva.

—

Fifteen minutes later, they arrive at Talliomere's tent and enter. Inside, Talliomere sits at the table he has spoken with Weldenwall earlier. Now his expression is tense. Yet, there is also hope in his eyes, which bewilders Vajira.

„There you are,” he says and smiles. „Sit down, please.”

Without saying anything, Vajira and Geniva sit down at the table. Two minutes later, Weldenwall joins them, slightly out of breath. On the table rests an old-fashioned communication devices. It is powered via a cord, which has been fixed multiple time, judging from the various colourful tapes on it. The communication device itself blinks yellow in regular intervals and produces a light hum.

„You said something has happened to Tuonis?”, Vajira asks in a whisper — she feels it would be better not to know as much as she does.

„Oh dear, you needn't worry much,” Talliomere replies and brushes with his hand over her head. „Tuonis is allright, but I've got good and bad news.”

„The bad news first,” Vajira says, bracing herself.

„The bad news is that the Empress is on the move,” he starts to explain. „Not against us per se but sooner or later, I guess we have to face the Imperial Fleet.”

„Then we need to mobilise immediately!”, Weldenwall says in a tone so serious it makes a shiver run down Vajira's spine and down her tail. „We need to bring those unable to fight to safety and gather those who are able to opose the Empress and her minions. If we’ve enough time, that is.”

„I understand that my unwillingness has causes this delay,” he replies solemn and lowers his gaze. „But before we make plans, I also need to address the other part of the problem.”

„W-what other part?”, Vajira asks meekly.

„The part concerning you, my dear,“ he says rueful.

„What about me? I haven’t done anything wrong, have I?“

„You’ve never done anything wrong, my dear. But… I don’t know how or even who did this. But your name has appeared in the imperial archives and is linked to a destroyed imperial cruiser. This cruiser was named Starblazer and, just a few days or even a week ago, it was destroyed by a Creature of the Void.

„A cruiser? You mean like one of the ships of the Fleet?”

„Yes. And Tuonis, Yagari, Amaris, Tarrat and Urania are also linked with their names to this incident.”

„This is terrible!”, Weldenwall says and expresses exactly what Vajira feels. „Then the Empress knows about her existence! This also means we’re doomed!“

„I wouldn't be so sure, Welden,” Geniva chimes in. „The Empress will most likely know about the others since they are deserters, but Vajira? She has no history with the Empire. No archived reports, no photos and most importantly not a single speck of data within the Imperial Archives beyond her name appearing in conjunction with those of Tuonis and his crew. All they can conclude is that she appears to be just another crew member.“

„I wouldn’t be so sure,” Weldenwall replies, rubbing the base of his curved horns. „For about two hundred Cirlces I'm out of the Fleet, but I know they like to gather every minute piece of information they can get and keep every speck of data they gather. No matter if it’s what each Fleet member had for breakfast or the names of a bunch of deserters. Tuonis is a former high commanding officer. They probably know better where he currently is and who’s with him than we do.”

„They neither tried to find Tuonis nor have they ever tried to find you,” rebuffs Talliomere with a frown.

„Yes because if they try to find every deserter they would soon lack the funds and time to keep the colonies in check. But now with his name involved with such an incident, they won't lie low anymore. Now they gather what has passively been collected and analyse it for clues.”

„They won't find anything worthwhile. We’ve kept Vajira a secret. No one knows what she is.“

„What am I?“, Vajira asks confused and hides behind both her braids while her heart races in her chest.

The sudden silence is deafening. Vajira feels her throat tighten while everyone looks at her.

„We need to tell her,“ Geniva says and places one hand on Vajira’s shoulder. „She’s 24 Circles old. She should’ve already known three Circles ago, when she came off age.“

„I won’t stand for this,“ Talliomere growls. „She doesn’t need to know! What good would it bring her?“

„What good does it bring her now?“, Geniva responds, frowning. „Asaria knew from the start.“

„Don’t bring Asaria into this,“ he hisses. „Don’t… Just don’t.“

„If you’re not telling her, I will.“

„Geniva!“

„Tallio!“

„Please, don’t argue!“, Vajira cries. „I won’t ask again!“

„I won’t let the same happen to Vajira, which happened to our little girl,“ Talliomere continues as if she hasn’t said anything. „We shall not have a repeat of it, Niva. Never. Vajira might not be ours by blood, but she is ours by soul and the only hope for our species. We can't let her… die.“

„Then let us tell her the truth,“ Geniva insists.

„We don’t need to. There is no reason to worry,” he says after taking a deep breath and chuckles. „The good news I have, are all we need. The Pale God has returned. As we speak, Tuonis brings her along on his Flare. We just need to wait for them. She will take care of our enemies. Remember Asaria's last words? Do you, Niva? The Pale God shall return in our time of need and bring salvation to us all!”

„I need to take care of something,” Geniva suddenly says and left.

Talliomere looks after her but doesn’t say anything. Vajira feels a shiver run down her spine to the tip of her finned tail. The expression on his face is mad. Almost abhorrent.

„Is it okay, if I leave?“, she asks reluctant.

„Sure my dear,“ he answers soft-spoken. „Welden and I will start to make plans. But don't stray away too far from the tent.”

„I promise,“ she assures him and leaves them.

Outside the tent, Geniva waits for her. Confused, Vajira stops in front of her.

„Come along,“ Geniva says and guides her into a smaller tent close by, which is used to store some crates with a variety of different contents.

The smell of spices as well some herbs permeates the air, but Vajira isn’t in the mind for an investigation.

„I'm so sorry you had to see this,” Geniva says as she sits down on one of the crates and nudges Vajira towards another one.

„Is Tallio sick?”, Vajira asks in a whisper so low it is a wonder Geniva heard her.

„Sort of… Ever since Asaria died,” she replies with a pained expression. „Well, it was much, much worse right after her death.”

„Why?”

„Shock. Mainly. I also think his psychic ability of feeling other peoples emotions played a major role in him getting hit so hard by Asaria's death. This ability causes all emotions to be much intenser than in those without it. And then this… god.”

„Who’s Asaria and what has she with me in common?”, Vajira asks while feeling the shock from Talliomere's outburst slowly ebbing away. „He sometimes calls me her name instead of my own.”

„I wish I could tell you the whole story right now,” Geniva says and takes a deep breath. „But considering the news of the Pale God… Let me ask you a question: Have you ever heard of a so-called Queen Mother?“

„Well, I think I heard if somewhere before, but I don’t know anything about it.“

„I thought as much. Well, first of, you’re a Queen Mother.“

„I am? Is this what Tallio doesn’t want me to know?“

„Yes.“

„Why?“

„Let me explain,“ Geniva says and continues to do so — much to Vajira’s intensifying shock.