Viky woke to the muted shades of early morning. It was never pitch-black, but luminescent moss responded to the cycle of day and night. Clear and bright as God's Eyes crossed the aurora, softer and mellow as they slipped below the horizon. It took a few heartbeats to gather her thoughts ready for the day. Viky smiled, enjoying the warmth of Jeileen next to her. Today, the ninth day, he didn’t go to work, or train, or whatever he did with his team the other eight days, if she chose they could spend today together.
Jeileen lay on his side, facing her, eyes closed, breath even and steady. The red Speed fractal attached to his right shoulder, hugging well-sculpted muscles, glinted in the soft light. It had been his first fractal, given to him by his mother after leaving childhood at age ten. It was now the size of her palm. A little smaller, the royal purple one on his chest was partially visible. Each of the nine radiating arms were identical to each other but the four fractals Jeileen wore differed in pattern. She had been told every fractal was unique, but couldn't see, with all the thousands of fractals existing, how that was possible. But a lot of information about fractals was false, unknown or shrouded in mystery. They were firm, almost gem like visually and to touch, but flexed and moved with the wearer and grew over time. Her parentals shoulder fractals had been as large as his hand, fingers extended, and the one on his back extended over both shoulder blades.
Viky watched Jeileen sleep, treasuring the moments. What had she got herself into? She hadn’t had a choice about coming to the capital and she'd been required to choose a life partner. But why had she let herself being drawn to man she could admire? It may have been prudent to choose someone despicable. Easier not to get hurt when the inevitable betrayed happened. Now she was with child, his daughter, and the attachment he felt for her, and the unborn baby was undeniable. The affection reflected in his eyes when speaking of the future he imagined with them both was disturbing. It would make it harder to run, her prepared exit more difficult to execute. And she would miss these nine-day they spent together. Of course, by the time she left they could despise each other, and he might be relieved to see the last of her, and she him.
She got out of bed, slipped into a wrap, and walked to the food preparation room. Having collected a great deal of food neither of them needed to go to a canteen today unless they wanted to. They had finished the Caraaf last evening, so she poured juice. Wondered if Jeileen would like tea, it didn’t look difficult to prepare. She felt rather than saw he had risen and was moving around the suite.
“Any plans for the day beloved?” Jeileen entered the room and helped himself to a mug of juice.
“I would like to talk with River some time, but other than that I’m free. You got anything on apart from your usual sortie topside?”
“No, I have arranged to go topside with Stephaan, Murro and Rohaan. I think Isobeel and Jess are coming too, and you are welcome to join us. Other than that, I am at your disposal, My Lady.” He gave her a mock bow.
She usually went top side by herself but could use the opportunity to question Isobeel and Jess some more, and Jieleem had an adorable hopeful look in his eyes.
“I will join you, but I wonder what we can do with the rest of the day?” She grinned, running her hand up a well-muscled arm to stroke his shoulder while pressing her scantily wrapped body into his.
Jieleen grinned. “God’s light, how was I ever so lucky to get chosen by you?”
“When did you say you were going topside with the others?” she murmured in his ear.
He glanced at the biophyte. “Not till full light.”
Viky’s answer was a soft kiss.
***
Viky loved the month of Bright Storms. Enjoyed being out in nature’s fury, adored the dynamic display and appreciated the storms’ profound importance in the life cycles of many of the forest’s fauna and flora. Wind whipped at her hair, snatching locks, and casting them away the next heartbeat. Grappling garments and wrestling to snatch the very breath from your lungs. Invigorating and sometimes violent, the spectacle of light and colour thrilled her to a level few other natural displays could match.
Isobeel was in fine form, flirting with Murro, Jieleen and Stephaan. Maddie had joined the group, Ly looking after all the children in Isobeel’s suite as her youngest daughter had still been asleep when they left. Isobeel informed her the most important rule of parenting was to never to wake a sleeping child. Viky hid disappointment that the servant was not present. Ly offered intelligent conversation and further information. Although Isobeel’s amorous overtures were not restricted by sex or social status, extending her coquetry behaviour to servants, so Ly may have been left no choice but to be drawn into her group of admirers. Maddie and Jess were huddled together under an overhang against the back of platform. Rohaan came and joined her at the parapet wall.
“Lady La’navikyya, I see you enjoy the storm.”
Viky shrugged. Rohaan had the classical features of a man from Jiuliing, so Viky was cautious.
Placing his palm on the crenulations lower edge he lent against the massive stones. Laughter erupted from Isobeel’s group. Stephaan almost doubling over with a deep belly guffaw.
“I can see by the look on your face you don’t approve of my life partner’s dalliance with yours.” Rohaan said.
“I don’t know how you can stand it.” Viky honest reply was accepted with a shrug. Would it be Isobeel to ruin what she and Jeileen had between them now?
“It’s just her way, her whole family’s the same apparently. She warned me, you know. Before we became life partners. Told me she wasn’t going to change, that if I accepted her offer to bond, I needed to understand she would not stop taking pleasure in the company of other people, men, and women.”
“Why would you consent to that?”
Rohaan shook his head. “Well, I’m not ecstatic about some Hunn customs, but Isobeel may not end up following them. Anyway, I’m not going to spend rotations agonizing about an unknown future and miss enjoying the present.”
The man was a fool. Amiable perhaps, but lacking common sense and a necessary degree of self-preservation. Isobeel was going to break his heart.
A bolt of sheet lightning struck a nearby tree. Wind torn ozone and charcoal writhed in the wind torn air. Viky took the opportunity to retreat to the overhang, she wasn’t afraid of the storm, but didn’t want to talk to Rohaan. Befriending anyone was a mistake, but she especially did not want to become a broken-hearted young man’s shoulder to cry on.
Another team of Commanders came onto the platform. Older, all nine rugged up in long skirts and wide cowls. They didn’t stay long, performed the obligatory Commander Traditionalist nine-day rituals saluting Gods Eyes before scurrying back to the gentler environments underground. Viky watched a group of some twenty over-ladened D’char servants struggle up zig-zag inclines leading into a lower level of the city.
“Sorry, I wasn’t listening, did you address me?” Viky asked.
Jess smiled. “Yes, we were just commenting you are very trusting to stand that close to the parapet wall.”
Viky let confusion play out on her features. “Do you think Rohaan would have pushed me over?”
“What no, of course not.” Maddie giggled. “But it’s so windy, you could have been swept away.”
Viky shook her head, then remembered she had been tapping a little Strength. An instinctive action, she needed to be more careful. Strength ignited a well of energy reserved within. It had been the first talent her parent had trained her with, starting when she was only six, so supplementing her natural body strength had become as natural as breathing.
Fractal enhanced Strength did not grant skill. It augmented what you worked hard to acquire. If she had thrown a punch without precision, no amount of Strength would make it connect. Without tapping an equal amount of Strength for balance and control, executing a Strength enhanced punch would see you stumble and fall. Any manoeuvre without thought and follow-through could end in futility. But train hard enough, and for rotations, and the application became intuitive. Which was good, it had let her focus on training talents that had broken later in life and were harder to control.
“I’m used to being up high, the cave complex I was from was halfway up a cliff face, and we didn’t have a parapet wall.” She shrugged.
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“Ah, the Rifts of course. My home was in the gently sloping bowl of a valley.” Maddie said. “I feel quite dizzy standing closer to a drop-off than this.”
“I understood Jiuliing is carved into a mountain?” Viky was puzzled. Then had to repeat herself as her question had been drowned out by a clap of thunder.
“The main city of Jiuliing is carved into a mountain, I guess it was the original city but there are six or seven suburbs, all part of the city, but surrounding it.” Maddie answered.
Jess looked like she was going to contribute to the conversation but changed her mind. Now she was closer it was obvious that Jess wasn’t well, even more washed out than usual. Perhaps she suffered from vertigo or was anxious being out in the elements. Alisoon, a youngster back in the Whip Makers clan had been frightened of lightning.
“Did you know Rohaan before coming to Chruciaal?” Viky asked Maddie more for something to say that because she thought the question relevant.
“No, he is from the original part of the city. But Gabreel and I are both from the suburbs.”
“Did you know her before coming to Chruciaal?”
“No, different suburbs, and they are both from Jiuliing First families, old blood and sequin, not new Commander stock like me.”
“Rohaan and Gabreel don’t look alike, I though it must have been because of having Commander heritage.” Viky paused as a squall of most air hit.
“Jiuliing, at least people from the original part of the city, conquered large populations from the surrounding area between the Great war and the Power Wars. The captured people were brought and set up in the suburbs. The people of modern day Jiuliing have varied ancestry.” It was hard to hear Jesses voice above the storm.
Viky shook her head. It was people from Jiuliing that forced the Rifts into the Coalition. Nearly two lots of ninety-nine rotations had passed, but the atrocities were whispered around campfires and as threats to keep children in line. She thought being subjugated themselves would have made more sympathetic oppressors. Evidently not. Although, perhaps they didn’t use conquered people as warriors back then. That was probably it, the ruling class wasn’t likely to have given fractals to defeated peoples. But nightmare accounts detailing women of vanquished nations being given as life partners to prominent officials were suggested in a historical manuscript she had read. Subsequent generations physical characteristics being cited as evidence.
“Slimy mould.” Viky pursed her lips; she hadn’t meant to speak out loud.
Jess nodded in sympathy. “It was a terrible time.”
“At least we can all trust each other now.” Maddie smiled.
“I used to trust people, that’s how I ended up in Chruciaal.” Viky had not meant the words to be heard but an unexpected lull in the storm caused them to carry.
“Oh, well that’s not so bad, is it? And it was lucky for Jeileen. He adores you.” Maddie said. The teasing gusts of wind catching her voice.
The object of this supposed adoration was laughing with Isobeel. She had her hand on his arm and Viky felt a twinge of envy. Did she really want to find that woman’s body chains? Jieleen looked so happy, relaxed. He wasn’t hesitant or unsure around Isobeel. Rohaan had joined them, and he had his arm companionably on Murro’s back. He might be willing to share the affections of the person he loved, but she wasn’t.
Jess put her hand on Viky’s arm. “You don’t have to worry about Isobeel. She comes from a family background where suppressing emotions is unheard-of.”
“Did she tell you this?” Viky asked.
“Yes, but I also looked it up in the library. I was worried about her when she first joined the sisterhood, her family had a history of excess and mischief making. A grand-parent prankster who used to run amuck in the royal court, her own mother, rumoured to be involved with spy’s and political scandal, but Isobeel is nothing like that and doesn’t intend to hurt people.” Jess gave a reassuring smile.
Viky clutched her fist to the chest. “Wait up, that is so emotionally reassuring, I think I'm going to need a handkerchief.”
Maddie chuckled and Jess grinned.
You couldn’t trust everything you read, but rumours often had kernels of truth in their core. The information was interesting, and if anything, her respect for Isobeel’s family increased. Viky’s parentals had defied traditional expectations, they had just been clever enough not to get caught. What was Isobeel’s agender? Did she have one? Not for the first time Viky wished she had some yellow fractal power. Mind Reading would be good, although Nudging allowed you to encourage a person to talk about any subject you wanted, accomplishing the same goal.
But wishing wasn’t going to make it so and she had her own intelligence, and was in control of her own destiny, it may take a little longer, but she would get to the bottom of this mystery, get the reward and when the time was right, leave.
***
Deputized Operative Commanders spent a lot of time waiting. Lingering around locations where people gossip, staking out people or places or occasionally establishing alternate identities.
Dereniik waited for Kyd. His remaining teammate could have used the suite assigned to his former life partner, it was empty, and the door was open. But Dereniik well knew how hard it was to keep coming back to a constant reminder of happier times. He wasn’t sure how Kyd spent most of his days, but they often crossed paths while he rested on this bench at this time of day. Sure enough, a Glyph of greeting was pressed into Dereniik’s arm.
“Well met my friend,” Dereniik said.
“All, good?”
“Better than good. I found out our mystery Lady is the half-sister of one of the Commanders in the enclave, that’s why she was visiting. They were keeping the relationship under wraps because she is the product of their mutual parents’ indiscretion.” It was an edited version, but all truth, and what Kyd needed to hear.
“Better, than, alternatives.”
Dereniik agreed.
“Knew, you, wouldn’t, leave, it.” Kyd scripted.
Dereniik grinned and the accompanied feeling of affection for Kyd caught him off guard. It was touching to know someone still knew him well. Just as he knew the potential for sorrow would worm its way into Kyd’s heart, causing his sensitive friend unnecessary worry. They discussed the case a little, Kyd delighted with the resolution.
“I have another case I would like your opinion on, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay.”
Dereniik filled Kyd in on the fibre he had found, his trip to the Armoury and subsequent visit to the Directives offices.
“How do you feel about helping me investigate?” Dereniik asked.
Kyd was quiet for a while. True, he couldn’t speak and of necessity was always silent, but he didn’t script an answer and Dereniik had almost given up thoughts of receive a reply. Ever present feelings of guilt toppled his composure as Dereniik started rehearsing an apology and the right words to make sure Kyd knew he was a valued friend. He appreciated, and identified with, Kyd’s feelings of inadequacy. Didn’t blame him for not being able to put the time or energy into chasing such an insignificant clue.
“Want, to, help.” Kyd wrote.
Dereniik felt a weight lift from his chest. A few little successes. Even in unimportant cases, it had to help. Kyd may not have wanted to be a Deputized Operative Commander, but he had been part of a respected and successful team. His personal contributions had often been praised. Perhaps later they could find something else to do, but for now a successful case would lift their spirits, Dereniik was sure it would help them both.
***
The suite Viky shared with Jieleen was the first on the left when entering the enclave. The easiest to slip in and out of unnoticed, the one everyone passed to get to their own accommodation. It was not surprising as the group returned from time spent top side her door being ajar was noticed.
“I see you close him Jieleen.” Stephaan said.
Murro nodded. “Me too.”
“That’s what I thought.” Jieleem frowned.
The group came to a stop, Jieleem pushed the door further, as they watched Rivers Vorraal, Amethyst, slinked through the gap and scurry off. Claws full of fruit.
“I’ll come in and help you clean up the mess if you like.” Jess volunteered as Isobeel chuckled.
“Thanks, but Amethyst couldn’t have opened the door, she doesn’t have an opposable thumb. Someone else has been visiting and not closed the door.” Viky was displeased, who had entered her suite uninvited?
Maddie kissed Jess and Isobeel goodbye. Viky, still distracted, received one as well and was too preoccupied to offer an objection or be concerned.
“I’ll meet you at your place Isobeel, I guess Arabeel will be awake by now, but I’ll need to feed Glendaan and may as well stay there and help Ly, you may be here a while.” Maddie said.
“How bad is it going to be?” Viky asked, as Jieleen, Stephaan, Murro and Rohaan entered.
“She got into my food preparation area, it only took Jess and River a handsbreadth or so to fix it up again.” Isobeel said.
Viky braced herself to enter. “Are you going to help too?” She asked Isobeel.
“Of course, you’re our sister, I wouldn’t dream of letting you down, and someone needs to supervise.” Isobeel smiled and patted Viky’s arm.
Great, and not unexpected.
The men gathered in the reception room, involved in a quiet, intense discussion.
“It wasn’t here when we left.” Jieleen was saying.
“This be truth, I know he was at our place.” Stephaan was holding a delicate carved statue.
“Er, Viky dear heart, when did Maddie give you this statue?” Jieleen gesture to the item in Stephaan’s hand.
“She didn’t, the Flitters Maddie gave me are on the shelf just to your left, what’s going on? You didn’t have that statue with you before Stephaan, where has it come from?” Viky asked.
“This one was also on this shelf, right next to the Flitters, when we came in. Stephaan noticed it straight away, as it’s his work and quite new.” Jieleem scratched his head.
“But he be in Maddie’s reception room when we left for topside. I know this thing because each nine day we together choose the one to sit in special alcove, we choose him today.” Stephaan drawled. As he passed the object to Rohaan, Viky saw it was a beautifully rendered Nisayaan, nine wing blades spread in full flight, majestic, dynamic. Possibly the one of finest Stephaan had created.
“Oh,” Isobeel squealed. “A teleporting statue, that’s so exciting. No one has seen anything teleport since before the Great War.”
“It wouldn’t have needed to open the door if it could teleport.” Viky stated. “Someone has taken it from Maddie suite and put it here.”
“River’s Vorraal, we all saw her leaving, they are highly intelligent and can be trained you know.”
“Isobeel, she doesn’t have an opposable thumb, it’s not a large statue but she still couldn’t carry something that size.” Viky felt her throat tighten, needed to sit down.
“And he be soft alabaster, Vorraal all claws and pincers, scratch work, but this is not.” Stephaan said.
Jess came and moving a cushion sat by her side. “Don’t worry, we will help you work this out.”
“It’s okay, I think I already have.” Viky’s voice was flat.
“See, I knew you were clever.” Isobeel grinned proudly as if her contribution of confidence in Viky had led to the desired outcome.
“Do you think,” Rohaan cleared his throat, shot a nervous glanced at Jieleen. “Do you think someone’s trying to cause problems between you and Maddie. Use you to break up the friendship between your life partners Team?”
Viky shrugged, pretending she didn’t care. “No, I think someone has stolen things from Maddie, Isobeel, Sheeli, Shaar, and now they want everyone to think I am the thief. This is the first time I have been top side with you all. If I’d gone by myself as usual, there would have been no way to prove I didn’t take the statue while you were all out. It’s been planted in my suite, so you have someone to blame. I am being framed.”