{Cinder | Li Mountain}
Xelan wished he was at Tameka’s side, rescuing their son. Instead, he gazed out over the barren wasteland of his homeworld and the race he abandoned looking to him for command. On his mountain. Only a few steps from his memorial—A two-meter tall monument of stacked rocks.
“Korac put it up for you,” Sagan had told Xelan. After which, she left him alone with his thoughts.
Everyone organized and worked to funnel the Two Worlds’ armies into the conduits Sagan had opened throughout the station which acted as Cinder’s shrine. Everyone afforded Xelan this second to see how every moment in his life led to this. If Rayne hadn’t claimed the title, this would mark the moment the Traitor Prince became the King of Cinder. But it was bigger than that.
Tempest and Dolor kindly conceded their supervision to Korac, no longer “former” General. Likewise, Cypher, Colton, and Six happily relinquished command to Sagan. The Progeny and the Icarus led their worlds as true equals in authority. They were a model for things to come.
Pax.
The best thing to happen to Xelan since Tameka and, before that, Rayne.
“Elden, please let them be all right.” His words went to the wind.
“Come to take in the view, your highness?”
Xelan closed his eyes. That voice on this rock brought a rush of emotion he thought long dammed until he read his General’s Verse. He opened them to look out at Umbra’s Spire. Its thin shade cast along those entering the conduit at its base. Xelan swallowed the dry lump in his throat to say, “Tell me, Korac, did you ever think while we were dreaming over there that we’d find ourselves here, leading our people against Enki?”
Korac took the last few steps to the edge, between Xelan and the memorial, and peered out. Confident and solid, he said, “I always knew you and Nox would lead us to salvation. I’d only hoped we’d all be together.”
To the heart of the matter. How like the man Xelan knew so well. Truth be told, Xelan had thought of Nox many times since reading his brother’s Verse and now Korac’s. Since he learned Rayne truly defeated the King of Cinder despite whatever feelings she harbored. He thought of all the sacrifice and trauma the three Icari had suffered over the last three millions years. Six for Nox. What did it amount to?
Then Xelan looked out at the people below, the mingling of human and Icarus. The promise of the loyalty from those worlds which gathered in concert. All to release the Vast Collective from Imminent and ultimately Tritan rule.
But it all started with Primary Rem’s intervention on Xelan’s species, which led to the direct ruin of his family. Of three brothers who could never communicate enough how much they valued each other. To address Korac’s observation, Xelan asked, “Do you remember the time Nox’s hair caught fire?” He put on the expected grin and turned to the General.
Korac narrowed his gaze, scrutinizing the Traitor Prince. Incredulity weighed the smooth cadence of his voice. “Oh, you mean the time he tried to put out the fire you started to prove sleh oil was, in fact, flammable?”
Xelan dismissed him with a wave. “It wasn’t that bad—”
“You blew up the Spire’s stores.”
He frowned. That wasn’t right, was it? “The entire store? It was only one barrel.”
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Korac balked near to gripping his hair. The next he said as if explaining to a child. “No, you lit one barrel out of fifty. It spread faster than Many Feet’s gas through one of mother’s parties.”
Xelan held his ribs and laughed like he couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so hard. Maybe not since he was a teenager. No, that’s not true. Since the first night he taught Rayne to drive. Or maybe it was the first time Tameka broke his arm.
Korac let out a chuckle. Then a little laughter. Finally, he leaned on the memorial and let it hold him as he went into a fit of laughter. Between breaths, Korac said, “And then… and then… Nox had to explain to her why you had an Icarean firestick in the first place. Do you remember?”
Oh, did he ever. Xelan fell to his knees, laughing to tears. “I was supposed to… supposed to light it in case Umbra caught us switching his off-world liquor with Hellkite piss.”
“And who had to collect all of that?” Korac’s tone suggested they both knew full well the answer.
Xelan tried to open his mouth and answer. Once. Twice. But he couldn’t gather enough breath, he was laughing so hard. He managed to point at his personal guard.
“That’s right. Me.”
Although his decorum wasn’t very befitting of a Prince or a King, Xelan cherished the lack of oxygen, near to giddiness in this moment.
Until Korac took two steps and put his face in Xelan’s, where he sat on his knees. Too close in this mindset of reminiscing about another lifetime they once shared. So close he made out the flecks of gray in Korac’s otherwise white eyes. For one second, it took Xelan’s breath away.
“My Prince.” Korac fixed a few errant strands of Xelan’s hair while the Prince searched his General’s eyes for the meaning of this. Then the blasted Icarus smirked. “If you ever give me your fake smile again, I’ll leave you crippled in your laughter.”
How…? This entire time… Korac drew this recollection out on purpose only to make Xelan smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but Korac held up a finger.
“And I don’t think it’s fair you use that smile on Tameka. She’s too young to know the difference.” Korac let go and moved back to let Xelan stand. The General said, “The Progeny can see your mask, and I share their sentiment—We don’t like it.”
Xelan looked out at the army, saying, “It’s rather hypocritical for you of all people to tell me when I can’t shield what I think and feel from others.”
“That’s ridiculous.” When the Traitor Prince whirled back, Korac continued. “Everyone is entitled to concealing their grief from time to time, but only in a moment which is earned. Coming back from the dead. Fine. Earned. But let Tameka see how much Pax’s abduction affects you. She needs it. Now, your majesty, let’s return to saving him and winning this war.”
So much about Korac had changed after meeting Sagan. Xelan grinned. “Let’s.” He went to Korac’s side and pointed at the memorial. “Nice marker, by the way.”
“Stuff it, your highness.”
After the laughing fit Korac had subjected Xelan to, the Prince wanted a little payback. “No, really. You made it yourself, right? I’m honored.”
Korac rolled his eyes and opened his wings. “You always were a fucking tease.”
They jumped off the cliff toward the conduit, where Tumu stood below with Kyle and Andrew. Legir was walking away from Kyle and into the conduit. Sagan went Seamswalking to unite Iuo with his army. Pehton stayed behind with the Lyriks in Cinder’s station. Lamassau stayed with F8 to help orientate all the troops of the difference between Tritan and Imminent.
Good luck.
In a much better mood, Xelan alighted with Korac. Into an interrogation.
“Does Peaches know?” Tumu’s almost expressionless face drew lines of concern at the corners of his eyes and mouth.
Kyle stopped screening the army’s memories and faced the other men. “What does Tameka need to know?” He gave a suspicious, sweeping glance over Korac and Xelan.
While screening human intentions, Andrew said, “In two hundred and twenty Probabilities, she doesn’t know. The ones where we succeed, anyway.”
Korac remained quiet. Only his cold gaze contributed to the conversation.
Xelan understood their concerns. He worried, too. “No. I don’t think she realizes, and I plan to tell her once she finishes this mission. I didn’t want her distracted with the pending responsibility.”
“What responsibility?” Now Kyle sounded a little offended on Tameka’s behalf.
Tumu stared at Xelan for a second, as if considering his answer. Eventually, he nodded to Xelan’s relief.
This time, Kyle’s voice took on a harder tone. “No, really though? Is it dangerous?”
Andrew assured him, “No more dangerous than her current mission. More like a lifetime of paying back all these people for helping her recover Pax.”
Again, Kyle asked, “There’s a price?!”
Xelan feared this exact conversation with Tameka, but there was no other way to describe it. A price. With a heavy heart, he answered, “The absence of Imminent and what takes their place. That’s the price Tameka and I must pay.”