Chapter Fifteen
Learning to Trust
The ship was still there, which was at least something positive. There was also something else that was positive. I glanced down at the slightly huffing woman by my side. I had a woman fit to be a Queen, entirely unlike my first wife. Now, if only, I was fit to be a King.
I slowed the pace as we approached the ship and its welcoming committee. My eyes scanned over the awaiting warriors with appreciation for several factors. They weren’t surprised by our appearance so that meant that they had scouts out in the ruins that had alerted them to our approach. They weren’t displaying all of their number in one mass group, but rather I could sense the presence of warriors closing in behind us and while they didn’t know what they may be facing I sensed that they were ready to meet the challenge head on, which I respected.
These men were experienced and they most certainly weren’t cowards. I focused on one in particular, who separated out from the group toward us. He held a sword of unparalleled rival and something in me stilled at the sight of it. It had been a long time since I’d seen that sword. It was different now than when I had first seen it, but no less honorable. In fact it had grown in honor, which meant those that had wielded it had been honorable. It helped me to let go of the past a little more just seeing that sword.
The warriors were communicating along thought waves between themselves. How very impressive. I interjected myself into their thoughts and I showed them everything in a brief instant of time. I showed them who I was, what I did, what my plans were, and why I had taken Ellanara. I held nothing back, as I chose to embrace the future and let go of the past.
The big warrior in front stepped out further to meet us. His inquiring eyes switched from me to Ellanara. She nodded and said, “It’s true, all of it.”
The big warrior nodded and moved slightly to the side allowing us room to pass, but I had other plans. I stepped toward him and offered out my staff. Hesitantly he took it and I gestured toward his sword. I felt his thought of, “Why?”
I answered his question in my audible voice, “Because I was the one who made it.”
His eyes widened and he held it out to me pommel first, as he grasped it by the blade. I noticed Ellanara staring up at me in shock. I had apparently surprised her with that admonition. Weapon making had always been the past time hobby of mine that I had loved most, which had no doubt been aided by the fact that I was extremely good at it. This sword was special, as my father had asked me to make it for his best friend and my mentor. The man, who first trained me as a warrior, Tadias Ta’lont.
The sword had been a risky creation. It was open-ended, in that it had a limitless ability to learn and emulate from those who wielded it and carried it. Something like this sword created for nobler purposes could ultimately become evil, but that hadn’t happened. It was a much finer weapon now than when I had first created it.
The sword pulsed brightly in my hand, as I let the memories it contained of past battles and its sword bearers flow through me in an endless stream of wanting to learn what its history had been since I had last seen it. Something became very clear to me right from the onset. The sword had but had a few Masters and yet each of them was more honorable at heart than I was. It was humbling to see how a creation of my hands had eclipsed my abilities, as both a craftsman and as a man, in the hands of other men. With that humility of thought came the inspiration to be better myself.
The survivors of the Vallians still had the honor that I had seen in Tadias as a boy and a young man. The rest of my aggression toward these last survivors faded away. I let go of the sword and it swiveled around and floated back to the Vallian warrior through the air and I nodded my head forward deferentially to him in a sign of respect.
I took my staff from his hand and said, “We need to go.”
He nodded and as one the surrounding warriors headed up the ramp into the ship. Something very important had just happened. I had asserted a command initiative and he had obeyed, which meant that I was in control. Glancing at Ellanara I could see that she’d seen the change in command and she did nothing to voice otherwise, but instead she meekly followed the others onto the ship.
I kept in the background and casually observed, as the ship prepared to take flight. The bar-Trinity, curious name for an airship, I thought idly to myself. I perused thoughtfully through the ship’s data fields both marveling and appreciating the depth of creativity and pure design that the ship had been created to be comprised of.
In my idle exploration I discovered the significance of the three-part design of the ship, which was reflected by the Trinity aspect of its name. My eyes scanned around the control room, until they found Ellanara only to see that she was already watching me with an expectant look on her face. Silently through my mind I conveyed my praise of what I knew to be the creation of her beautiful mind.
She looked down to her screens, as a slight red blush lit up her features. The ship was beautiful in its design and purpose, but she was even more so. Too late I realized that I had openly stated those thoughts directly into her consciousness. Her face got darker and she looked up briefly at me and of all things she gave me a radiant smile before she quickly looked back down at her work.
The smile from her stunned me. I hadn’t been expecting that! It was as if she liked me! What had happened to bring that about?
I thought about it and it occurred to me that it was when I had said I had created the sword. I hadn’t thought divulging something like that would have produced such a reaction from her. Suddenly I realized something and I came to awareness with the knowledge that my little Queen was probing through my thoughts, while I had been distracted. I couldn’t really be angry with her, after all I had given her permission. It was also an encouraging sign to see her reaching out to discover more about me.
Silently I thought projected to her, “Well how about it then, why did telling you about the sword make such a positive impression on you?”
Her answer was rather hesitant and almost shy in reply, “My father’s sword means a lot to me. I’ve always been amazed by how beautiful and yet powerful it was in a seemingly limitless fashion. Knowing that despite how mean and angry you always seem to be that you made that sword makes me think that there is a finer side to you than I first thought there was.”
I sucked in a little breath, as I felt her probing deeper into my mind, “You were right the first time, just mean and angry.”
“I don’t think so. I think you’re just trying to cover up how hurt and alone you feel.”
I cut her probing of my thoughts off by distracting her by flooding the ship’s data receivers with the map of the planetary system that I resided in. I had thought I had succeeded in distracting her away from my thoughts to the data that was filling out all the screens within the room, when she glanced my way with a look that said she knew what I’d done.
“Stay out.” I clearly conveyed to her out of a need for self-preservation.
Her face twisted a little mischievously, “Why? You’re the one who invited me in after all.”
My jaw tightened, as I glared at her, but she seemed to ignore my outward appearance, as she kept digging through my thoughts and memories. She was a very dangerous woman!
I kept my mind opened to her exploration of it by an act of will. I’d given my word that she was free to do what she was doing and I never broke a promise I made, ever! I just hadn’t expected her to delve this way into me. It was alarming and very uncomfortable.
Ellanara watched Salanicus, only partly paying attention to what he was saying, as he stood before the ship’s crew and explained the galaxies’ planetary systems to them and the pertinent points of fact about it that he thought they needed to know.
He wasn’t at all what she had thought. He was far from being just a mean angry person on a revenge kick. He was a sensitive person, with a lot of past hurts that had made him bitter. Her eyes glanced over his frame and once again she was struck by how intimidatingly he was made. Her brother Talaric had been a big man at six foot four inches and he had been very muscular, as had all the men of her family, but Salanicus was an entirely different story.
He was almost seven feet tall, which made him the tallest man she had ever seen and then there was his build that went along with his height. Her face flushed slightly, as she looked at the massive flexing of the shoulder muscles moving, as he outlined the galaxy with one outstretched hand that was displayed on a large screen at the one end of the control room. She didn’t know much about such things, but surely she and him couldn’t………
Her face flushed red at the direction of her thoughts and she watched with a grimace, as the pulsing of her ring picked up in time with her heartbeat. She glanced over to where Rolanis’s massive hands rested on the thin narrow shoulders of Solin, who pressed back against him adoringly. It had been an odd pairing, the biggest of the Hunters paired with the most petite of all the women. They were making it work quite obviously, as evidenced by Solin’s emerging signs of pregnancy.
Surely the comparison of her and Salanicus wasn’t much different if one adjusted for size. She was taller and bigger than Solin was, but was that enough? She just didn’t know? He thought she was beautiful. She knew that because he’d told her as much in an unguarded moment that had been genuine in its honesty. He was probably just like her father and brothers. He, like them, was the kind of man who wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off of his wife. Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?
Oh how she wished that she had her mother to talk to. That thought almost made her cry. She was a fool for letting herself go down this road. She was just torturing herself with thoughts about her mother and the conversations that she would never have with her. She shoved her private thoughts and fears to the side and concentrated more on what Salanicus was saying in terms of the galaxy that she now dwelled in.
So that was it, I mused to myself, as I cautiously scanned through Ellanara’s thoughts careful not to announce my presence. I had glanced over at her once briefly during my presentation to see her staring at me somewhat vacantly and overcome by curiosity I had delved deeper. It had been a relief to find out several things.
She seemed to have no prejudice in regard to me, because of my skin color, as so many of the Vallians had in the old days, when my people and theirs had shared this planetary system. I had already somewhat relaxed in terms of believing that could be a hang-up to our relationship, when I had seen the woman that the warrior called Loric had picked out for himself.
The other thing was that she didn’t seem opposed to me physically, but was actually highly attracted to me. But she was scared of my size. I could work with that. Best of all though, I could tell that she was beginning to like me for who I was, which made her very special in my eyes.
A question distracted me and I broke off from mining Ellanara’s thoughts to focus on Loric who’d asked the question, “How did the Orlandian’s become so prevalent? I thought they just had a colony in space.”
I thought about the answer for a little while. Did they really want to know? They might as well know at some point. “The Sallaconese were the first to reach this galaxy from Earth. Later after we were already well-established the Orlandian’s came. They kept to themselves and we were content to leave them alone. This planetary system has eleven habitable worlds and three habitable moons. We had claimed five of the worlds for ourselves and one of the moons. The Orlandian did not contest this and they settled on five of the smaller worlds. Time went by and our two peoples existed in virtual isolation from each other. Then the Vallians arrived. Slowly at first and then in greater numbers they filled into our system of worlds. They had a grudge with the Orlandian’s and almost immediately there was war between the two peoples. The Vallians claimed the last of the six smaller planets and the two moons that orbited it. The Sallaconese people remained neutral, as the two peoples fought it out. Even though outnumbered the Vallians made steady progress and eventually conquered one of the Orlandian worlds. We had an exact similarity of belief as the Vallians and impressed with their skill at fighting we came out of neutrality and helped them, as we did not care for the Orlandian’s. Two more Orlandian worlds fell. The last two would have soon followed, if it hadn’t been for the treaty the Vallians signed with the Orlandian’s. The Vallians had a chance at complete and total victory, but they allowed themselves to be bought over by the Orlandian’s, who offered them everything in return for a cease-fire. The Vallians commenced world building and increased in both numbers and technology. They outgrew their planets and moons and settled on the Orlandian worlds, which we advised them not to. A social divide arose between many of the Sallaconese and the Vallians, as the latter bonded more and more with the Orlandian’s they had settled down among. Time passed and we became as isolated in contact with the Vallians, as we had been with the Orlandian’s before them. There were a few families of the Vallians that did stay in direct contact with us. The Ta’lonts were one of those families. It all fell apart though.”
Three additional worlds appeared on the planetary system map that was displayed behind me. The three worlds were close together and very large. They were also a little apart from the rest of the planets in the galaxy system and they were surrounded by the leftover debris of a blown apart star.
“Even after all the years we had been in this galaxy system we never knew that these three worlds existed. The presence of these three worlds had been shielded from us by the leftover radiation of the dead star’s supernova explosion sometime in the distant past. The Orlandians said that they had come directly from Earth, but they had lied. Their ancestors arrived on these three worlds shortly after we first arrived in the system ourselves. At the time they were as many Orlandian’s as there were of us. They hated us, but we were too powerful for them to overcome easily so they left us alone. In the years of isolation between us and the Vallians, the Vallians befriended, even adopted the Orlandian survivors of their earlier war against each other into their families. The Vallians taught and shared more and more of their advanced technology with the Orlandian survivors. The Orlandian survivors meanwhile passed the information on secretly to their base home worlds in this galaxy that neither the Sallaconese or the Vallians knew about. Over the years the Orlandian’s learned everything that the Vallians knew. They built a fleet of airships and several armies and invaded suddenly, taking the Vallians completely by surprise. Millions of the Vallians died in the onslaught of the Orlandian’s advance within but days of the surprise attack. Within three months the Vallians were reduced by less than half of their former number and they pleaded with us to come to their aid. Our nations had never been friendly with each other, after the Vallians had left our courts to foster their relationship with the Orlandian survivors over any diplomatic relation with us. My father almost refused to offer help, but then he changed his mind and agreed. He knew that we would be next and that it was doubtful that we would fare any better against the more advanced knowledge and abilities of the enemy. He agreed to help the Vallians, if they shared everything of their technology with us and helped us fight the war with their remaining ships and warriors. They agreed wholeheartedly. We mobilized our entire fleet and headed to rendezvous with the rest of what remained of the Vallians’ force. When we reached the spot set up to rendezvous it was only to find out that they weren’t there. The entire Orlandian fleet was though. At first we thought that the Vallians had been destroyed before we could get there, but later we found out that they had never been there. They had leaked information, as to the rendezvous location to the Orlandian’s. It was a complete betrayal of us plain and simple. The Vallians didn’t want to lose any more of their people and they thought the Orlandian’s were just too powerful to overcome, even with our combined forces. They sacrificed us so that they would have the time they needed to escape the system without being followed. The Orlandian’s opened fire on us and we lost most of our ships in that battle. We lost all of our ships capable of long distance travel in that battle as well. We were stuck here. We resisted as best as we could for as long as we could, but the Orlandian’s were relentless and their technology that they had stolen from the Vallians was greater than ours and proved our undoing. They never offered us terms of surrender or peace negotiations of any kind and they wouldn’t listen to any of ours. We even offered to leave the galaxy entirely if they would just let us go. They just kept killing, until there were none of us left. A people numbering almost 500,000,000 was reduced to less than five thousand in a little over three years. Those survivors have been hunted ever since, until just recently, but I fear that is soon to end too. The Orlandian’s have been surprisingly slow to increase in population over the years. They only re-colonized the five smaller worlds and one of the larger ones that they took from the Sallaconese. They seem content if not bored with the state of the galaxy. They’ve advanced some in technology, but nowhere at the pace of the Vallians before them. They seem to be having too much fun to care about anything else. I think given enough time they would die out as a people, as the excesses they indulge in are quite hazardous to their health and quality of reproductive ability. Having children is actually frowned upon and what children are born are abused horrifically. My people are scattered in small groups over the remaining four planets and one moon. This is the state of the galaxy that you find yourselves suddenly having to survive in just as my people have for a thousand years in the shadow of lesser men.” I said, as I wrapped up my lengthy introduction to the galaxy. The room of faces that I looked out upon were shocked.
A young woman with a maimed hand whispered out, “You must surely hate us!”
Looking at her I could find nothing to hate. This was the first time that any of these people had heard about anything to do of the treachery of their forefathers before them. I had hated them, but surprisingly I found that most of my hate was gone in the face of the reality of their clueless knowledge, as to what had eaten up my years in bitterness. I hadn’t thought such a change was possible so quickly within an individual and yet I was living it.
“It does little good to hate you, especially when we need each other to survive.” I said in response to the young woman, wanting to put her at ease, as I could see the fear in her eyes, as she rubbed at the unborn life that lay within her womb with her one good hand.
“How other than your ability, as a warrior do we need you in order to survive ourselves?” Loric asked in a simple direct fashion.
I heard Ellanara gasp slightly and I smiled. She probably feared that I would lose my temper at such a question, once perhaps I would have, but in all honesty it was a fair question. I held up the glowing ring on my finger and explained briefly the relationship that had been forged between our two peoples by my father and Tadias.
“These rings, beyond their ceremonial and relational aspects are also keys. Map keys to be exact. These keys unlock the Relic of Perth that came from the lands of Athgar on Earth. They are the oldest relic of my people. They brought these rings with them from Earth when they came here. My ancestors had two destination choices. This system with its many worlds and a smaller system much farther out with only two worlds. The choice was simple or at least we had thought so. At the time they did not have the ships with the ability of traveling so far so they came here, the shorter of the two destinations. This ship is capable of making such a journey to the farther out worlds. These Havens Worlds, as they have come to be called, offer both our peoples a chance at continued survival in an environment that will be non-hostile and unoccupied by the Orlandian’s or anyone else. As I said these rings were given to the Sallaconese people. They are ours, but my father made it possible for one ring to be shared with your people. I’m not quite sure how he did that, as the rings are not supposed to initialize with anyone not of Sallaconese blood, but clearly it has happened. Clearly it is meant for our two peoples to become one. Just as it should be clear that above any use to you as a warrior you also need me as much as you need Ellanara to find a way through the stars to reach these Haven Worlds where our two peoples can begin again as one, as we both seek to forget the past in favor of a new future.”
Loric nodded, “Reason enough. The Orlandian’s have it don’t they? They have the Relic of Perth?
“Yes, they stole it before this world fell. My father died protecting it. I don’t know where it is, but I do know that they want to see it operational and the only way to do that is to have both map keys. They want something else to. They want me. They both want revenge upon me for what I have done to them and to see what makes me tick that causes my years to expand past the normal bounds of fallen humanity’s typical longevity of life span.”
“You have a plan then to get it back?” Loric asked cautiously.
“Yes, with a little help from you and the unique properties of this ship I have formulated a plan, but once we have it my people are coming along on the journey to the Haven Worlds!”
Loric looked uncertain as he glanced toward Ellanara, “Can we bring so many extra people with us?”
“Yes!” She said confidently.
I studied her hard. She appeared to be telling the truth. I ached to delve into her mind and find out how she planned to do that, but I’d promised not to do that. I didn’t break my promises.
The meeting broke up and I grabbed a chance and ensnared Ellanara’s hand, “Come, I need you to help me with my plan to get the relic back.”
She nodded quickly and we left the control area.
“Sorry.” She muttered out, as she watched me duck slightly through the hallway entrances. “I should have designed that better.”
“It’s all right. Now which room is yours?” I asked.
She practically jumped at my question and the hand that I held started quivering slightly. Was she that petrified of becoming intimate with me?
She pointed hesitantly to a door and I made for it tugging her along behind me. Closing the door I surveyed the room, as Ellanara moved away from me out into the room. Thankfully the bed was long enough, which saved us from having to do it on the floor. I reached up and pulled my shirt up and over my head. Her eyes grew huge and intensified in color, as her mouth fell open. She backed up a little and then swung around with her back to me and stammered out, “I….….I can’t do this right now!”
“Do what?” I asked curiously, as I lay down on my belly on the bed.
Still stammering she managed to get out, “Co-mingle our blood!”
“Co-mingle our blood? Oh that!” I finished chuckling, as it dawned on me what she thought was about to take place.
“Not on the list for this evening honey I’m afraid. Get over here. I need you to lay down on my back.”
“What?” She quavered out, as she turned around to look at me oddly.
“Just lay down on my back.” I said in response.
I felt the bed depress a little and then a little hand hesitantly pressing on my back, as she scooted on top. “Lay down on your back.” I commanded.
She adjusted her position and I felt her head come to rest between my shoulder blades and the back of my neck. My hands found hers and I interlaced my fingers with hers, as I commented, “I don’t suppose you could relax some?”
I felt the stiff line of her body bend down and conform to mine a little. “Alright don’t be afraid.”
“Why? What shouldn’t I be afraid of?” She asked hesitantly, but I didn’t answer her.
“Oh my!” She said wonderingly, as little bands of light spread out from the rings on our fingers and began to encircle us both. After a moment I felt her relax completely and I heard her say, “I feel even more than before like I’m a part of you!”
“In a way you are. See how our thoughts are doubly joined in this way?”
“Yes!” She responded in amazement.
“Good, now I need you to listen very carefully to what I’m thinking.”
After several long minutes she interrupted my thoughts, “Your plan is crazy!”
“Crazy plans work sometimes to, now stop interrupting and listen. We don’t have long to get this down right and it’s critical that we do.”
“Are you sure you trust me this much?” Ellanara asked quietly.
I thought about it for a moment, “I guess I’ll find out. Now shut up and listen.”