The kings summit, p.7
The King’s Summit, page 7
“This."
He tapped the screen twice before scanning his hand. The hologram of a weapon Quielle had never seen before appeared on the floor. It was even more ominous in full scale. Two handles were anchored to the bottom of a metal box. Above it were illuminated rectangles. They branched out of the side of the box and sat parallel to one another. He couldn’t find a trigger or any indicators of what this thing was capable of doing.
Quielle looked up when Rea didn’t answer. Her green eyes squinted at him in suspicion. “I don’t know what it does or how to use it. Not my department. But I’m going to say it’s a weapon of some kind."
“And why is it in the craft’s inventory?”
She continued to eye him for a moment before she answered. “The Travel Committee approved them for the DET models."
“Does Aquillo know about this? If travelers start showing up on these planets armed with bombs and whatever this is, the natives will see us as hostile, and they won’t let us put our tech there. That’s if they don’t kill us."
“They said the approval came from up top. If it wasn’t Aquillo, it had to have been one of you royals.”
The implication was hard to miss.
“You think I approved this? This could lead to a massive amount of death. Not just the travelers, but Dewar civilians, if people from other planets go to war with us. I’d never approve no shit like this.”
“It’s no big deal right now. They haven’t figured out how to create the weapons yet. Those are just models. The Committee assigned a team to research ways to weaponize the orbs, but the only thing orbs will form outside of fuel for the ships is a doorway."
“That’s because they were designed that way. Aquillo and the others didn’t want the destructive part of The Gift being used to harm or control people.”
“Well, maybe our king isn’t concerned about things like that anymore.”
10
Cinega wasn’t particularly fancy. The houses here were nothing like the mini replicas of the palace that were all over the southern borders and cozier than the small, industrial homes near the markets. Quielle and Tonure had saved every coin during their first years- he in craft maintenance, his brother working nights in the artsy village- to buy the house by the sea for their father. Lirhop never forgot to complain about his sons ‘stashing him out in the middle of nowhere’, but Quielle knew he appreciated the slower pace, even if he wouldn’t admit it.
The door was propped open, and the smells from his childhood wafted out to greet him. Quielle walked in to find Lirhop wiping down the concrete countertop. His brother- or at least a holographic version of him- knelt in front of the fireplace, tinkering with an orb pod.
“I’m so ready to get off this damn planet. I’m freezing my balls off out here,” Tone said, his voice quivering.
“Two minutes," Lirhop called from the kitchen.
If you didn’t know better, you’d think Tonure was Lirhop’s biological son. They both had the same lean, athletic build. Tone’s from his love of swimming. Lirhop’s from good genes. They were both lighter than Quielle and had the same pointy ears that tilted away from their heads like antennas. Quielle shared a short haircut and wide-set jawline with his dad and brother, but that was about it.
“What up?” he said.
Tone paused with his hands hovering above the exposed orb chamber to frown at him. “What up? I've been calling you nonstop. Why haven’t you been answering your communicator?”
“Hey. Focus.” Lirhop pulled a round serving platter down from the black cabinets. “You got two and a half minutes.”
Quielle made a beeline for the stove. He lifted the lid before remembering to move his face. The steam and smell of hen and peppers soaked into his cream sweater. Two ovens, a full-size grill, a walk-in storage, and eight burners- all custom-made, yet Pop insisted on using the burner in the very back, to the right. He swore it seared and stewed better than the others.
“Sorry. I needed to focus while I was in Inestar, and after I picked up the soldier, I was... distracted.”
Quielle added water to the pot along with some herbs he’d gotten from the royal garden and put the lid back on. Lirhop peaked over his shoulder. He turned away, but not before Quielle caught the glow in his wrinkled face.
Lirhop’s favorite pastime when he was head culinarian for Queen Exia and King Ormiez was walking the gardens and finding inspiration for new recipes. Kabusha was a month away. Quielle usually stocked up on magic-infused herbs during that time. If Lirhop was going to see the age of one hundred and fifty, he would need some help.
“Times up, Tone. If it isn’t ready, let somebody else come out and risk their toes for it.”
“I got it up and running, Pop” Tone bounced to his feet, shaking warmth back into his limbs and fingers. The next second, he was back on the ship.
Quielle glared at his brother’s crew mates as he walked by. Sinest had his back to them, whispering something in the female crew member's ear. She leaned away, giving him a look of downright disgust. He never learned. There’d be a summons for him from the Travel Committee when they got back. Juri was lounging on the sofa.
“Lazy bastards," Pop said, voicing Quielle’s thoughts.
Juri spun around, mouth open and ready to say something ignorant, when he locked eyes with Quielle. The words stalled on his tongue. He faked a cough, turning back around to take a sip from his cup. Juri had been one of Quielle’s team members before he joined Deep Exploration. He was also the reason Quielle worked alone now.
“What’d you do to Rea for her to stick you with them?” Quielle asked as Tone entered the room he shared with Loak, the only other member who didn’t think they were on a party trip- and wasn’t female.
“Who knows? Maybe she takes offense to being treated to lunch at her favorite place. It might be time for me to accept defeat." He pressed the wall scanner, and a recovery station materialized in the middle of the room. They were for travelers who had been severely burned, poisoned, or, in Tone’s case, had mild hypothermia.
“You should have worn your suit," Quielle chastised.
“I was trying to hurry and get it done so I could get back and check on you," Tone bit back.
“Boy, don’t you get naked in my—” Tone's pants hit the floor before Lirhop could get the warning out. His thermal and briefs followed. Naked, without a shred of self-consciousness, he grinned at them. Quielle shook his head. He only did it to fluster Pop. As a kid, Tone had a habit of running around the house in the buff. Lirhop put a stop to it after the meat incident.
They had been running around the kingdom all morning looking for silver helmet crab meat for a private dinner Lirhop had coming up. Maybe Tone thought Lirhop had touched the location for home on the portal map, but Quielle suspected his brother was just tired and ready to get home to play. When they’d stepped through the portal for Pati’s western dock, Tonure came through last with nothing on but his shirt, tied around his neck like a cape. Lirhop was furious.
Tone stepped on the small circle on the floor, and the blue sheath molded from his feet to his neck like a wetsuit. He pulled a blanket off one of the beds, wrapped it around his head and shoulders like a cloak, and plopped down on the floor with his legs crossed.
“That’s your problem there. You’ve been showing your business to all these girls, and now the one you want won’t take you serious."
“I haven’t been with anybody since I met her."
Quielle, who was spooning the food from the pot onto a serving tray, paused to check his math. Tone and Rea met over a year ago. If what he was saying was true, this had to be a record for his brother.
Even Lirhop looked shocked by the admission. “Well, son, if you want this woman, you’ll have to do more than buy her things. I mean, I’m assuming she has money, right? They pay her at the Orb Center?”
“Yeah."
“So she can buy her own meal. You need to do something special for her. Cook for her instead of taking her out."
“Cooking is you and Elle’s thing. You know I can’t even mix salad."
“It’s toss salad, boy. And it doesn’t have to be food. Just find out what she likes and do that."
Quielle flopped onto the sofa. He tapped his foot against the hologram, making one-half of Tone glitch.
“And what about you?” Quielle turned towards Lirhop, who leaned against the center bar with his hands and feet crossed. “Where’s Rea sending you next?”
“I’m here for the next two months. Aquillo wants all of us here for the Summit, including me.”
“Mr. High Life here. You living in the palace now?” Tone asked.
“I’m staying on my ship, but I’ve been keeping close to the palace. Keeping an eye on the soldier.”
A beat of silence passed through the room. Lirhop asked, “You think he’s the guy who broke into Mia’s?”
“No. She’s a woman."
Another pause of silence, and then, “How she look?”
The question came from both ends of the room, but since his brother was on a self-imposed hiatus, he answered Pop instead. “Young enough to be your descendant."
Tone squawked loudly, nearly falling over into the empty fireplace.
“Hey, some women like their man seasoned. As a matter of fact, I took Gisete out to dinner last week and the week before that.”
Ms. Gisete was eighty years old, but she was a young filly compared to his father’s one hundred thirty-two years.
While Lirhop filled Tone in on the details of his date, Quielle’s mind drifted to the memory it had been running circles around for the past couple of days: Jaya standing in his kitchen with water dripping from her hair down her back and into a sheer, nearly see-through dress. The thin fabric molded to the most glorious ass he had ever seen.
It was easy to see that she was beautiful when she first walked out into the desert. But seeing her first thing in the morning, before she had time to construct the Jaya she would present to the world, fresh-faced and looking like a sea goddess, messed with him. It made him consider things he shouldn’t. She’d be gone in two months, back behind the reinforced wall of Inestar.
“Knock knock."
Three pairs of eyes swung to the front door as Ms. Gisete’s dainty frame stepped through the door.
So that’s why Pop is all dressed up.
Lirhop had thrown on a moss green blazer to complement his black dress shirt and khakis. He’d even matched his pocket square with the orange dress she had on. Obviously, this was no just-in-the-neighborhood visit.
“Yeah... Alright," Tone said out of nowhere. “Aye, Pop, they’re getting ready to take off. I’ll see you when I get back."
“Okay. Be careful and call Quielle if anything happens out there."
Maybe Ms. Gisete didn’t realize she could hear everything on Tone’s end, including if someone came in and told him they were preparing to leave. Quielle covered his mouth with his fist to hide his laugh. His view of Ms. Gisete was suddenly blocked by a tweed blazer at the end of the sofa. Lirhop pretended to arrange the pillows while staring at him intently.
“Damn, I don’t even get to eat the meal I helped cook?” Quielle said low enough that only his pop could hear.
“Boy, you better get out my house," Lirhop whispered, brushing imaginary dust off the pillow.
Quielle stood and headed for the door. Ms. Gisete’s tangerine sandals quickly shuffled to the side as he approached. She bowed her head, keeping her eyes on the ground. He stopped close enough that she could see his boots. When she still didn’t look up, he tucked his finger beneath her chin, gently raising it up. Her brownish-blue eyes met his, and he gave her his most charming smile. Those saggy cheeks of hers flushed with color, and what was probably a dazzling set of dimples back in their prime peeked out at him.
Lirhop cleared his throat.
Quielle gave Ms. Gisete one more smile before leaving and closing the front door behind him since Pop obviously wasn’t expecting any more visitors. He waited until he made it past the neatly trimmed lawn to crush the orb because of Lirhop’s ‘no teleporting in or out of my house’ rule.
It wasn’t until he was back in the palace garden that Quielle realized he really was hungry. A stew would be nice, but it was late, and he wasn’t sure if he had everything he needed on his ship. Maybe he’d see what the royal staff cooked for Aquillo.
It was closing in on twilight, so the king would be going to the terrace soon to eat. Would Jaya be joining him up there? If the king invited her to his family dinner, would she go out of necessity? She had survived for six days on his ship with nothing but fruit and bread, and that was before she knew of his connection to Aquillo.
Maybe she was up there now, in another pretty dress, hair pulled tightly into a no-nonsense bun, smiling on cue and making Aquillo feel like he was the most interesting man in the universe. The prospect of seeing the performance for himself was almost enough for Quielle to make a trip up to the terrace.
He was debating the path to the kitchen versus the one straight ahead to the elevator when a shadowy figure slinked out of double doors on the second level of the palace. The person descended the stairs into the garden and quickly made their way to the cove that led to his ship.
Quielle followed, keeping his distance in case it was just one of the palace staff out on a supply run. No guards around, he noted. Whoever this was had timed their outing during the shift change. He made it to the cove just in time to see a familiar pair of gray pants turning out of the stairwell.
Where are you going, little fox?
Even more intrigued now, Quielle took the stairs two at a time. He came out at the bottom, turning right- the way that led to his ship and the rest of Dewar. There was no sign of her.
Everything slowed around him as a sinking realization took root in his mind. Turning away from his ship and society, Quielle faced the darkened archway to the left of the stairs. Dread swarmed inside him like a nest of angry stingmize. He wanted to believe she had taken another route, but there wasn’t one. She must have gone into the archway that only led to one place.
The Sleeping Forest
11
The archway was smothered with overgrowth. Vines and flowers planted in remembrance of loved ones lost tangled within the metal frame, forming a barrier against the sun. Any grass on the pathway had long since withered away into the dry dirt path Quielle now walked.
He squinted into the blackness, hoping to find Jaya returning from the dead end. An impenetrable iron door blocked the only other exit. Aquillo had forged it with enough layers of shields that even a planet-shaking blast wouldn’t dent the thing.
Still, he quieted his footsteps, walking as fast as the clattering rocks and dried petals from the wilted flowers would allow him. No sound of scurrying insects here. Even the most basic life could sense the shadow of death that haunted this space. The door should’ve been close. He still couldn’t see well enough to gauge how far he had gone into the archway, but his instinct told him the threshold was near. Jaya should have been within reach by now.
The thought sent his heart racing into his throat. He sped up, digging his heels in as he went from a trot to a jog. Soon he was full-out sprinting down the pitch-black path. His lungs constricted, both from exertion and panic. Maybe he passed her on his way in. He was moving so fast that he could have blown right past her without noticing.
Quielle burst from the archway into a deadly stillness. His skin prickled. Not twelve feet away, thrumming with negative energy, was The Sleeping Forest.
The droning that emanated from within the forest snuffed out the calls of the usual nighttime creatures. Its black trees loomed high above, forming their own sky.
Delusions that Jaya had taken a path around the forest tried to force their way into his mind, but the twisting feeling in his gut was saying otherwise. He didn’t have much time. Resolved, Quielle charged into the dark mass.
The droning was louder inside, sending tremors through his boots and into his spine. The leaves shivered in its echo. Quielle listened for Jaya in the seconds between each hum. Anything. The slightest hitch of her breath would be enough. He stopped, looking back to judge the distance from the archway to where he stood. He was a dangling carrot in here, blood in the water. If he didn’t find her soon, they would both be trapped.
To his right, a twig snapped.
There, standing with her back to him, was Jaya.
Her hands were stretched out wide by her face, palms forward. What was she doing? It didn’t matter. They needed to go before they caught the attention of something here, or the forest shifted, taking the path back out with it. They were in the worst type of maze. The forest was ever-changing: skies tilting sideways, lakes appearing out of nowhere. It screwed with the orbs. He couldn’t risk accidentally teleporting them farther into the woods, so they would have to make it out on foot.
Quielle grabbed her hand and tugged, but she didn’t move. Her eyes were fixed on the figure in front of them. Hovering near a thick, hollowed-out tree was a creature Quielle had hoped was a myth. The tattered cloak that covered its stained bones billowed in a breeze that didn’t exist. Its silence and unnatural stillness provided the perfect camouflage within the forest, so it probably saw Jaya long before she saw it. Two spear-shaped horns jutted out of the ripped neck of the cloak where a head should be.
Krylvonhar.
The twig that Jaya must have stepped on crunched beneath her feet as she took another measured step back. Slowly, the Krylvonhar reached one bony hand out towards them, holding up a small bell-shaped object. Seeing the thing move caused alarms to go off inside Quielle. Some long-dormant animal instinct for survival kicked in and charged through his body with urgency. He jerked Jaya’s hand hard enough that she stumbled back into him. She looked up at him, her pupils large and darting from side to side. He mouthed his next words. Although, if the legend behind this creature was true, that silence would be short-lived and useless.
