I crept down the dark hallway on silent feet, listening for any hint of movement. I came to a corner and eased around it, my eyes having no trouble piercing the dim interior. It was a dead end. I backed up quickly but he was already there. I dodged a swipe and pulled out my light blades from my hip. They may not be heavy enough to d0 any damage but they were sharp.

We danced, back and forth blow for blow, gliding around one another with practised precision that took years to learn and hone. But it wasn’t enough, my left blade was sent flying. He tried to take advantage with a jab but I blocked it, following it up with my blade. And so we went on, duck, jab, swipe, block, swing away, stab, lunge, jab, punch, kick. There was barely any sound as we battled. I worked hard to keep my breathing s1ow and measured even as I pushed myself, my heart nearly racing.

I thought I had him, bringing my blade round to cut behind his knees but he was to0 fast and I lost my secondblade. Without thought I shifted, just enough to strengthen my legs, bring my claws in full and grow small fangs that peeked out from under my lips. My tail came alive and was poised, aiding my balance. My ears flicked around, searching for any sound to indicate where my foe was. It was almost instantaneous, I’d been practicing. And a good job too because he gave me no time before he was there again. But this time our fight was more primal, close. I could feel the blood under my claws.

Without my blades, I found I was freer in my movements. He tried to take out my legs but I jumped and gave myself space with a back flip, giving me just enough time to assess him before we closed again. It was all so fast. At one point, I slipped between his legs and kicked him in the lower back. But I was tiring. His height and heavy muscles didn’t seem to hinder him at all and I felt like I was hitting a brick wall. Slowly, he was wearing me down, and soon I made a mistake. My foot scuffed against the floor, breaking the complete silence and making me stumble. I was fighting to regain my balance and didn’t manage to dodge his next swipe, having to block it instead. We locked into that stance and I was n0 match for his strength. If I didn’t do something, he would over power me so I broke the lock, backing up but he just kept coming. Relentless blows, giving me no space or time to do anything but dodge and block. I was on the defensive now and then my back hit a wall. He'd backed me into a corner.

Despite all my efforts to control it, my breathing was getting away from me becoming heavy though not yet laboured. He was going to finish it. Something within me rebel1ed. I would not stand there and let it end like this! Everything sharpened and timed seemed to slow. There! I moved into the punch, getting inside his reach and hammered a blow into his stomach, taking his breath away. My momentum took us both to the floor but I was already lunging for his throat. We froze. My teeth dented his neck, and his blade pricked my inner thigh, right over the femoral artery.

Stalemate.

“I’m impressed Little One. You have skill and have transitioned that skil1 to your new forms well. But you need to work on using your Warrior and Feline strength, even in your resting form.”

I removed my teeth from Mathias's neck and sigh tiredly. I rol1ed away and splayed on the floor, finally letting myself breath deeply, no longer needing to be quiet.

“Thanks Mathias. And thanks for keeping me occupied while Kine undergoes treatment. I know you’re worried about him too.”

Mathias just smiled and he sat up and watched me. He wasn’t a talkative being, especially not out loud. For some reason he preferred telepathy so the fact he was speaking out loud spoke to his concern for his nephew.

“Kine will be fine. He is more powerful than you know and very difficult to kill.”

Or not. I guess I was still learning about my kin. I didn’t mind though, it was good to have people around and fun getting to know them. We are so much closer since I went through my maturity. Not because it changed what they thought of me but because it made us all so vulnerable and open with one another.

I sat up and smiled at Mathias. His reassurance helped but I couldn't shake the image of that Banished ripping a chunk out of Kine’s abdomen. It was vicious. Before I could fall into my thoughts again, I looked up to find Mathias standing in front of me me, offering his hand. He helped me up and must have sent a signal because the lights came on.

“You fight well Little One, a style I’ve not encountered before. Where did you learn?”

“Hmm? Oh, all Myath learn to defend themselves. It depends on what group you travel with as to what and how much you learn but we all have a little. Dad made sure I was well trained and, thankfully, I had little need to use it. But we trained often to keep our skills sharp.”

“...You don’t talk about it much.”

“You were a king. You know what it’s like, the responsibility. Keeping them safe, doing what it takes even when you know there are no good options. Trying to do the right thing even thought it’s almost impossible. I don’t have the luxury of talking about it... even though I want to. It’s not my choice alone.”

Mathias laid his hand on my shoulder and the warmth was comforting. He understood.

“Do you think we’ll be able to see Kine soon? Darius kicked me out as soon as we got to the Healers Hall and I haven’t heard anything since.”

“Darius hasn’t stopped working on Kine since. I too have been waiting for an update but all I could get from MACC is that the damage was extensive and Kine is inside a sealed unit. But that’s a good thing. You have to be stable to be in a sealed unit, it’s just going to take a long time to repair the extensive damage. Try not to worry.”

I didn’t answer. I knew worrying didn’t help and there were more productive things I could do... but I couldn’t seem to escape the past and the loss of my parents kept popping into my mind, only now Kine’s pale bloody face joined them. I was tired of losing kin.

“Come on, we need to practice your different forms. You may be able to shift well but living in them is an entirely different thing. I’ll enjoy watching you fall over and stumble about for a while, that should distract you from dark thoughts.”

“Wait what? Mathias. What do you mean?"

***

He watch, both amused and relieved, as Sierra shifted for her Feline from to her Resting form, taking a step and immediately stumbling. She nearly succeeded in stabilising herself, until she looked up to grin at him and promptly ended up on her arse. Despite that, she was doing well, a fast learner and naturally talented. She had been working all rotation with only a break for lunch and had mastered the change from Feline to Warrior and Warrior to Resting. But the jump from Feline to Resting was still a big change and she needed time to absorb it all.

Mathias chuckled good-naturedly as Sierra sighed, still sitting on the floor.

“It’s so weird Mathias. Going from all that strength to this, it takes me a while to judge how much strength I need to use.”

“It’ll come with practice. This is the hardest transition and you’ve done well to come so far in such a short time. At least you don’t jump at every little sound now.” Mathias teased.

“Hey, Warrior senses are ridiculously good, okay? I learned to deal with it didn’t I?”

“You did.” He grinned back. It was so easy to be around her, talk to her. He’d forgotten what it felt like.

He had a reputation, the Silent King. Even before he tested in the candidate pool, he had been distant with most people. The loss of his brother had affected him, more than he realised for such a long time. When he became king, the responsibility was tough but still being powerless to find his kin was what had sent him into depression. He did the job because it was his duty and he wanted to protect others. There were few candidates and he was the best of them, of course he’d do the right thing. But being around so many just reminded him of his loss and failure. He took to communicating as little as possible, eventually resorting to telepathy or written orders.

When Sierra had told him about Galen, his brother, yes he was sad. He never got to know his little brother, was never able to care for and protect him... but he also found peace. He finally knew what had happened after they disappeared all these orbits ago and he got to know a little about his brother through Sierra. She was a joy and reflected the love of her father.

“Come, we need to rest now. We want to be ready when Kine is finally allowed visitors.”

“Okay!” She chirped.

Together they made their way out of the training suite. It was an advanced facility. As well as all the expert equipment you’d expect to find in a decent training hall, this one also had the ability to create a facsimile of any kind of environment as well as sparring opponent in both solid holograms and nanite constructs. Despite all that, it couldn't replicate the real danger of battle but it was the best training available.

They weren’t in any hurry as they headed back to their personal suites, there was plenty of time before the evening meal. Mathias could see that Sierra was caught in introspection again and, though he had hoped to help take her mind off of her troubles, he didn’t blame her. Even with all his orbits of experience he too was struggling to set aside his needless worries. The instinct to protect close kin was strong and having one severely injured right in front of you was deeply painful.

Rather than draw her out of herself again, Mathias let her be. She'd find a way to cope and emerge when she was ready. So he was slightly startled when she struck up a conversation again, though no one would have known to look at him.

“Mathias, who gave those Banished their orders? Whether they were my Aunt8s creatures, or they attacked for other reasons, we have a problem. There should be no way for Wistra to get communications out of her confinement to give orders to any remaining followers. Perhaps even worse, if they are not Wistra's creatures, then we have no idea who they work for and why they attacked.”

“... It is possible that the prisoner Wistra left orders for all her followers covering many different scenarios.”

“True, but I’m not happy with how easily they bypassed our security or that we can’t track where they came from. They seemed to appear out of nowhere which suggests they were already in The Capital. Do you know if they have been interrogated yet or what will happen to them now?”

“The interrogation is ongoing and not fruitful. It seems they believe that they will be killed, either by us or their employer, so have little to gain speaking honestly with us. Of course, we would never condone the death penalty, it’s just not an option so someone has lied to them to instil fear and false loyalty.”

“... hmmm. Perhaps I could speak with them. They may be more receptive to another kind of outcast.”

Mathias wanted to protest but held his tongue. He knew she didn’t mean it personally and he couldn’t argue that the Myath were shunned and poorly treated, in his time as King, he’d tried to curb the violent attitude towards them but, to his shame, his search for his kin had consumed much of his attention and he’d made little head way on many controversial matters. In many ways, he’d been a poor leader.

“Perhaps. Come, let’s get cleaned up and eat. You’ve done very well and deserve a treat I think.”

He watched as Sierra grinned, momentarily care free, and practically hopped in excitement.

“Did you get me berry puffs!?”

He grinned back at her and they laughed together, her excitement infectious.

***

I slept so well after all the exercise and hard work Mathias put me through. He was such a sweet, kind person, as soon as he’d seen me moping around outside the Healers hall, he’d done his best to distract me. And I have to admit, it worked. It felt good to be training hard again after so long at a leisurely pace and to have such a powerful and skilled trainer was an honour. Becoming acquainted with my other forms was also satisfying, if not all that dignified. It was worth it to see under the surface of Mathias's reserved demeanour.

So it was no wonder that I ate heartily this morn. I was ravenous and the meal was delicious, as always, but I wasn’t sure what to do with myself after. It was important to rest up after such a vigorous training session and no one was leaving the mansion until we could ascertain where the Banished had come from and if there were anymore. Seth was at his lessons and both Lazot and Simeon were working in the guest offices we had provided. We might as well make them permanent, the amount of time Lazot spent with us. My guards were also occupied with the prisoners and the increased security measures. I’d heard the High Warrior herself had visited to ensure we had the best for the King.

Luckily, I didn’t have to occupy myself for long because I received a summons to Kine’s suite. I hurried along, wondering what it was all about, Kine was still in the sealed unit in the Healers Hall last I heard. I knocked firmly on the suite door and walked in. The suite was large so I checked all the public rooms but could find no one. It suddenly occurred to me that I never found out if they had caught the last two Banished and I told no one about the summons.

I bent my knees slightly, to give them a little spring and make sure I was ready for any action. Just in case, I also grew small claws, just a little but sharp enough to give me an advantage. Satisfied that I was ready should someone surprise me, I moved to the more private area of the suite. I probably should have retreated, now that I thought about it, but I couldn’t detect anyone and I wanted to know why I was brought here. I may have also been bored...

It wasn’t that much of a risk, the security had been updated and I would have known if there were Banished roaming the mansion. That left traitors and spies, much easier to deal with. Easing open the door to Kine’s bedroom, I slowly moved forward. I thought something moved beyond the bed but completely forgot about it when I saw what was in it.

“Kine!”

I eagerly moved to sit on the bed, careful not to jostle it too much in my excitement. He was okay! Wait...

“How did you get out of the Healers Hall? Where’s Darius? I’m not sure you're ready yet, you look terrible.”

Kine just smiled at me. Incorrigible male. He nearly died.

“Don’t berate me Sierra, I’m still fragile. Besides MACC is watching over me.”

“Hmm.”

“Honestly. I don’t feel up to much anyway so I’m resting and doing as I’m told. I promise.”

“...MACC? Is he behaving?”

“Hello Sierra. King Kine has had two visitors but has not left the bed since his transfer here this morn. Though not ideal, his behaviour has been adequate. Please ensure your visit remains sedate. No excitement or distress please.”

“Of course MACC.” I looked back at Kine. “It’s good to see you Kine, you had us all worried.”

“Mmmmm. It seems I need to train more.”

“Nonsense Kine. I saw how she moved, she was fast and skilled. I think she would have been a match for any or us. Never mind that. Can I get you anything?”

There it was again, a sound coming from across the other side of the room. I stilled, trying to hear. Yes, there was definitely someone there. I tried to stand up but Kine halted me with his hand on my leg.

“It’s alright Sierra. This is why I called you here.”

Looking back across the room, two figures emerged from the shadows. One was an Icanthie female who looked very similar to Kine. I studied her closely, looking for any hint of recognition or a bond but she remained professional and I was quickly distracted but th other figure. He was a Drakarii.

“Sierra, let me introduce my sister, Niah, who has been away on diplomatic duties and Tanner-tianNaj A’Fiee, a member of the Drake diplomatic delegation. Niah, Tanner-tianNaj, let me introduce to you my niece, Sierra.”

I’d had little interaction with the Drakes but I knew the etiquette well, dad had made sure of that. I bowed from the waist, very shallow, just enough to show respect. Naj indicated he was a skilled individual who had worked his way up to his position so I needed to use the formal greeting of respect but not deference which went something like...

“A’henthay, kenn ann astreth fallon föl a’drann.”

“Fallon var, A’nara.” He responded with a slight bow of his own.

It seemed I had surprised everyone, including myself, because they each stared at me but I guess it was a good thing because Kine and Tanner-tianNaj were both smiling. I’m glad I remembered dad's lessons on the races, never thought I’d use it though.

Formalities observed, Kine brought us back to the reason for this little get together.

“Tanner-tianNaj is an advanced scout who brings news of the delegation.” Kine informed me before turning his attention to the Drake. “What can you tell us?”

“King Kine, I am sorry to find you unwell and I thank you for seeing me. I bring word from my Lady that matters have become concerning and so the arrival of the delegation has been brought forward. We cannot linger when action must be taken. My Lady apologises for any inconvenience this causes but hopes you will forgive her considering the seriousness of the matter. Please expect the delegation to arrive at the waning of this moon. This ends my message.”

He spoke in a soft flowing voice, like poetry or music, that lulled you in. It took a few moments for the meaning of his message to penetrate and I suddenly grew stiff. This was not good. Not good at all. Kine held it together better than me and smiled as he responded.

“I thank you and your Lady for this notice. We too have concerns that need to be addressed and I suspect they will affect us all.” Kine spoke in a somber tone to convey the seriousness of the problem before returning to his affable nature. “Please enjoy the hospitality of my mansion until you choose to return. Perhaps we can speak again before you do.”

With another bow, Tanner-tianNaj turned and left through a door I couldn’t see, followed by Niah after she shot both of us an inscrutable look. I waited until they’d left then turned to Kine who looked perturbed.

“What’s going on Kine?”

“It seems we have less time than we thought. I suspect the Drake Nation is also experiencing some debris fall which means this is bigger than just us. The main trial against Wistra and Quix needs to be concluded soon or the delegation will be in danger. I’ve been able to hide the turmoil this has caused but eventually the Drakes will find out and then they may decide not to attend at all. I wouldn’t blame them, we must be able to keep them safe or it could start a war, but if they refuse to come, that will put all our progress back orbits.”

This was serious. Things were about to explode all over the place and we weren’t ready.

“... I need to train. You know she’s going to challenge me to a duel Kine and I need to be ready.”

“I know. I wish it weren’t true but I agree. Mathias and the guards will help. Thane, in particular, is very skilled in these sorts of disputes. I’ll have him teach you. You’ll also need a good grasp of Icanthie law.”

“I already have that, but it’s probably a good idea to brush up on it. I have no rights by myself but as your ward, there are protections I can take advantage of. It will all depend on the Ruling Triangle and the other Leaders.” I remembered my other concerns. “We need to find out why the Banished attacked us and whether or not Wistra was involved. Apparently, they believe they will be executed now that they've been caught so they’re not very cooperative.”

“Mmm, yes. I heard. I’m dealing with it.” Kine bowed his head. “I regret killing her. It was only after I realised how young she was. It was-”

“It was what it was Kine.” I knew this slippery slope. “You made a decision in a chaotic moment when your life was at risk and you were injured. She could have killed many of us or she could have retreated, we’ll never know. But you can’t live your life fretting about could-have-beens. We can only respond to what is. Taking a life is never the right choice but sometimes it is the necessary choice. In this case, I believe your judgment may have been bias by the hole in your stomach but I don’t think many would have done differently. You have to find a way to live with it, either accept it was necessary or decide it was wrong, learn from it and do better in the future. Only you can make that decision but I don’t think now is the right time.”

“Why not? I’m resting.”

“No, you’re stewing. Find something productive to occupy you while you heal rather than sinking yourself into your own mind. I can teach you to whittle, maybe some knitting, but my favourite is knife throwing.”

I peeked at him from under my fringe and finally, Kine cracked a smile. There, that was better. There was nothing more dangerous to a healthy life than circular thought. It goes nowhere. I could tell Kine was trying not to chuckle.

“Alright, alright. Come in, teach me to knit.”

And so, for a while, we blocked out the world. Politics, trials and falling moon rocks could wait until my kin were safe and well again.