Katrina wrinkled her nose as she looked through the new assortment of evening dresses and gowns that had been brought to her quarters within the palace. “These colors don’t work.” She grumbled, setting several aside.

  “You truly have adapted quite well, Kat.” Nasha chuckled, sitting lazily on a couch next to the wine. “It is actually quite miraculous how you’ve not only adjusted to your duties as a Hego, but also to the perks of nobility.”

  Katrina spared a second to turn and glare at her, before resuming her quest for a suitable gown. “I’m only doing what I need to do to fit in, Nasha. You of all people should know that.”

  “It’s just a party.” Nasha pursed her lips. “You’ve been to dozens of them. And will likely go to hundreds more. “Just pick a gown and be done with it.” Her eyes narrowed mischievously as she leaned forward. “That is, unless you are trying to impress a certain someone.”

  “I just don’t want to be remembered as the one girl in court who wears clashing colors.” Katrina gasped as she pulled a gown off the rack and draped it over her body. “What do you think about this one!?”

  “It looks amazing, now hurry up and put it on.” Nasha shook her head. “Do you want to be remembered as the one girl in court who is always late?”

  “Oh, you’re no fun anymore.” Katrina pouted. “Ever since you got yourself a man, you’ve been nothing but a wet blanket. And here I thought Daniel was the only one who could ruin the mood.”

  Nasha barked out a laugh. “I just find it all so tedious and tiresome now, Kat. And it’s true, I don’t feel the need to impress anyone anymore.”

  “Oooh, Turak must be doing something right.” Katrina teased, disrobing and starting to put the gown she had selected on.

  “He’s been… better than I expected.” Nasha smiled, looking up at the ceiling, a look of bliss on her face. “He has been treating me quite well. Or he just feels guilty for cutting off my leg in battle.” She shrugged, “Either way, I’m content.”

  “Must be nice.” Katrina laughed sarcastically, straining to tie one of the ribbons on her back. “Every man I seem to have any interest in, turns into a disaster.”

  “Well, what happened with Alektor? I thought you two were getting along quite well.”

  “Hah!” Katrina laughed, “That man is denser that a neutron star.”

  Nasha raised an eyebrow.

  “Sorry, I mean, he’s just so oblivious. I can’t get a read on him at all. We spent almost two weeks going over everything from politics, to my home world, to demons, and on and on. I thought we really bonded, you know? Started getting closer. But The moment we get back to Vul De Rah? It’s like I don’t exist anymore; I’m just, ‘Hego Katrina’” She said the last part in a mocking voice, attempting to mimic Alektor’s stoicism.

  Nasha let out a sympathetic laugh, but nodded along. “I know the feeling all too well, Kat. I experienced much the same while attempting to court Oros…” Her eyes grew distant for a moment, as if lost in a powerful memory. “He never did reciprocate any of my feelings… but here we are now. I’ve found my way into the heart of the man who nearly killed me in battle. And you are trying to… court your old nemesis? It’s all very strange.

  “I don’t care anymore.” Katrina huffed, turning to face Nasha, showing off her gown. “What do you think?”

  Nasha smiled, standing from her seat and clasping Katrina’s hands in her own. “I think you are beautiful, and there will be plenty of noble men in there who will struggle to keep you out of their minds.”

  ~

  Katrina beamed a smile as she entered the main hall. Hundreds of nobles conversed and danced on the center floor, as well as every corner of the vast room. Instinctively her eyes scanned the sea of colorful faces as she moved, searching for someone she recognized. Nasha gave her a nudge, pulling her attention before pointing toward the wine table.

  “I’ll be over there if you need me.” She whispered, before disappearing into the crowd.

  Katrina huffed, but continued her search regardless.

  “Hego, Katrina!” A voice rang from behind her. She turned and was somewhat stunned at the face of the culprit.

  “Cato!” She practically squealed, rushing toward the man and embracing him. “God, it’s been so long. How are you!? You look great.”

  “I’m fine, Katrina.” Cato gave her a warm smile, clasping her shoulders and admiring her. “I had hoped to meet with Daniel as well, but it seems he’s a bit predisposed.”

  Katrina chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. “Married life. He’s probably tending to his wife’s every need; you know him.”

  “I’m sure I’ll see him around.” Cato gave her a knowing look. “I always thought that the two of you were destined for marriage. I usually have an eye for such things. I was quite surprised to see him mated to not only royalty, but Avria of all people.”

  Katrina’s face twisted into an awkward smile of sorts. “Yeah… well, we tried at one point. I really wanted to see where things would go with him, but… politics got in the way… among other things.”

  “I see.” Cato nodded along apologetically. “Well at least I wasn’t completely wrong about it! Haha!”

  Katrina erupted into hearty laughter, causing more than a few party goers to look their way. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She giggled, wiping tears from her eyes. “But I’m sure you didn’t come all the way out here to say hello, Cato. Or to talk about my dismal love life. What’s going on?”

  Cato’s smile slipped a bit, and he glanced around at their surroundings conspiratorially. “It would be better to speak in private, Katrina. It concerns my son… and some sensitive matters that pertain to him.”

  Katrina straightened herself, gaining her composure and nodded. She led him out of the main hall toward the large balcony that overlooked the courtyard below. There were several couples who meandered in opposite corners, interacting lovingly with each other. This area was clearly a smooching ground during parties like this, either wives or mistresses accompanying nobles. It was inappropriate to say the least, but it was private.

  “Are you sure we should…” Cato grumbled looking at the various couples. “I don’t want people to get the wrong idea, Katrina.”

  “It’s safe to speak here.” Katrina rolled her eyes. “And no one who is out here cares who else is, half of them are with their side pieces anyway.”

  “Their… what?” Cato looked at her, in confusion.

  “Women who aren’t their wives.” Katrina let out an exasperated breath. “Don’t worry about it; now can you please tell me what’s going on?”

  “Right.” Cato cleared his throat but still looked incredibly uncomfortable. “My son, Pyxxis is on his way to Vul De Rah as we speak. Along with several members of a powerful clan from the North East, and with, what I’ve been told, a group of… humans.”

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  Katrina’s eyes widened. “A… group? As in, more than one?”

  Cato nodded his head enthusiastically. “Pyxxis says there are several with him, and they are on their way here as we speak!”

  “I…” Katrina’s mind slowly processed the fresh information. “I can’t… why the hell are we just hearing about this now!? Your son should have sent word ages ago.”

  “That is a question I don’t know the answer to, unfortunately.” Cato said, his tone apologetic. “He used our most secure method of communication when passing on this information. He—”

  Katrina huffed as she turned away from him and began marching back toward the party.

  “Katrina!” Cato called after her, “where are you going?”

  “I’m going to tell Daniel and Alektor, Cato.” She barked, turning briefly to wave him after her. “Now come on! I’m sure they’ll have questions.”

  ~

  “You sure about this?” Daniel asked, turning a surprised look toward Katrina; Who sat with a near vacant expression. She had contacted him, and Alektor; bringing them to the nearest study with a great revelation.

  “I am sure.” Cato replied, his demeanor somewhat more reserved than Daniel remembered.

  “Then we must act.” Alektor said, taking a sip of wine from his bowl. “If your son is truly leading a group of humans past Visoth however, they are most certainly in a great deal of danger. How can we communicate with him? Perhaps to offer them aid of some kind.”

  “Highness,” Cato bowed, “I am only able to send messages when he is communicating with me. The speaking stone that was sent to me is only connected to one other. And cannot initiate contact unless activated. Unfortunately, he is the only one that can initiate contact. He mentioned they ran into some trouble once leaving Vohnavix that greatly delayed them. Other than that, our dialog has been sparse.”

  “Vohnavix…” Alektor seemed to contemplate the unfamiliar word carefully.

  “What is it?” Daniel asked.

  “It is a place.” Alektor answered after another sip of his wine. “Far to the East, an Island off the coast of Vohnarahv; an island of ice and death. Where the Dae who live there are as barren and violent as their environment. Where they are hunted by the few spirits who remain.” His eyes turned to Cato again, “Your son is a student at the Shayak Libreos then?”

  “Yes, your Highness.”

  “Interesting.” Alektor stood from his chair, taking several moments before continuing. “I want you to stay here, Cato. If it isn’t too much trouble. Your insight into these matters, not to mention your connection with your son will be vital in assuring their safe arrival.”

  “Of course, your Highness.” Cato bowed again, “I am at your disposal.”

  “Your daughter is on our council, is she not? Phenia, if my memory serves me? Alektor asked.

  “Yes, she is, Highness.” Cato’s face beamed with pride at the recognition of his daughter’s name. “And it is by far the greatest honor our house has ever received.”

  “Join her, while you are here.” Alektor continued, making his way toward the exit. “I would be honored to have the wisdom and council of Torre’s most successful Hego present for our next meeting.”

  Before Cato could answer, the door to the study slid open, and Alektor made his way outside. He let out a heavy breath before Katrina put her hands on his shoulders to calm him.

  “He can be a bit much.” She said, attempting to sound reassuring. “But he means what he says.”

  “That man is every bit as terrifying as I imagined.” Cato huffed, wringing his hands. “I have dealt with some of the most cut-throat and corrupt politicians in all of Eleutheros in my time as Hego. None of them have made me feel that way.”

  “He’s exactly who we need right now.” Daniel interjected, leaning forward on the table. “And he has our full support. So, you can trust him.”

  “I understand.” Cato nodded, then stood from his seat. “I will let my people know in Torre’ that their Hego will be delayed for some time. And if I should be contacted by Pyxxis… I’ll alert you immediately.”

  ~

  Daniel made his way out of the study with Katrina, still wearing the evening gown she had donned for the party. She was uncharacteristically quite as they walked, so Daniel sighed inwardly, and cleared his throat.

  “Hm?” She looked up at him, clearly being pulled from her thoughts. “Did you say something?”

  “What’s bothering you?” Daniel asked, “I thought the news that Cato brought was good news. But you look like you just left a funeral.”

  “It’s nothing.” Her words came out muted and unconvincing, “I… I just thought that all this stuff would be behind us, you know? The constant worry… the stress. God, the stress kills me. I’m just so sick of looking over my shoulder.”

  “You’d prefer to just dress up and go to parties, you mean. Leaving any semblance of danger behind you.”

  “Hey.” She huffed, a hint of irritation entering her voice. “I fought against hoards of demons, Dan. So what if I want to just relax a bit; is that such a damn crime? I worked my ass off to get here, and—”

  “This world owes us nothing, Kat.” Daniel’s voice was stern, but he tried his best to sound comforting. “The moment we let our guard down, is the moment we lose our heads. You know that better than anyone. We take the good times while we can, but we’re still a far cry from normalcy or safety.”

  “Says the guy who’s married now.” She grumbled.

  Daniel sighed, but could understand what she was going through. After everything they had been through already in this world; who could deny that a bit of reassurance wasn’t needed?

  “Sorry, Dan.” Katrina deflated, lifting the long fabric of her dress, and scoffing as she dropped it frustratedly. “Well, now I feel ridiculous…”

  “Don’t let my comments sour your mood, Kat. You should go back and have fun at the party.”

  “Well, that’s impossible now, Dan. Thanks.” The corner of her mouth curled into a slight smile as she nudged him with her elbow. “You always knew how to kill the mood.”

  Daniel was about to respond with one of his patented dry jokes, when he saw the form of Angelo striding toward them from across the hall. Katrina must have noticed it as well, as she immediately started picking up the pace.

  “Angelo!” She smiled broadly at him, extending her hands in greeting. “I was looking for you in there.”

  “Kat.” He replied, grasping her hands in greeting, then turned to Daniel, his face betraying a great deal of stress behind it. “Dan, we need to talk.”

  Daniel could only sigh, knowing his previous conversation with Katrina must have been the cause. Why the hell am I always right about this shit? He thought. “What happened now?” He asked, crossing his arms.

  “Someone just tried to kill Lord Bre’kon.” Angelo spoke with urgency, gesturing for both Daniel and Katrina to follow him.

  They both did so, Daniel feeling a bit sympathetic of Katrina’s attire, while she cursed at how cumbersome it was. They made their way through the hall to a large dressing room, near the main hall where the party was still in full swing.

  As Daniel entered, he saw several guards, standing around a bloodied Dae man, Lord Bre’kon, he recognized. And beside him, lying on the stone floor, streaming blood from half a dozen wounds, was a dead Dae, the alleged would-be assassin.

  “What happened?” Daniel asked, scanning the area for any other details he might have missed.

  “This Garrank tried to kill me.” Bre’kon grunted, holding a wound on his left shoulder that was being tended to by one of the guards. “I was changing for the party, when I felt a blade stab into my back. Luckily I’m faster than he was, and managed to turn the tables on him.”

  “This night keeps getting better and better.” Katrina spat, turning toward the door. “Any idea who this guy was?”

  “Most likely from Domanicia.” Angelo chimed in, “you can tell by the paint under his eyes.”

  Daniel leaned closer and indeed saw the faint remnants of purple paint that had been cleaned off. A cultural tell-tale sign, I guess. He thought. “What are the chances he was working alone?”

  “Basically zero.” Angelo shook his head. “Domanician assassins work in small cells. They’re masters at blending in, and won’t stick around if they realize they’ve been discovered. We’ll likely never find the rest of them right now. With the amount of people at that party? And the size of this palace?”

  “We’ll see.” Daniel said, turning to leave the dressing area.

  “You got a plan, Dan?” Angelo asked after him.

  “He’ll flush ‘em out.” Katrina chuckled. “You’ll see.”

  ~

  Daniel strode into the main hall, where the party was reaching its peak. Music was echoing throughout the vast room, and dozens of couples danced on the center floor vigorously. He closed his eyes, reaching within and feeling the warmth of his power. Expanding his consciousness, he spread it through the hall, opening his mind to the energy of every man or woman in attendance. Once he could feel them all, he deepened his connection, searching for gaps. The energy of the Dae crashed against his senses like the sea in a violent storm, battering the face of a cliff relentlessly. Daniel remained firm, however. Delving further into the maelstrom of emotion. It was then that he noticed several gaps. There were Dae who felt… contempt… hatred… irritation… worry… Bingo, he thought.

  Daniels eyes opened with determination as he raised his hand into the air. Several tendrils of light shot from him and slid through the crowd at blinding speed. Many partygoers dashed away from the strange use of power, letting out yelps or gasps of surprise. The music stopped abruptly as well, but the royal guards sprang into action, doing their best to calm the crowd and prevent a panic.

  As the sound died down, only the curses and screams of several Dae could be heard as three of them were dragged across the floor by Daniel’s light bindings.

  “Holy shit…” Angelo’s mouth hung open in surprise. “How the hell, did you—”

  “I told you.” Katrina laughed, giving Daniel a slap on his back. “Always full of surprises, this one.”

  I agree with Katrina... who doesn't need more chill time in their lives? Unfortunately, that doesn't make for a great story... So! Onward to battle!