Daniel groaned as he brought his crimson officers’ cloak over his shoulders, feeling the terrible bruises and pain that were the result of a full week’s training with Avria. The troublesome woman had been harsh with him after the temporary transfer of responsibility from Oros, and she did little to hide any contempt she may have had.
“Let me,” Rin said, helping him in his struggle.
“Thanks,” Daniel said awkwardly. He had been doing his best to cope with the fact that he now had a servant, but still, he found it very difficult.
Daniel adjusted his belt and blade that now hung at his side and looked at Rin. “So? How do I look?”
“Like a general, my Lord,” she said, bowing her head.
“I told you to call me Daniel.”
“But you are an officer in the Lokkadonian military and the squire under the Kryo of all Vul De Rah. How can I not show you the utmost respect? My Lord.”
Daniel sighed. “Ok, well sir maybe, but I sure as hell am not a ‘Lord,’ you can trust me on that one.”
Rin smiled but continued to straighten his cloak, tightening the straps across his shoulders and smoothing wrinkles. “It is all about perspective, I suppose. From where you stand, there are none here who you would truly call your equal. Well, perhaps Lady Katrina, but everyone here, whether royalty or spirit, pay you a respect that is not common in this land. So, I believe you may not be able to understand. From my perspective,” she bent down to pick up Daniel’s small satchel of daily supplies and put it over his head and across his chest, “I am a Doulos, and I have many betters. So someone like you, who has shown me more kindness than I have ever received, more than I knew was even possible in this cruel world, deserves to be called Lord. You are probably the only man here who truly deserves the title. So yes, my Lord, you sure as ‘hell’ are one.”
Daniel contemplated her words. He never was good at taking compliments. Usually, he would smile and say thank you, back home at least, and that was hard enough.
“Well,” he said before being interrupted by his door swinging open, revealing a clean and very imperious looking Delmos.
“By the spirits, I miss this!” he shouted boisterously. “Here I am, living in the officers’ quarters, and you are living in the palace. Life just isn’t fair, my friend.” Delmos smiled a toothy grin and looked to Rin. “Servant, get us some wine. And make it quick, I’m terribly parched. I haven’t been drunk in hours! Ridiculous, isn’t it?”
“Hey, Delmos,” Daniel said, unable to keep a smile of his own from crawling across his face.
Rin bowed and hurried to a small table that had a large pitcher of wine and several very fine-looking bowls.
The two men embraced, and Delmos took it upon himself to lay down on a couch facing Daniel’s balcony. “So, how’s my sister treating you? Harshly, I hope. I can’t bear the thought of you living like this and not being absolutely miserable.”
“You would.” Daniel sat across from him on a chair. “Aren’t warriors like you supposed to ask for permission to come see important people like myself? I need a letter, at least a week in advance.”
Delmos barked a laugh. “My dear Dan, don’t you remember what I said about knowing people? Everyone likes me too, so that’s a plus.” He looked over his shoulder. “Girl! Wine! I’m dying here!”
“Calm down, Delmos, good lord,” Daniel said, glancing over at Rin, who hurried to give Delmos one of the bowls of wine she balanced in her hands.
“It’s so strange to see you with a Doulos, Dan,” Delmos said, taking a long drink. “You always seemed to have something to say about it. I never thought Oros would get you to keep one.” He sat up, suddenly changing his expression. “Have you finally done it?”
“No,” Daniel said sharply.
“What? No? You mean to tell me you’re still a virgin? Dan, I… this is just unbelievable to me. You have a Doulos here, who obeys your every command, and you have done nothing—”
“Delmos, I’m not a virgin. How many times do I have to tell you?” Daniel shook his head in frustration.
“Oh? You have not slept with a Dae girl yet. So, to me, you’re a virgin. Human girls don’t count. My world, my rules.” Delmos crossed his arms smugly. “So.” He looked at Rin. “Is he telling the truth?”
Rin lowered her eyes and nodded. “Yes, my Lord.”
Daniel cringed at the exchange and stood to face her. “Rin, can you go to the market and bring some food back for me?” He handed her his royal squire’s seal. “Take this with you. They will know that you’re there on my behalf and will give you all the supplies you ask them for.”
She nodded and smiled. “Of course, my Lord. I will be back shortly.” Taking the seal, she donned a cloak of her own and strode out the door, holding a large basket in her hands.
“My, my,” Delmos said after the guards outside closed the door. “You are serious, aren’t you? You are trying to treat that Doulos like a normal Dae?”
“You see,” Daniel turned to him, his expression serious, “where I’m from, we don’t have slaves anymore. And frankly, I find the practice to be disgusting.”
“Dan, I’m not going to sit here all day and argue the reasons we do what we do, but I can say this at least. The Rexunii were a terrible and savage group of people who warred and killed for hundreds of years. Their clan would enslave and burn whole cities, clans, houses! It didn’t stop until the Lokkadonian houses stood up and fought back. We used our military might and tactical prowess to kill their king and push them to the south. Any who remained here were given the same treatment they gave others. They were made into second-class citizens, forced to work against their will, and if you ask for my opinion, which I know you will, they haven’t yet suffered enough. Lokkon used to be a part of Rexun. Now we are our own clan, stronger and more sophisticated. And soon, all of Rexun will be under our control. They won’t stand a chance. My soon-to-be brother-in-law will see to that.”
“Do the Rexunii have slaves?” Daniel asked.
Delmos sighed and drank from his bowl of wine again. “No, but they used to. I can assure you that the only reason that is, is because we have kept them in check for so many years. If Lokkadonia had left them to their ways, they would have conquered all of Eleutheros by now.”
Daniel still shook his head but did not press the issue further. At the end of the day, this was not his world, and it was the way it was. What power does one man have to change it? What right would he have, as an outsider, to judge them?
“Never mind this ridiculousness,” Delmos said, standing. “I came here to see my friend, not argue about politics. I promise I will leave your Doulos girl alone; you have my word. Besides, if I’m serious for more than a few minutes, I get physically ill, so let’s try to move on to more positive things.”
“I agree,” Daniel said.
~
The two left the palace and proceeded to go to the Regios estate, where Katrina and Avria were performing a strange exercise in the training area. Normally, this would have been an unremarkable spectacle. Daniel had seen them training together countless times now. However, this time, they were wearing only cloth wraps around their chest and a very fine towel tied around their waists. The two were locked in a battle stance with their arms outstretched and their eyes closed. Sweat beaded down their bare skin while they concentrated on some unseen force.
The sight shocked Daniel, to the point where he stopped mid-stride and stared.
“By the spirits!” Delmos called in horror. “Avria! Put some damn clothes on! What’s wrong with you!” He turned to Daniel, who did his best the hide his expression. “Can you believe these women? And getting poor Katrina to join you as well!”
Avria’s eyes opened, and her brow furrowed in pure displeasure. “Delmos, would you please be quiet? Your obnoxious voice makes it extremely hard to concentrate,” she growled. Her eyes turned to Daniel, and though it looked as though it wasn’t possible, her frown deepened. “Daniel, I told you to spend today with commander Glause. What are you doing here?” She stood up, out of her battle stance, and put her hands on her shapely hips. The sight brought Daniel’s heart to rest in his throat, and he gulped it back down.
“Sorry about that, Avria. I uh… guess I forgot.” He said, cold sweat dripping down his back.
“Are you…?” Delmos said, his face disgusted. “Are you looking at my sister!?”
“What?” Daniel said. “Come on.” He turned and headed over to the Proistem headquarters.
“Daniel!” Avria called, causing him to turn back around. “I suppose since you’re here, you could help us with something. Katrina!” She turned toward her, and she stood somewhat sheepishly behind her. “Why are you hiding?” Finally, she saw her covering herself as best she could with her hands, and Avria uncharacteristically blushed a hot blue. “I’m surrounded by fools. Get in there and put some clothes on.” She turned to meet Daniel’s eyes, “And you! Wait here until we get back.”
“Of… of course.” He said, clearing his throat.
“Betrayal,” Delmos said dramatically.
“Shut up!” Daniel huffed.
~
The two waited for some time as Avria and Katrina bathed and donned more appropriate attire. During this time, Delmos managed to make no less than a hundred comments, jabs, jokes, and jibes about Daniel and his apparently disgusting and obvious gawk at his sister. It seemed like a hundred, at least, to Daniel. Still, he took it in stride; he’d not even attempted to hide the fact that he did check her out. He had never seen Avria in such a state, and though she had a hard and deplorable attitude, she was a beautiful woman. Woman? Daniel thought, catching the use of the word in his mind. Was he thinking of Dae females as women now? It had been a while, after all. He shook the thought from his mind and tuned in to Delmos’ continuous banter.
“I mean, seriously, does she want us to sit here all day? I have things to do, people to meet, girls to woo. My sister has a tendency to give orders to people first and think very little about how it could affect their schedules,” he scoffed. “Typical.”
“Uh-huh,” Daniel said unenthusiastically. “I know what type of person she is.”
“Do you?” Delmos asked, unfamiliar seriousness entering his voice. “She is a terror to those who she doesn’t seem to like. And you, my friend, are high on that list; trust me. I saw her several days ago, we had dinner, and by the spirits! She hates you. Whew! Don’t let it affect you, though; I rather prefer it that way. Avria and I never really mixed friends much.”
Daniel grunted. “I don’t care how she feels about me. There are a whole lot more problems going on than Avria’s feelings.”
“Dan,” Delmos said, putting his hand on his shoulder. “Tell me, please. In all seriousness…” He sighed. “Were you… admiring my sister, in that way?”
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Daniel shook his head. “You just don’t give up, do you? No, Delmos. The answer to your question, for the fiftieth time, is no.”
“I thought you said hundredth?” he shot back.
Footsteps on the sand broke the conversation, and the two men looked up to see Avria and Katrina approaching. They wore fine training leathers, with their weapons at their hips.
“Finally!” Delmos exclaimed. “Did you have to take an hour to bathe? It takes me five minutes.”
Avria ignored her brother and crossed her arms when she stood in front of Daniel.
“I want to sate a curiosity I have,” she said, gesturing to Katrina. “We have been discussing some of the differences between you humans and the Dae, and some theories have formed. One of them is potentially dangerous, and I would like you to try it for me.”
“Me?” Daniel said, annoyance in his voice. “Why the hell would I do that? Are you a scientist now or something?”
“Dan, this could be interesting. Trust me,” Katrina said.
He furrowed his brow and looked at Avria again. “Well, what is it?”
“What we were doing when you rudely interrupted us. It is a type of meditation, but very few Dae of my level are able to achieve it easily,” Avria explained. “It is called Dunum Dae Espae, and in words that you might understand, it is the area within a different plane of existence where the Dunamis can be manipulated, or taught. Normally you would have to travel to one of the Libreas to achieve this knowledge, but we don’t have time for that. The Torre’ would never allow it, even if Agron becomes king. Dae have difficulty finding this, but from how Katrina described your experiences in the Espi-Dae temple when you discovered your power, I believe you both may have inadvertently entered this state.”
Daniel nodded, intrigued. “That still doesn’t explain why you need me for this, Katrina was there too, and she’s a human, and she’s your pupil.”
“I was successful, Dan,” Katrina said. “I already managed to get in. She just wants to know if it’s easy for ALL humans to do this. That way, it’s more likely that it’s a unique ability for humans, and not just me being amazing.”
Daniel’s eyes widened. “Really. So, you were both in the… Dunum Dae, whatever?
“Yes,” Avria said. “You are able to enter the state together with someone if you concentrate enough. It is very difficult, and easily broken if one of your rude and obnoxious brothers starts yelling about nonsense.”
“It was not nonsense!” Delmos protested. “I saw more skin of yours than a brother ever should. I thought you’d be sympathetic!”
Avria rolled her eyes.
“Well,” Daniel continued, “why were you both dressed like that?”
“Because it was hot, Dan. We were sweating like crazy,” Katrina barked. “And we didn’t expect two perverts to waltz in unannounced.”
“Whoa!” Delmos shot back, in his most offended voice. “Daniel is not a pervert. I am, but was too disgusted at seeing my sister to notice you.” He grinned. “However, now that the horror has passed, I must say you look amazing.”
“Enough,” Avria huffed. “Will you help me with this, Daniel?”
“I suppose. I mean, Katrina did it. I should be able to as well. Why did you say it was going to be dangerous, though?”
“Well,” she said, “in this state, you are technically in the same plane of existence as the Spirits. If you aren’t prepared, they might come to see what all the fuss is about. Not all Spirits are… well, as understanding and nice as Gro’ak or Koh. There is also the chance of attracting a… well, a demon.”
“A demon?” Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow.
“They are never seen anymore, really. However, there are several tales of Dae who were devoured while exploring powerful abilities in that state. They were possessed and tried to kill everything around them back in this world.”
“So, when everyone was calling us demons, they thought we were…”
“Physical embodiments of these things.” Avria actually seemed a bit disturbed by the topic and took in a deep breath. “Anyway, nothing like that has happened for at least several hundred years, so the risk of that is very low. And, I will be there with you to ward off any curious Spirits. Also, I’m sure that Gro’ak is observing from somewhere and will keep any harmful ones away.”
“Hmmm.” Daniel thought, his face twisting. “You don’t need me to… you know.”
“No,” Avria said hotly. “You do not have to remove any clothing.”
~
Avria closed her eyes, again in the center of the training field at her estate. She sat now with her legs crossed, and Daniel across from her in an identical posture. Katrina and Delmos were nearby as well but thankfully gave them space to work.
“Just breathe,” Avria said, doing her best to sound soothing, something she found extremely difficult to do. “You can see it within yourself, can’t you? The flame? That same heartbeat of power you felt?”
“Yes…” Daniel said.
“Good, now focus on it. Do you remember the first time you saw it? The first time you felt its power coursing through your veins?”
Daniel didn’t answer right away. He sat for nearly a minute in silence and finally responded with soft words. “I see it,” he said.
“Very nice, now follow my lead. I am going to—” She was cut off by a swirl of light in her mind. She was hit with immense power and screamed as it tore at her skin. She felt it boil and melt with an extreme heat, then she suddenly found herself in a vast and hot desert.
Avria looked from side to side, startled by the sudden and horribly painful transfer to the Dunum Dae Espae state. Every state was unique, depending on who was the figurative captain of the ship. She was just a passenger in Daniel’s journey and was in his version.
“Daniel?” she called, looking for the man. This was hot. She looked up at a blazing and unrelenting sun. Katrina’s was pleasant, a meadow filled with flowers and streams that brought cool, refreshing water to them. It took much longer with her, she thought. How did he manage to get here so fast?
She turned around and was startled by the sight of a man in very strange attire. He had a helmet on his head and was covered in a strange digital looking uniform. There were gadgets and pouches all around him, and he held a strange tool in his hands that was strapped to his chest; it all looked cumbersome and uncomfortable. He was facing her but looking to his right. He turned once she took a step closer, and she paused when she noticed that the strange man was, in fact, Daniel.
“There you are,” she said. “That was quick, and you proved my theory, I think. I must say that I’m very impressed with how fast you…” She looked closer and noticed that he was not looking at her; it was almost as though he was studying something through her. His eyes were hard, younger, but within, she saw unimaginable pain and sorrow. Un-blinking, they smoldered with an intensity she had never seen before.
Suddenly the world around her began to change, and buildings of stone and wood began to form around her. She was standing in the middle of a strange street, in a world she now was starting to think was his home, Earth. Strange machines appeared that had wheels and were controlled from within by men in identical uniforms. They rumbled loudly and were extremely disconcerting to look at. On top of them were humans who sat in a small hole, holding the same strange black tool Daniel was, but behind a shield of some kind. The town or city she was standing in was covered in trash. Many of the buildings or dwellings looked as though they were damaged or poorly built. She saw strange wires and poles erected at their flanks, and a strong smell hit her nose.
By the spirits, she thought. This is his home, but how did… oh no! She tried to walk to him, to snap him out of it. The Dunum Dae Espae state was not widely understood, and those who ventured in needed to have a purpose. Katrina obeyed Avria’s instructions before and followed her in. Daniel dove in on his own and merely pulled her along for the ride. He had no anchor and must have fallen into one of his memories by accident. Why are we back in his world? she thought, frustration setting in. She lifted her hands up to put a stop to it, using her own power but hesitated. What was a pinprick of curiosity turned into a torrent, and she could not help but wonder what kind of world these humans came from. The sights were strange enough, and from what she was seeing, it looked hideous.
Suddenly Daniel was walking in a formation, with several dozen other humans, all staggered around one of these machines, that lumbered along slowly down the middle of a road.
“Daniel!” she yelled, snapping her fingers and trying to touch him, but he didn’t seem to notice her. Instead, he lifted a black box attached to his left shoulder and spoke into it.
“One-actual, this is Stallion, come in, over,” he said. She almost didn’t recognize his voice. It was coarse and tired.
Suddenly another voice chirped from the strange black device. “Send it, Stallion, this is One-actual, over.”
“Be advised, there are several high-rise buildings about three blocks north of our current position. I would advise taking it slow. It looks like this is where those shots were coming from, over.”
“Roger that Stallion,” the device said. “C.O.C. is saying this is one of the points of interest from an intel brief this morning. We got some time; let’s move in, set up security, and start making friends. How copy, over?”
“Roger. Full copy, out,” Daniel said.
What are they talking about? she thought, unable to understand the strange vocabulary they were using. She walked for several minutes with the humans she was now assuming were warriors of some kind. No matter what she did, she couldn’t seem to get Daniel’s attention. She knew she couldn’t linger much more as the longer she spent in here, the more dangerous it was for both of them. This must be when he was a warrior in his world. A Marine, she thought, remembering one of Katrina’s conversations, and feeling somehow guilty for peering into the mind of someone she knew was very private and isolated, without his knowledge or control.
The formation approached the tall buildings she heard him talking about, and they reached up about fifteen or twenty stories. They looked very blocky but seemed somehow out of place in this city.
The machines stopped moving, and the human warriors on this patrol fanned out. Having grown up in a military family and seen battles of her own, she knew that this was an exercise that was well-practiced.
“Fives and twenty-fives, gents!” Daniel yelled, causing other men to echo his command and to follow it. She wasn’t sure what they were doing exactly, but the discipline and instant obedience to his order made her understand a bit more why he had been so difficult to control. This was a man who had clearly held great respect in his command over his fellow warriors and was by no means a ‘whelp’ by Lokkadonian standards.
Suddenly there was a loud crack that split the air, startling Avria. The sound was so sudden and thundering, it hurt her ears. One crack turned into many, and the warriors began shouting and finding cover. Projectiles moving faster than anything she had ever seen before began to impact around them, slamming into the pavement at her feet and clanging against the metal machine. Daniel and his Marines moved methodically, and Avria could see Daniel behind what looked like a wall of stone. He held up his strange tube-like tool and aimed it upward toward one of the buildings. Avria looked up to see flashes of fire, and projectiles impact against the wall he was taking cover behind. She fell to the sand but rolled to where Daniel was, shaken by the intense battle that was now raging.
“Suppress those mother fuckers!” he yelled, belching fire of his own out of the black tool he carried across his chest. Glass shattered where he was aiming, and a torn body hung lifelessly out of a window, his head open, and blood streaming out.
The utter chaos of the battle terrified her. They had no power, no way to protect themselves from this weapon. She saw one of the human Marines struck by an unseen projectile. They were moving too fast to catch with her eyes. Red blood gushed from the wound in his shoulder, and he cursed loudly at the agony he surely felt.
“Sergeant Peirce!” one of the warriors called from behind, causing Daniel to turn towards him. “We got hostiles coming in from the south! Second section was hit at the same time! A goddamn coordinated attack!”
“What are we looking at, Lopez!?” Daniel asked, launching projectiles back at the building.
“Small arms and RPGs! We got no air support or RT, you can thank the brass for that shit, Sergeant.”
“Fuck ’em, we can handle these assholes!” Daniel spoke into the black box at his shoulder, and it squelched its muffled responses.
“Why haven’t they hit us with those RPGs!? We’re sitting ducks out here. We’ve got to take that building quick. Better cover!”
“Maybe they fucked up?” Lopez yelled, “I’m not gonna question it!”
Daniel yelled commands over the ear-shattering chaos, and methodically and efficiently, the warriors began to attack the building. They suppressed the areas that their enemies had a foothold on and moved under the cover of their own fire. Once one small group moved, they fired, and another would move. Bounding to the entrance, they began to enter.
She turned to the machines behind as they began vomiting flames from the weapons atop them. The sound rattled her to her core, and she reeled in response, following Daniel into the building.
I have to stop this, she thought. I wanted to see more, but this is too much! She closed her eyes and focused on her own Dunamis. It thrummed at her attention, and she brought it forth. It looks like I’ll have to hijack him from here by force. Electricity bulged from around her, and she unleashed it in a fury. Suddenly the chaos of the battle ceased, and all the human warriors who were doing their bloody duty were frozen in place—all except Daniel, who looked around in confusion.
“What the hell?” he said, looking at his companions in shock. “How the… what the fu—” He froze when he saw Avria. She glowed with power, and electricity flowed around her, the sight must have been terrifying. At first, he looked at her, confused and startled, but as he met her eyes, she saw the Daniel she knew come back. He melted back into existence right before her.
“Avria…?” he asked, a quiver in his voice. “What are you…? How did I…?” He looked around the inside of the building, at the frozen faces of his old comrades, and fell to his knees. “Oh… God…”
Avria approached him and put a glowing hand on his shoulder.
Suddenly she gasped and opened her eyes to find she was back in the training area in the Regios estate. She let out a relieved breath and noticed that Katrina was holding her shoulders. And saying something.
“My Lady! Are you alright!?” she shouted.
“What?” Avria said, confused. “What happened?” She looked at Daniel, across from her, who was sitting up and staring at the sand.
“What happened!?” Delmos roared at her. “You were both gone for hours! We were starting to think we lost you!”
Avria reeled at the information. “Hours?” It couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes or so, she thought. She stood on shaky legs and stumbled to Daniel. “Are you alright?” she asked softly and with genuine concern in her voice. The fresh images of his alien war flashed in her mind.
“Now you know…” he said, almost in a whisper. “Now you know me more than anyone here…” He looked up at her, his eyes red and filled with the same rage she saw in the Dunum Dae Espae. It was the same distant, callous hatred he had while he looked upon his enemies in that violent desert city. He said nothing more, only stood and strode away from them and the training field, ignoring calls from Katrina and Delmos for him to stop.
“Now I know…” Avria said softly to herself.