RQL chapter 5

-(Shiwan)- 

Zel Reis Residence - fifth day of Liira 4896

We moved from the garden and now were in the living room. Mommy put a tray full of food before me has I began listening to her I was filling my belly. The waft of the fried meat made me salivate. Cultivation makes you hungry, like a lot! Mommy told me she had killed a big Porshik just for me while I was cultivating; delicious ‘acon, flatbread with fluffy eggs were present on my plate.  When the three are combined they become even more delicious! Amazing. My attention came back on Mommy.

“The Empyrean Celestial Ascension was developed by Ralg’ahr The Great, the legends says that he was one of the apostle of the Goddess before her ascension to the spiritual realm. Him and the other of her followers wanted to ascend and continue to serve her, they passed the rest of their lives helping the people and to create the Church of Liira. It is said they assembled all the cultivation techniques known in the world and studied them to create the Empyrean Celestial Ascension.”

Mommy said while telling the tale of the technique Lili taught me, maybe she didn’t realize that she was speaking about it with awe and doing grand movements with her hands and arms, it was like watching a storyteller. 

“After Liira ascended, Ralg’ahr was the most powerful human on Lekrys. Some says he was a benevolent man, other stated that he was a tyrant that commited... lot of bad things.” Mommy continued.

I stopped eating and frowned. Mommy’s tone was the same as when she try to avoid speaking about blood and death. She always try to spare me that kind of details, I don’t understand why. Sighing, I decided to force the issue.

“What kind of bad things? Did he kill good or bad people ?” I asked after swallowing down my food.

“Yes we discovered that he annihilated a lot of tribes for their cultivation and martial techniques. Good, and bad. Everyone.”

“Anni… what does this word means?” It’s hard to pronounce too.

“It means that he killed them all.” My mommy said with sadness.

“Oh.” I am surprised that someone like this wasn’t slain by someone else.

“It’s worse than what Queen Zena did to the Damat Kingdom, but at least she was justified. This Ral person is really bad.” I answer to my mother.

Mommy looked at me with a worried expression, her piercing blue eyes met mine.

“Shiwan, Queen Zena was a monster.”

“No, she is a great person! I want to be like her when I grow up.” I screamed, vindicated about what she thought of my idol.

Mommy took a big breath and turned toward the sofa and sat in its comforting depth. Her Hair masked her face, so I couldn’t see her expression. I heard her tighten her knuckles, the little pop of her bones worried me.

“Lee’am will pay for that.” I heard Mommy whisper.

To change the subject I ask Mommy about the rest of the story, I don’t want her to do something to Daddy.

“Then what happened to that Ral person, Mommy?” 

I take the glass of Sarat juice to my mouth and drink the cold syrupy liquid; closing my eyes in delight I moaned in pleasure.

“He ascended.” Mommy said.

So he went to where Lili is, from what I saw from her she would punish him fiercely. Putting my glass on the wooden tray before me, I looked at my mother who was still worrying other the fact that I used the technique of a man who is considered a monster. I don’t understand, the technique didn’t do anything, it is but a tool. It is just that the man who made it was evil, and I am not. 

“I don’t think Lili didn’t punish him? Because I don’t see her tolerating what he did.” I try to reassure Mommy.

But instead of smiling at me, Mommy looked as if she looked at me for the first time. It kept on going until I am squirming under her gaze, until she finally decided to speak.

“You have become rather verbose lately, Shiwan.” Mommy observed.

I was suddenly under her inquisitive gaze, her eyes roving on me as if I was guilty of something and it made me nervous.

“Verbi..? What do you mean?” Pronouncing this new word was too bothersome so I didn’t try.

“It means that you know a lot of words that you shouldn’t.” Mommy explained.

“Oh, thanks. Lili tells me lot of stories in my dreams. Then we paint lot of things in her Palace walls and we play in her gardens. I learn lot of stuffs from her.” I said while smiling at Mommy.

I began to stuff myself again with food, not minding how mommy looked at me again. So, I have the cultivation technique of this Ral person; Lili must have done something to him when he ascended or else she wouldn’t teach me that secret technique. It’s doesn’t worry me, though. The silence of my mother led me to look at her again.

“Shiwan? Why don’t you tell me about your dreams more often?” She asked.

I am sorry mommy, but Lili told me not to or I will be punished.

“There are some things she let me see and that she tells me that are forbidden for me to repeat, she trust me. She said I am her best girl friend. And I am not a snitch, snitches have no friends!” I declared.

“I… see.”

Mommy looked dejected.

*** 

-(Kateri)-

Something was brewing in Shiwan’s little head, the Goddess was priming her, molding her in her dreams. No wonder my daughter has always been so different, she spoke clearly at two years old, tried to help us instead of being a spoiled little one like I have seen in my childhood days in the branch family manor. I uncapped the wine bottle and filled the blue crystal wine glass and sit deep in my red sofa and put my feet on the low table. It was an inelegant posture but there was no minister or servant from my family to criticize me. Sighing, I thought about all of my troubles and if there is aught that I could do about them. Shiwan was sleeping on the canape, her cute face peaceful after the long period of cultivation. She surprised Lee’am and I, again. I thought she would have more problems into entering a meditative state, but it seems the Goddess prepared her beforehand. I put the wine glass to my mouth and smelled the soft and fruity smell of the Eqalyran brew. The scent of home, I missed my country and family. I took a sip of wine and swallowed slowly, taking the time of tasting the chi filled liquid grapes with an aftertaste of alcohol.

“Ah~”

I put my head against the headrest of the sofa, relishing in the comfort, but it was an ephemeral feeling, the worry about my own flesh and blood creeped yet again. Looking at Shiwan, I could feel her rank now. She was at the first stage of the Earth rank, if I remember well it took me four months to breakthrough, and six for Lee’am. Two for my backstabbing and genius sister Kahreenah. But lo and behold, it took two days for my Shiwan. A proud smile slowly flowered on my face, she put us all to shame.

Knock, knock.

“Hmm, who could it be?” Lee wouldn’t bother to knock to enter his own house.

Standing up I put my wine glass on the low table and went to open the door in the lobby. I took the new sword gifted by the Goddess out of my spatial ring, circulating my chi inside if the visitor was less than peaceful. You never know, that’s what this world beyond the safe walls of my family’s castle taught me.

I slowly opened the wooden door, and looked out. The person standing there stirred my memories that took me back to the night I almost died when eloping. The same black hair in a tight bun, her piercing purple eyes, an half mask just showing the superior part of her face; She wore a dark purple coat over a black leather under armor, leather pants with a belt flattering her midsection and black knee-high boots, her soft looking white skin and the uniform of the Eqalyran spymaster all screamed at me that my enemy caught up to me. By reflex I pushed my Chi at her and ejected her from my porch with the solid wall of energy I formed. The woman righted herself in an acrobatic jump in the air and landed on her feet on the grass. Not even looking for worse.

“I did expect that kind of reaction. It will be the only free shot you’ll be able to land.” The woman’s superior tone in her voice made me see red.

“You obviously became stronger, Princess. But I didn’t come to fight.” She affirmed while dusting her purple coat.

The blade of my sword glowed aqua blue for a moment before I centered myself once more and quelled my ire.

“I know why you are here.”

“Oh, then my Goddess didn’t lead me astray.” The woman nodded and crossed her arm behind her back.

“Yes, she told us you were coming to train my daughter.” I said between my teeth.

I didn’t let go of my new sword, my guest looked at it with curiosity. She has always been an inquisitive woman.

“Then why this kind of reception?” Her hard eyes found mine, there was accusation in them.

I shrugged.

“Just a reflex, you didn’t expect me to forgive how you almost killed me five years ago, Agent Reca?” I said with derision and a sarcastic smile on my face.

“I am an Agent no more, your sister dismissed me from the service. And I suppose you know what that means. She wanted me killed by my own squad, I had to kill the people I worked with since I joined the Wraith Order to escape.”

The Wraith Order was the intelligence arm of the Eqalyra Dynasty, their agents and spy  network are everywhere on the face of Lekrys, not in the Church of Liira though. The Church always found them and delivered them mind wiped to the palace. The Royal family forced obedience on her agents with enchanted collars that reacted with my bloodline. Yes, they were basically slaves with loyalty forced on them. The Wraiths were created by my ancestor, it is basically the fates of every orphan in the kingdom to either be forced into the military or intelligence branches. From my own guessing, a sliver of sympathy appeared out of nowhere and cooled my anger. Kahreenah was ruining even more lives than before. I looked at Shahira Reca, she didn’t have the collar of obedience on her neck. I will ask her how she got rid of it later.

“How ironic, you are the same as us now. An exiled.” I said looking at the woman from head to toe.

She looked defeated, even with the false bravado she told when I attacked her. Defeated and desperate. My decision of how to handle her was a test from Liira herself, I was tempted to turn her away. But I realized that Shahira was not my enemy, my sister was. She is in fact the source of all the trouble of my family. Liira gave us weapons and resources, but what we needed were allies. Beggars can't be  choosers. 

“Then I shall receive you in my humble abode, Shahira. But just one mistake and I will make you leave.” I pointed my sword toward her, it glowed blue with power. “Forcefully if I must.”

Shahira bowed lightly to me, she must be satisfied with my decision. Trust wasn’t given so easily, so I didn’t give her my back and let her enter the house.

*** 

Shahira was looking at the sleeping form of my daughter with wide eyed wonder, she then looked from me to her. The ex-spy was surely comparing her to Shiwan’s ancestor, Zena the Oni Queen. That red mane and the Earth Ranked aura exuding from her would do that to anyone from my country; I hope Lee’s family will never find her before she is ready to take her place in their clan.

“When did she breakthrough?” Shahira asked.

There was a hint of panic in her voice, she stayed standing there straight between the low table and the canape.

“Two days ago, and it was the first time she was cultivating.” I revealed with pride.

“What?” Shahira turned toward me.

“Lee’am was frightened by her potential when he discovered that she broke through Earth Rank. Now he is taking precaution and prepping our fast courier airship if we ever have to flee this Fief. Some people can be greedy.”

“Kat, I am home!”

Lee’am arrived just in time, patiently I await for him to come to the living room. He was clothed in his usual open sky blue shirt that showed his muscular and slightly hairy pectorals, and tight pants fitted leather pants. He held his new spear rather tightly, it made him look like a conquering hero coming back home. Sigh, he looked even more handsome again today. I watched the reaction of Shahira and I didn’t like what I saw; longing, sadness and love. It literally bled off here. The reaction of Lee’am wasn’t better, he stood there like a statue watching this woman as if he saw a ghost or spirit. My husband finally turned his head toward me, still looking shell shocked. His right hand tightened on his spear and his breath settled until he calmed down.

“Sha, you have come.” Lee’am’s voice was full of emotion as he looked at the woman.

The nickname he gave her grated on me, I sent a loathsome look at him who didn’t even notice it. The woman was barely here ten minutes and she already caused problem in my marriage! I felt like the “other” woman even though I was the one who is married to that dumb husband of mine.

“Lee.” Shahira said with her annoyingly prim and proper tone, her voice smooth and not revealing the depths of her feelings.

She was trying to smooth them over, but I wasn’t born from the last storm. Her body language suggested that she was happy to see him; she fumbled with her hands and tried to avoid looking at me.

“I am happy to see you.” Lee’am said while putting his spear in his spatial ring. “Kat stop looking at me like that, I know you won’t kill me.” He added while smiling at me.

That’s cheating! I can’t do anything against him when he show me those dimples! I placed my sword in my spatial ring too and waited for the inevitable talks that will follow. Lee’am went to get our daughter and place her in her own bedroom. I felt the air getting chillier in the living room as my anger rose. Knowing Lee’am I already expected him to say that he will marry Shahira and include her in our marriage. He is a man of honor and I know he went really far with the woman as she was his first love and still is if I interpreted his expression well. Lee’am walked down the stairs sonorously, a resigned and determined expression on his face as he stood tall and looked at us women.

“Please take a seat, girls. We have a lot to discuss.” 

My intuition was spot on.