Eirik was hard at work during the late afternoon. He was busy chopping wood for the winter despite having central heating installed. He still loved the crackle of the firewood while the flames made the shadows dance around the living room of the house he had built. His 2 sons were playing nearby, Olaf having recently been given his first axe and shield, both made of wood, of course. Eirik was a firm believer in teaching them young, just like he had been taught. Olaf was diligently practicing his swing and block with Torsten emulating his older brother as much as a 3-year-old can. He idolized his brother and looked to him for everything. Olaf, in return, saw his little brother as the most precious person in the world and would turn his surroundings upside down if it meant protecting or helping his little brother.
Freja was watching them from the shaded porch as her fingers automatically sharpened the various knives and tools on the table in front of her. She was currently working on the woman-knife* Eirik had made for her. She hated the idea when he presented it, but the more she used it, the more she came to like it. The curved handle gave her a good grip for when she needed to use strength and it provided excellent control when needed to do delicate work. She would never admit it to Eirik, of course, the man might start thinking he had good ideas. She liked him here, where he belonged. He had found a nice rhythm between his function as emperor and a family man.
So when Eirik stopped his work on the firewood and looked at his datapad that had beeped with a message, she felt a deep sense of dread as she read the look on his face. His brows had furrowed together and his mouth had become a thin line on his face, while his eyes had become cold as they ran through the message. He stood still for a moment before he packed away the datapad and resumed chopping wood, but Freja noticed the intensity in each swing. He had been relaxed during work before he received that message, so it was not good news, but bad news usually made him go to the office right away, not resume his work while building up his anger.
"Eirik," She called out and she saw him tense up. "What was that about?"
"We will be receiving guests tonight. Kloxna guests. Can you take care of dinner? I need to set up a seating arrangement outside, I do not want these visitors in my home!" He called back after taking a moment to select the words."And break open one of the celebratory small casks of mead from my private stock. I need to project surplus and wealth."
Freja narrowed her eyes at this. Eirik was not one to flaunt wealth, and now he wanted to display it. "Who are these guests?" She asked suspiciously as he approached the porch.
"An old enemy at the end of life, seeking a private conversation. I wish for you to be there, as well as our boys. I will bring in a few select people for protection. I am not taking any chances with this one, love. Fear not, I will not put any of you in any danger." Eirik said with a definitive tone to his voice The "dad" tone.
"...Alright, Eirik. But if our children come into danger at any point during whatever this is, I'll carve you up! And you know I will! Damn it, stop smiling you, hopeless idiot!" Freja tried pushing him back as he embraced her in a bear hug and whispered to her, "I would never put our family in danger! I would rather give up Valhalla than give up my family!"
She wiggled free from his grip and jumped inside the house, shouting back that she would see what she could do with dinner. With a smile back on his face, Eirik set about calling in Jesper, David, Krisnu, and Las'Tai. If they hurried they would arrive first, if not, Eirik would have to improvise. Making his way to the toolshed next to the house, he would have to work fast to build a table that would provide adequate seating and enough distance to protect those that needed it. He would also need to mount a tarp above the arrangement, in case anything happened with the weather and for when the evening dew fell
It was a strange similarity to Terra, but one that both Eirik and Freja valued, and it made any morning or evening trek through the forest into a small trip back to Terra and managed to somewhat cure any sense of homesickness they might feel. The only thing Eirik missed was the mountains. They had ancient souls, each peak was as different and individual as the living beings that occupied the grasslands beneath the mighty giants. Each slope had a personality and each cave had a mood. There was something immensely satisfying on a primal level, about moving around and living in the mountains.
David arrived alongside Jesper and Eirik was suddenly struck by the realization that he had not seen them both in over a year. All their communication had been through official paperwork. Jesper had a nasty burn scar covering most of the left side of his face and David looked like almost 10 years had passed. They had been working as hard as Eirik and it showed.
They helped Eirik set up the tarps while they caught up on what had been going on, while Olaf and Torsten ran around their feet, asking a million questions and drawing no small amount of laughter out of the 3 men with their antics. Las'Tai arrived as they finished working and Krisnu followed shortly after, with Trasti and most of her grown daughters in tow. Freja came out at regular intervals to check on the boys and greet people when they arrived. She trusted Eirik to keep the boys safe, but like most men, he could be endearingly forgetful about basic needs. It wasn't that he didn't think about it, he was just busy being a good host and entertaining the boys at the same time.
As dusk fell, they all gathered around the table that Eirik had flicked together, but 6 seats were still empty. A message beeped on Eiriks datapad and he went into the house only to emerge moments later carrying 6 rifles.
"What is this, Eirik?" Krisnu asked ´before anyone else could speak.
"This is for my family's and my protection," Eirik answered as he handed the weapons out to Jesper, David, Trasti, Las'Tai, and 2 of Krisnu's daughters. "We are having guests over and I am not sure how they will behave once they arrive."
"And that would be the reason for the empty chairs, I take it," Jesper remarked as his hands mechanically went through the motions of getting the weapons battle ready. "We are your insurance?"
Eirik sat back down on the simple wooden log at the table and it dawned on the others that he would be sitting at the "head" of the table with Freja and his sons at his side, in comparison to the shuttle that would land with the guests. And the 6 weapons had been evenly distributed to either side, leaving the far end of the table for the unknown guests. Soon after, Freja went back into the house and came out with large trays filled with different cuts of meat, ribs, baked potatoes, assorted vegetables, and a large bowl of boiled eggs. Less than 2 minutes later, the final guests arrived.
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Kyr'Tai was the first to step out of the shuttle and she walked out with her shoulders squared and her head held high, expecting to be met with fear and worship like she was back home Instead she heard, of all things, laughter, and her hand flew toward the ceremonial blade at her hip, but the sound of several Terran firearms being cocked stopped her. Ahead of her was a large table with several being seated around it, a few of them aiming their rifles at her, and at the entrance of it all, sat a Terran with his long hair hanging loose over his shoulders, his clear blue eyes were looking at a group of Kloxna... One of the females drew her attention, the scale pattern, while incredibly clear, even compared to the most powerful high caste back home, were very familiar, but she could not place the bloodline. She just knew it was a high caste Kloxna.
There was something else about her and the way she moved. She was older than Kyr'tai, almost 10 years, but her movements were those of the seasoned veteran warriors. Those elite few made it to old age, despite living a life of war. She had few scars, and those she had were barely worth mentioning. Her eyes were sharp while she was not very big or muscular, Kyr'Tai had met enough nimble fighters in her life to understand just how much more dangerous than big, strong opponents, they could be.
What drew her interest was the blade she carried in a quick-draw sheat on her shoulder. She had only seen blades such as that in the hands of her mother and the other heads of the high caste bloodlines. Hand crafted by a very talented smith, it was a blade that would last untold generations. The other Kloxna at the table was not worth looking at, had it not been for the fact that 2 of them were armed. Obvious low caste drones, she wondered what they were doing here.
"Stay your blade, step aside, and let her come forth since she requested this meeting!" The Terran with the long hair interrupted her thoughts. Kyr'Tai was boiling with anger at the casual dismissal of her person, but a claw on her shoulder made her turn around to kneel in front of Las'Tai.
"So, Eirik the Emperor, we meet a final time!" Las'Tai croaked with a voice that was hoarse from old age. "And I see you brought familiar faces to our meeting. For that, I thank you-"
"Don't bother, I am doing it for her, not for you!" Eirik interrupted and Kyr'Tai could no longer control herself. She whirled around as she rose to her full height, almost equaling a Terran in size, and spat at Eirik, "Don't you dare talk to the honored Tai'Tanu like that, rabble! You are not worthy to lick the ground she walks on! you-"
"SILENCE, YOU INSIGNIFICANT WHELP! OR YOU WILL FACE DEATH, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!" Eirik roared as the rifles were raised again, and had it not been for Las'Tai, things might have ended very bloody, very quickly.
"Step back, daughter! I did not make you bring me here, to watch you die!" She said as she stepped in front of Kyr'Tai and took control of the situation. Turning to Eirik, she continued, "My bones are old and they ache. Will you invite me to sit, or must I take my leave again?"
"Seats have been prepared. A pillow should be present on one of them. Would you like to eat first, or talk first?" Eirik replied, somewhat placated. Tai'Tanu must have studied the old nordic traditions and stumbled upon the need to be invited before you join someone. He could appreciate the gesture.
"Let us eat first. It was a long journey and as much as I missed military ration packs and the memories of my youth, you have enough smugglers in our territory to know how much I appreciate the steaks and eggs that your species have brought to the galaxy. I don't think I would have made it to 37 without the high-energy food that evolved in your cradle world." Tai'Tanu croaked and made her way toward the table, shadowed by Kyr'Tai
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
The commotion had scared Torsten who had started crying, while Olaf, clearly uneasy with the whole situation, tried putting up a brave face. Freja calmed them both down as every sat down, Tai'Tanu and Kyr'Tai being followed by 6 guards, unarmed except for the ceremonial knives. As soon as everyone got seated, Las'tai spoke up, "How you have grown, Kyr'Tai. I remember when you were a hatchling, scampering around mothers palace, causing all sorts of trouble. It is good to see you again little sister."
Kyr'Tai was stunned into silence at the revelation. That's where she knew the scale pattern from, she looked at it every day in the mirror! Could this Kloxna in front of her, be the big sister that betrayed their family? She remembered her as a giant, looking like a warrior of legend when she came home to the palace in her uniform. She was no taller than the standard Kloxna, and she lacked a lot of the bulk that career soldiers usually acquired.
"Just because mother tolerates your presence, it does not mean I have to! I have no desire to speak to a traitor of our people. Speak to me again and I will kill you!" Kyr'Tai finally said, her words silencing the small murmurs that had broken out amongst those seated.
"I will not have hostility at my table when we break bread. That is an order." Eirik said in a calm voice, but his eyes had become hard and cold. Torsten started sniffling again and Kyr'Tai sneered in contempt, "Silence the hatchling before I-" She had been lifting a rib to her maw as she spoke, but was interrupted as a solid *THOCK* could be heard a split-second before the rib was slammed into her snout. Looking at it, she saw a knife embedded in the bone and the woman next to Eirik hissed at her
"Insult my children, or make any motion to cause them harm, and I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you alive while I skin you and turn your hide into a pair of shoes, so I can spend the rest of my life stepping on you!" Freja's voice was icy cold and barely audible, but her words were deafening. For the first time in many years, Kyr'Tai felt that she had to be very careful around this individual, or life would become very deadly, very fast.
"I apologize for my daughter's rudeness. She is used to being the one to hold the power and is having difficulties adjusting to being in a less advantageous position." Tai'Tanu said smoothly and Freja grudgingly accepted. Eirik pulled a bone free from a side of ribs and broke it in half and handed them to his sons, who immediately perked up. They both loved marrow, as most kids do, and could spend endless hours trying to get every last bit out of their respective half of the bone. It would keep them occupied while this interaction took place.
"Please, eat and relax. You are guests at my table and shall want for nothing. As long as you keep the peace, you have nothing to fear." Eirik proclaimed and gestured to the food on the table. Kyr'Tai and the 4 guards were hesitant, but Tai'Tanu started picking out food with the same enthusiasm as the rest.
"Mother, aren't you afraid they might have poisoned the food?" Kyr'Tai whispered to Tai'Tanu, but her words were dismissed with a hand gesture. "We are all eating from the same trays, daughter. They would be poisoning themselves in the process as well. A simple yet elegant solution to one of the most common trust issues during meetings such as these." Tai'Tanu explained through mouthfuls of food, and Her daughter kept quiet during the rest of the meal. This was unfamiliar to her and she had resigned herself to observing and learning.
About halfway through the meal, the 2 young boys now full and content were getting fidgety and had trouble sitting still, so Krisnu and Trasti took them close to the house to entertain them away from the table. Olaf practiced with his axe against Trasti who simply blocked with a shield, and Torsten had a great deal of fun trying to subdue Krisnu's tail. Tai'Tanu looked over at the scene and directed a question toward Eirik "Is it customary to for Terran young to train for battle at what appears to be the late hatchling stage?" The honest interest in her question made Eirik pause for a moment before answering.
"No. But my children will have a different upbringing like I did. We come from an old culture of proud and renowned warriors. They roamed most of the planet during the height of their time in history and became known as great explorers, merchants, and pirates. Their ships were famous for being sturdy enough to cross world oceans but light and nimble enough to navigate inland rivers with relative ease. My family kept this tradition alive and I have no plans to break that tradition. All my children, both current and future, will learn how to defend themselves to the same extent as myself."
"Fascinating. And for how long does that traditional training take place? And is there a formal system of combat, or is it passed on by the individual?" Tai'Tanu, in her old age, had become obsessed with understanding her enemy, to the point where sitting at his table, eating his food, and carrying a casual conversation, something she would have killed someone for suggesting just 5 years earlier, was now not only acceptable but sought after, as evident by her request for this very meeting.
"In ancient times, training was passed from father to son and it was common to start training at 5 years of age and consider it complete at age 12, where the child would also become a technical legal adult. However, considering these modern times, I will continue training until the age of 18, making it a total of 13 years of combat training." Eirik explained as he took a drink from his cup. Contrary to what everyone believed, he was not drinking alcohol, just water. He did not want trouble because of a drunken slip-up.
"No wonder you have been such a pain to kill. You trained for combat for more than a quarter of a long Kloxna lifetime before you were even unleashed in battle. And from your tactical prowess, I suspect you have high-ranking military members in your family?" The last bit was added as a question. Eirik knew she was not only satisfying her curiosity but trying to teach her obvious protege what kind of enemy she was up against. It would not matter. She was too young and angry to make use of the knowledge in time. Perhaps in 10 years, once she passed the halfway mark of a Kloxna, would she have the patience to sit take a mental step backward and analyze the situation.
But currently, she lacked the self-control to rein in her anger. Eirik knew the problem all too well, thankful that he had made it to an age where frontline soldiers took a step back and started commanding instead of leading. He was also pretty sure that the personal unit of bodyguards that Jesper had screened and trained would have a collective heart attack if he went back to the frontline. He had no idea what Jesper had done, but in the 2 years since he created the unit, their loyalty to Eirik had become bordering on fanatic, and he didn't know how to feel about that.
But that Kyr'Tai. Even now she was barely holding back the rage that boiled inside of her, her claws flexing menacingly under the table. She thought she was being stealthy, but the muscles in her arms rippled with every movement. She was truly a terrifying specimen of a Kloxna. She might even be able to go toe-to-toe with a Plyxii in melee. But she would most likely be all about brute strength, towering as she was over any Kloxna Eirik had ever seen. Compared to Las'Tai or Trasti, she was more than a head taller and almost twice as wide. Her armor plating was thick and what should have been a ceremonial blade was more of a short sword, the size of a seax.
But angry as she was, Tai'Tanu's presence subdued her by sheer will and Eirik had to respect that. Returning his thoughts to her question, he replied, "My grandfather, the same man that trained me in combat, is the current commander of all Terran military navy affairs."
Tai'Tanu stopped when Eirik said that. thinking hard for a moment. "So, you are saying that the only reason you have been such a thorn in not just my side, but the glorious Kloxna empire as a whole, is because of bad luck on my part?" She asked, her voice had regained the old snap of her soldering days.
"No. back when I first met your daughter and escaped, I was given the option of leaving her where she was, unconscious and doomed to either death or dishonor for letting a dangerous prisoner escape. Or take her hostage and save her warrior's honor by forfeiting my own by hiding behind a hostage. It was too big of a choice for me to make myself, so I asked my gods to make it for me. Their choice was that I take her hostage." Eirik said with a small smile at the memory. "I still curse the Allfather for the trouble it has brought me, but it is what it is. My gods demand entertainment."
"Superstitious primitivism!" Kyr'Tai spat out. "How you backward primates ever managed to leave whatever shitty world gave birth to your species will forever be beyond me, but I look forward to the day I can watch the life leave your eyes as I take your life!"
Eirik fixed his gaze on her and cocked his head for a moment before he stood up from his chair. "Olaf!" He called out, "Let me see your training axe for a moment!"
Olaf dutifully brought over the wooden axe with the blunted edge. It was too small for Eirik, but the blunted edge could still break bones with enough force. "Stay here for a moment, okay my boy?" Eirik said with a smile and Olaf nodded. With that, Eirik moved away from the house, to the other side of the table and took up a stance on the grass. "Lower your weapons!" He commanded of everyone at the table before he looked back to Kyr'Tai who was watching him in confusion. "Come at me then. No one will interfere. You are free to attack me without consequence."
Eirik had barely finished speaking before Kyr'Tai left her seat with her claws outstretched. Tai'Tanu had reached out to grab her but was too slow and her daughter rushed toward Eirik before leaping off the ground, ready to slam him into the dirt and rake him with her claws. But as she left the ground and her trajectory became fixed, Eirik took a half-step to the left and twisted his hip to the right, and swung the wooden axe in a backhand motion.
Kyr'Tai's eyes widened in realization and fear of the impact with the edge of the weapon, but Eirik turned his wrist before the impact and hit her head, holding the axe sideways, The large impact area prevented any permanent damage from occurring but the massive Kloxna saw nothing but stars for the briefest of moments before she impacted with the ground and the unforgiving forces of physics mushed her already dazed and confused head into the dirt with a nasty *THUMP* and after several failed attempts to get up, she had to roll over on her back and wait for her head to stop spinning. When the world finally came into focus, Eirik was standing above her, waiting for her to lock eyes with him.
"Come back when you are an actual warrior and not a brave amateur. Even your little sister at the table put up a better fight the first time we did battle. Tai'Tanu, I am not impressed!" Eirik said, turning his head at the final words and walking away.
"She is much like you, isn't she?" Tai'Tanu sighed from the table, making the now kneeling figure of Kyr'Tai cry out in protest, "I am not finished, Terran!"
"Don't embarrass yourself further!" Tai'Tanu snapped, "You can barely stand and he is not even breathing heavily! Think, daughter! Had this been a battlefield you would have been dead before your body hit the ground!"
"But-!" Kyr'Tai began but Las'Tai interrupted with a sharp voice, "There is no shame in admitting defeat in the face of obliteration, little sister. If you keep pushing him, he will oblige you and commit to battle. Accept his peace and his learning moment. Failure is the best teacher, as it allows you to find your faults and work to improve them."
Tai'Tanu looked at Las'Tai with a strange expression on her face while Eirik handed the toy weapon back to his son and sent him back to Trasti. "You would have made an unstoppable among the high caste. Whatever this Eirik has been teaching you, I am thankful for the influence it has had upon the individual you have become." She said with a small smile.
"´Mother!!" Kyr'Tai cried in shock as she was finally getting to her feet.
"Even enemies can show respect. Learn from your mother's example and rejoin us at the table. There is still food to be eaten and I feel my point was made clear. No more hostility at my table!" Eirik said as he sat back down in his chair and picked up Torsten who had come running, and sat with his son as Torsten helped himself to food on Eirik's plate. Kyr'Tai stood frozen for a long moment, fighting an internal battle, but ended up making her way back to the table and sitting back down, visibly shrinking under Tai'Tanu's withering gaze.
"So, Tai'Tanu. Now that this whole circus is about to reach its end, what is it you want of me?" Eirik had to raise his voice slightly to drown out his 3-year-old son's attempt at joining the conversation
Tai'Tanu closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she answered, "I want to finish the duel we began all those years ago."