Kolira had been acting Mother Superior since she was twenty-three years old, taking the position after the previous officiator died a few years after the end of the Fire Wars. She had been thrust into combat at the age of three, tending to the injured on the front lines when the Clavex was nearing total annihilation.
She hardly knew her own parents and had no idea how they died; it had been utter chaos during the start of the Quen’Talrat’s expansion upon their return from the north. Even before that time, the giant monsters left behind would raid the Ri’bot clans in the south, effortlessly pillaging resources.
Only the strongest clans could stand up to even the weakest of the Quen’Talrat, and it was during those years that the Ethereal Clan gained its mythical reputation. It had always been a rather seclusive community, but there were rumors of their own plans for conquest.
During that time, the truly frightening thing was the black Quen’Talrat King had taken a personal interest in hunting down the unique white-skinned Ri’bot.
Kolira had heard many conflicted murmurs from several clans during that time. If the Ethereal took one of the King’s attention, then how bad would it have been if the Clan turned against the other Ri’bot tribes?
Yet, because the Ethereal refused to join the United Clans Initiative, the diverted attention helped save many of the southern clans, including her own.
Most Clavex had long since forgotten or abandoned such a birthright, and after the Ques’ká Seer foresaw a great conquering presence that would emerge to claim the land in time, no clan wished to subject themselves to such an eventful battle. If a Ques’ká was calling it a great force, then it was not something for Ri’bot to contend with, and every other nation respected the powerful race enough to leave the Quen’Talrat’s broken empire alone.
Now, it seemed that prophecy had been fulfilled.
Kolira stared into the barrel of water, vision defocused as terrifying dots branched in her mind, connecting Nadraca and Ambassador Klaus’ stories to other bits of information she had.
She half expected to swallow her long tongue while getting rid of the lump in her throat. Her people were casually going about their daily tasks, utterly unaware of the horror brewing around them.
Forced to blink, she noticed the green droplets of blood mixing with the water; she’d punctured her lips with her two teeth, showing the stress she felt.
Taking a deep breath, she unsteadily walked back to the chair, knees feeling weak. Her mind tried to work on the terrifying implications, but Elluinara’s safety kept creeping into her thoughts.
… Nadraca didn’t give any indication that it was a lie … Supreme Chiefs have been forced out of the Heavens … taking their conflict into the mortal realm.
If the Roxim tried to destroy Supreme Chief Elinor, ripping her apart, but the only result was her wrath, it gives credence to the theory they are divine, and if that’s the case … only a divine can truly kill a divine.
There’s only one reason the Supreme Chief of the Pits would throw every Supreme Chief out of the Heavens, weakening herself … she was losing. It must have been her last gambit. Now, she’s rebuilding her power, and followers must be a part of that, which is normal for any deity, I suppose.
Supreme Chief Yesenia was neutral in that conflict and has no ill-will toward Supreme Chief Elinor … however, she’s willing to make an enemy of her … I don’t believe Supreme Chiefs or Great Chiefs can lie, but … nothing like this has happened before, so I can’t rule it out.
If Supreme Chief Yesenia is at odds with Supreme Chief Elinor and followers aid in that power, then … no, no, that doesn’t even matter. It’s clear that Supreme Chief Yesenia has no love for the Ri’bot, and if that’s the case, then we must align ourselves with Supreme Chiefs that do care for us.
… The issue is … is that Supreme Chief Elinor, or someone else?
Our options are limited. We only know of two sides, Supreme Chief Yesenia and the three Supreme Chiefs that joined Supreme Chief Elinor. Would Supreme Chief Yesenia even dare oppose four united Supreme Chiefs? No, I suppose that is the reason she is offering us her protective hand.
… Elluinara knows she’s not supposed to talk about private matters within the palace with me, but … she couldn’t help but to worry. I never expected the Nalveans would spy on us … what reason would there be to do so … Supreme Chief Yesenia.
She hates Ri’bot, and it looks like the Nalvean military leaders are putting their faith in her, which means … Elluinara will die. They execute deserters, and there’s never been a traitor within their culture … Elluinara will go down in their history as the first by such a naive mistake.
The poor child believes the Clavex and Nalveans are a united people … which is far from true. The Nalveans benefit from our presence, but they can do without it. If their deity appears and condemns us … there would be a split, but most would follow … the rest would be executed.
All I see is doom for us…
Her eyes lifted to study the empty audience room, vision lingering on every visible layer of paint. The children of the Clavex had participated in the yearly Color Battle Royal within the chamber for the past sixty years, and now, all of that was in jeopardy.
“Nadraca…” Kolira growled.
Her mind wouldn’t stop twisting, but everything ended on one destructive point, the girl she knew since she was but a tadpole. Nadraca had grown into a decent Priestess, and a lot of Ri’bot respected her dream of advancing the Ri’bot beyond their current status.
“... Nadraca, you foolish, ignorant girl…”
Kolira never wanted to feel this way again toward her own clansmen, but she couldn’t help a small amount of repugnance entering her heart for the Priestess. She had many dreams with half-baked plans to get there; it usually only caused minor issues, but her actions required a stronger word than disaster.
She knew that the end result might have been the same. If the valley clans attacked Supreme Chief Yesenia, then she might still have such a grudge against all Ri’bot, and the conclusion would have mostly been the same, but at least the Nalveans wouldn’t have been their opponents.
A bitter taste filled Kolira’s mouth as her tongue popped out to clean her chin.
The peace she’d fought to secure with the Nalveans, governance she’d worked out, and the years of tireless effort was dashed to pieces by one careless decision that Nadraca made without any council, using the connections she’d garnered throughout the years and her father’s name to force her desire through.
The Ambassador was extremely proficient in pointing out the pitfall they were in, yet he managed to say everything he wanted without throwing all that blame on Nadraca.
There wasn’t much she could do about it, but it frustrated Kolira that in one fell swoop, the Priestess managed to destroy everything she’d built and the efforts multiple Nalvean friends had gone through over the years to provide a good place for her people.
Nadraca was never grateful for what they had, only looking forward to what she saw they lacked, which had led to this point.
Now, they didn’t have much of a choice; she didn’t have much of a choice. Any bridges they had were burned by Nadraca, and the Supreme Chief of the Pits was their only option.
Still, she wanted to be sure of a few things, and the last comment by the Ambassador put a spark of light in the abyss Nadraca had plunged her heart and mind into.
He was competent, of that, she was sure of, and expected nothing less of a Great Chief of the past; within his words was a path for salvation, for her heart and her people.
There was a place of safety for the Clavex, and Elluinara did not have to die.
The fact that the Ambassador puzzled out Elluinara’s visit and the political complexities of the Nalvean Court means that his statement is not just hot air. If a spy overheard our conversation, then I have no doubt Elluinara is in danger of legal punishment, possibly execution if Supreme Chief Yesenia discovers her love for the Clavex.
I could be playing right into a devious plot if he is the one doing all of this manipulation and if he sent an assassin after me, but there would be easier angles to take for a creature as intelligent as he … it is a possibility, but low. I need to consult with Elluinara…
Her thoughts came to a halt as she heard someone opening the second door in the room ahead. She waited until three Ri’bot came rushing in with horrified expressions.
“M-Mother Superior—t-the Jukal … it’s the Jukal!”
The name didn’t register for a moment with her fractured brain, and the Ri’bot fishermen continued.
“They’re gathering all around the city!”
“I think they’re searching for something! Is there Quen’Talrat again; have they returned?”
“... Oh,” was all that Kolira could say, eyes wide, but it took her a moment to link the two events.
Jukal … they’re gathering … a war in the Heavens … no, the Avana might return. The Supreme Chiefs are at war, and the Avana, the great storm calamity, is stirring … the Supreme Chief of Storms is gathering her forces.
Kolira shivered as a chill radiated throughout her body. “The Avana … why … for us?”
“Mother Superior?”
The three Ri’bot glanced at one another with questioning looks.
The Avana is capable of killing a Quen’Talrat Queen, so why summon it for … unless it’s to fight Supreme Chief Elinor. Is there really no escaping such a conflict? No, that can’t be right if they are genuinely neutral to each other … is there another Supreme Chief entering the mix I’m unaware of?
Knowing the three by name, Kolira cleared her throat, but she couldn’t hide the trembles in her voice. “One of you—no, Milgan, will you ask one of the messengers to call for Elluinara? Send the message that I need to speak to her right away … it is of the utmost urgency.”
“Uh … yeah, yeah, the Jukal and the Avana!”
The other two mumbled concerned remarks, agreeing that it was the best option to inform the Nalveans about the terrifying news.
“Right away, Mother Superior,” Milgan stated with a determined expression. The three ran out, too focused on the task to speak.
Kolira slumped back in her seat, hugging herself as the horrifying news assaulted her mind.
The Avana could breathe and destroy our entire clan … no Ri’bot could even approach the creature for miles without being cooked by its blazing wings. It could possibly obliterate the Ques’ká if it pleased … we’re insignificant. It just … it can’t be for us … a squad of Nalvean Elites could easily kill our entire clan.
We have to choose a side … yet, it’s seemingly impossible to appease Supreme Chief Yesenia. Is Supreme Chief Elinor the only path? How many of us will be able to escape north in time, and how soon will the Avana arrive? Is it even coming, or is it being called somewhere else? There are just so many questions with so little time to decide…
Kolira spent the next two hours nervously waiting, scanning her surroundings with the expectations that someone might try to take her life.
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Her nerves were high, but not because of the possible assassination; she’d survived most of her early life in more than hazardous situations that would have killed her. The trial before her was unexpected, and the unknown was what frightened her.
Finally, she sensed the person she’d been waiting for walking through the building with two other Ri’bot; she’d turned away everyone else that wanted her time. Her heart burned with relief as the Nalvean she felt was her daughter walked through the door.
Elluinara had a slim figure, most female Nalveans were born with smaller hands, thinner claws, and elegant, narrow faces. The hard, dark blue spikes protruding from her chest, thighs, shoulders, and forehead held an alluring curve that many male Nalvean seemed to admire while her supple, strong, and lengthy tail waved behind her as she moved.
The powerful Seaweaver had earned her place in the Nalvean Research Court, and with her glistening, well-polished blue teardrop scales hosting hued speckles, she was quite lovely to many young suitors, but her time was limited with her research, which soured the appetite of most prospectors since Nalveans were very socially dependant on their spouses.
Inch-long glowing red spikes projected out of her back, running in a trident-like pattern from the tip of her tail, up her spine, and branching out near the base of her shoulder blades in three directions. It had long been known that the larger those crystal-like protrusions were, the stronger the Nalvean Seaweaver would be, and for her age, Elluinara was among the gifted, having a double row, developing closely together.
Her adopted daughter’s blue speckled face currently showed concern upon seeing Kolira, but she was too concerned with making sure she was healthy; she didn’t know what Supreme Chief Yesenia might be able to do to her if she discovered Elluinara’s strong connection to the Ri’bot.
The moment Kolira saw her, the Mother Superior’s mind ground to a halt on one surfacing realization.
If Supreme Chief Yesenia is of such a high heavenly rank … how could she not know the intents of our hearts? No … I must be overthinking it … the Ambassador did say they were rebuilding their power, and it must be different in the mortal plane.
Elluinara’s speech in several Ri’bot languages was top-notch, surpassing many Ri’bot themselves. “Mother … you do not look well! Are you sick?” She asked, rushing forward to fuss over her.
Kolira tried to force a smile, chuckling softly. “Do I really look so bad?” Her vision moved to the two Clavex Warriors that accompanied her. “That will be all, Inula, Remonu … if you could stand watch at the nearest two entrances, then that would be good.”
She paused, pondering her next words as Elluinara released a worried tone in her throat. “... Inula, Remonu…”
They frowned at one another.
“Yes, Mother Superior?” Remonu asked in his strong voice.
“... Could you both stand watch at the nearest two entrances to the hall … outside the doors while I speak with Elluinara? I … have it on some authority that there might be an attempt on my life. No one is to enter, and you are to be on guard.”
Both Warrior’s brows creased upon the news as the information worked through their brains, but it only took a few moments for them to process the intent of her words.
““Understood.””
Inula paused, turning to ask one question. “Should we send a notice to Head Warrior Lumicra?”
Kolira considered the proposal. “... If you could send for him to meet me, then that would be best.”
They bowed, leaving to fulfill their task.
Once they were alone, Elluinara knelt by her chair, fine silk robes creasing with her action. The fabric was designed to be kept in place by their spikes; Kolira smiled, remembering all the expensive materials they’d used trying to teach her how to properly dress without ripping it, which was seen as very embarrassing within Nalvean culture.
“Has something terrible happened? I was concerned when you asked for me to come so openly, and after what happened…”
Kolira studied Elluinara’s deadly teeth as her jaw snapped, strong throat moving to create the Ri’bot words; just seeing her adopted daughter calmed her nerves. “Yes, Elluinara … I’ve learned that the creature Nadraca captured beyond the Gateway … she is a Supreme Chief.”
The Nalvean’s curved, luminant royal blue eyes narrowed with confusion; she’d grown up believing in the Ri’bot ancestral traditions. “Here … outside of the Heavens?”
“My child,” Kolira sighed, feeling her age for once as she shifted in her chair to run her trained hands across Elluinara’s left cheek. “There are many mysteries we do not understand, but I am confident that there are powers at work far beyond our understanding. Have you seen the Jukal?”
“Yes … it is making its way through the Nalvean officials as we speak. Once noticed, some of the Watchers are receiving reports of them flocking to the northern valley.”
“The northern valley … yes … Elluinara, if Yesenia is a Supreme Chief … what do you suppose would happen if she hated the Ri’bot?”
Elluinara’s eyes fell to her chair’s arm, pondering the question. “... I see where you are going, Mother.”
Kolira shook her head. “My sweet little water jumper … I have been told that Supreme Chief Yesenia is chief over the Storm.”
Her adopted child’s eyes slowly widened. “... The Avana is the Great Storm Calamity, and the Jukal are gathering. If that … did she send the Avana to kill the Gray Queen?”
“I must assume so,” Kolira whispered, “and there’s more.” A lump dropped down her throat as she worked up the strength; she felt weaker than she had in years and needed to restore her mystical balance tonight. “... All of the Supreme Chiefs in the Heavens have been forcefully thrown from the sky.”
Elluinara’s mouth fell open as she explained there was a vast pantheon of Supreme Chiefs that had been lost to the ages, and now, after a heavenly uprising between Supreme Chiefs, the ruler over the Pits had been forced to take drastic action.
They were both silent upon the tale’s conclusion, thinking about the possibilities.
“... Mother, if … I have heard whisperings in the halls today. High Ruler Nukulara is a little skeptical of Supreme Chief Yesenia’s powers, but I’ve listened to more hushed tones in support … and it is growing.
“I have seen Supreme Chief Yesenia mold water in ways I never dreamt were possible … it makes perfect sense if she is a weakened Supreme Chief, and she has bested several of our top Seaweavers … including me.”
She glanced down with a hint of shame, fingers sliding up to scratch her arm, but she had to constrain the habit, knowing her fabric wouldn’t survive the itch. “Supreme Chief Yesenia made moving a pool of water as simple as lifting a finger, separated it, froze several balls of ice, and cracked the pool floor with their acceleration.
“There’s something more,” Kolira pushed, noticing the signs of her nervous tail flicks.
“... I heard High Seaweaver Lonuarag say something about finding more sacrifices for Supreme Chief Yesenia while walking in on him and Imperial Head Captain Hakar. Do you suppose…”
“More of our people are being taken in the shadows,” Kolira said with a low tone, and a soft tear fell down her cheek. She never expected it to get this bad, and so quickly. “... If they’re already gathering up Clavex to use as sacrifices, then … they want to keep us ignorant of the fact so we won’t flee … making it more difficult to find more offerings.”
“What can we…”
She trailed off, head turning with a slight frown on her lips, and a few moments later, a salmon-colored Ri’bot walked through the door with a concerned frown.
“Mother Superior,” he said in a guttural tone, “I have been entrusted with a grave message from the outlying territories.”
Kolira was instantly on-guard, knowing what this possibly was, but the shock of a Ri’bot acting as a diplomat was not something unheard of, and she did take news from many of the surrounding tribes.
By his skin-tone, this particular Ri’bot was from the Uxi Clan, found on the south side of the northern mountains, leaning into the valley.
He would have needed to pass through the Kovoni Clan’s territory to reach Nalvean lands, and they weren’t on amicable terms, but not at war. Still, he would have had to loop around the river to use the Inoma Clan’s pathway to reach her.
“You are a messenger from the Uxi Clan?” Kolira asked with a reserved expression, showing she was on-edge with his appearance. “I have not received anything from your Chief for quite some time … how is Chief Jumala?”
The Ri’bot’s eyes creased with confusion, glancing between Kolira and Elluinara. “Chief Jumala … She has returned to the Ancestors two years past? It is urgent news from Chief Morunagi that I bring, regarding the Jukal.”
Kolira’s suspicions fell a little when he expressed the proper Chief, and a legitimate concern would be the Jukal; mobilizing a messenger to ask the Clavex, that had connections to the powerful Nalvean Empire, was only natural. However, there was something that still bothered her, and Elluinara posed it.
“... There was a Clavex Warrior stationed outside with instructions to not allow anyone inside. Why did she not join you?”
The Ri’bot popped his jaw to the side for a moment, working his tongue around the inside of his mouth while looking even more confused. He reached up to scratch the side of his head, sounding baffled. “... I was granted entry by a Clavex Warrior; Inula, if I recall her name?”
Elluinara rose to her feet, towering over a foot above the already large messenger. “It is…”
“Okay,” the messenger mumbled, “eh … are you interested in our Chief’s information regarding the Jukal? I see that the Nalvean beside you is a Seaweaver, Mother Superior … might it be more appropriate for me to present such news to Head Ruler Nukulara?”
“No, no,” Kolira sighed, feeling a little better about the news. “The Nalveans have already discovered the Jukals’ movements. Do you have any additional information?”
“Yes, Mother Superior!” He said, reaching back to take a piece of waxy parchment from a small sack at his side.
The practice of using a written language had been expanded upon during the Fire Wars, but during this age, it was rare to use such methods. Only the most important news was carried in such a manner to provide exact wording, which further improved upon his credibility.
He stepped forward to hand her the scroll, but Elluinara came between them, holding out her clawed hand to receive it. “I will accept it … however, I did not hear the outside door open. All I heard were your footsteps … they appeared halfway through the room out of thin air.”
The Ri’bot chuckled softly, handing her the paper. “You have good ears! I would expect nothing less of a Nalvean, but to think a Seaweaver would be so trained in her senses is really something. I was entrusted with this message for a reason.”
“I suppose that does make sense…” Elluinara mumbled, taking the folded parchment.
She turned toward Kolira, blocking her view of the smiling messenger with a frown on her adopted daughter’s face, and she suspected that the girl still wasn’t entirely convinced, but he’d answered every question without fail.
Kolira reached out to take the object, but the nagging suspicion in the back of her mind told her there was a sure way to determine the story. “Elluinara, can you call out to Inula…”
The words died in her throat as Elluinara’s royal blue eyes lit with a red glow, and the water in the corner rose from the barrel, shooting like spiked rods as the crystal-like trident on her back flared to life, but within the span of half a second, it lost its form; Elluinara slumped to the floor with a low grunt.
A lump dropped down Kolira’s throat as the smiling Ri’bot came back into view, slick gray tongue sliding back into his mouth. “Tricky things, Nalveans. Even without their famed armor, their scales are harder than any of our standard weapons can penetrate, but there is this small gap under their armpit when their shoulders move a specific way that leads straight to their quick-acting blood system.”
Kolira experienced something she never had on the battlefield, fear. Watching her adopted daughter fall to the floor was like watching the towering visage of a Quen’Talrat Elite Hunter standing over you, knowing there was nothing you could do but give up on life.
Within that small gap that paralyzed her brain, the assassin vanished from her sight and senses, but that normally wouldn’t have been an issue.
She tried to gather her energy, but the unorthodox levels of stress put her out of sync, and for the first time since she was a little girl, she felt defenseless, and the fear of her daughter being given a lethal substance added a new level of shock to her already fracturing concentration.
It was over; she knew by instinct that this Ri’bot was without a doubt an experienced Xaria to handle Elluinara so handily.
However, the deathblow didn’t come. Instead, he appeared in the back left corner, eyes wide with surprise as a light brown-skinned female Ri’bot appeared between them.
The assassin’s tone was low with anger. “A Flex Xaria … here?”
“Heh … what a joke,” the female Ri’bot giggled. “Ambassador Klaus said the assassin might be a challenge.”
“A true Stealth Xaria, huh?” The male responded with a vicious tone. “I couldn’t sense you until the last second; you’re not as good as you think, girl.”
“Is that right? I don’t remember the Uxi being in a constant state of war, but you’re not with the Uxi Clan, are you? No, you’re a dirty traitor from what I’ve heard!”
“Shut-up…”
They both vanished again.
Kolira didn’t know what was exactly happening, but she figured it was safe enough to check her daughter. Using a surprising amount of strength for her age, she turned the heavy Nalvean over, and upon inspecting her armpit, noticed the smallest barb sticking between three scales.
Several sounds of metal striking metal, gusts of soft wind, and cutting air filled the space, but she blocked it all out to concentrate.
Pulling it out, she managed to gather her energy to a significant degree to provide healing aid. The white gem around her neck glowed while she purified the substance; Kolimer Berries mixed with Trolic venom.
Once finished, she sighed with relief as her daughter stabilized. The poisonous substance was a mixture few Ri’bot would know, meaning he’d likely gotten it from a Nalvean.
“Aww, cute.”
Kolira’s breathe caught in her throat as she looked up to see three figures standing in the middle of the room. The female Ri’bot was the one to speak, but there was a male beside her, likely from the Lethix Clan by his skin-tone. However, it was the creature behind them that caught her immediate attention.
There was a human; she couldn’t tell the difference between the sexes, but with how strange it was from the male Ambassador, she could assume this was a female.
The fur on her head was red and wrapped around the assassin, gagging his mouth with a fine silky crimson substance while staring at her.
“Hey, I’m Camellia!” She greeted with a broad tilt to her lips, showing gleaming teeth. “Some of you call me Great Chief, and Klaus told me that there might be someone coming to kill both you and your daughter … you two don’t look anything alike, by the way,” she giggled. “I had no idea Ri’bot and Nalveans could breed! Now, isn’t that funny? Lea would love to hear that story.”
The female Ri’bot casually introduced herself with an amused glance at the would-be assassin. “I’m Xaria Iona of the Flex Clan, and this is Xaria Welix of the Lethix. We serve Empress Elinor. Oh, and Great Chief Camellia, uh … I don’t think they’re related like that.”
“No? Uh … I’m positive Klaus said she was her daughter.”
“Adopted, definitely adopted,” Welix mumbled.
“... Okay,” Camellia slowly worked through the words, “what is adopted?”
Both Xaria looked at each other, seemingly lost for words.