IP: 2.30.174.126
Posted on August 8, 2015 at 09:36:53 PM by caldera
_______________________caldera & buddy
____________________________nothing happens to you, it happens for you
In spite of what some of the locals said about the deities lacking thoughtfulness, Allianah had been kind enough to host their meeting outdoors, so Buddy could attend this time. Meeting was a rather formal word to describe the adhoc nature of it, considering it had only been conceived five minutes before when Caldera flagged the goddess down in passing. She was lucky she had, too. Allianah had been preparing to travel off-planet.
“I hadn’t forgotten,” the Nubian assured her. Cal chose to believe that.
They’d travelled together then to the pantheon, conversing little. Cal, for the large part, was intimidated; Allianah seemed preoccupied. Even Buddy was quiet, and had significantly cut back on his swagger. It was one thing to brag to fellow mortals about meeting the goddess of the Volcano, but it was quite another to be in her presence. Allianah was, the locals agreed, one of the more unapproachable deities. Tall and imposing, she had sharp, angular features, a permanently haughty expression and blazing eyes which made most people think twice when she stared at them. She was never without weapons of some description, and was usually dressed for combat, as she was now. Tight, leather armour covered the vulnerable parts of her body, leaving the arms and most of the legs bare. Strapped over one shoulder was a bow and quiver, and attached to the armour over her back was a holster containing a wooden staff. The end was blunt and shiny from use. Her long, thick, dark hair was the most normal looking thing about her; it had been woven into dreadlocks and then tied back in a practical ponytail. The style was reminiscent of Desert ker.
Cal, by comparison, had gone native. In the cold weather, she’d ditched her force uniform in favour of a royal guard’s one, with long trousers and sleeves. She’d retained her leather holster with her spitter and still had the Tech clipped the top of her ear; without them, to look at her, no one would know she was from Xara.
Only when they reached the pantheon did the goddess suggest that they discuss their business outside, so Buddy could hear and have his say. The aja’s ears pricked gratefully and Cal smiled, some of the nervousness fading from her face.
“You both did a good job,” Allianah continued. ‘Good’ was a spectacular compliment from the famously hard-to-impress deity. “Shaman is indebted to you.”
Buddy arched his neck and puffed out his chest like a royal steed. Cal could feel excitement bubbling in the pit of her stomach. With a reference like that, the army would have to give her her old job back. The prospect of being able to go back out into the field and bust up some bad guys, after so many years saddled to a desk, was like a dream come true.
“Thank you,” she put her hands together respectfully. “We’re ready to go home now.”
For a soldier, Allianah wasn’t so adept at hiding her feelings. The muscles around her mouth tightened and her eyes took on a very human quality.
“Unfortunately,” she sighed, “all is not well on Xara. The Volcano attempted to annexe the Desert.”
Cal’s throat constricted. “A – attempted?”
“The Rock intervened,” the Nubian explained. “The Desert has been turned into a battleground, and the Rock and Volcano are raiding one another too. Some managed to make it off-planet when the fighting broke out, but the shuttles are closed now. The Swamp is becoming overcrowded with refugees from all three kingdoms. I’m sorry,” she added feelingly.
Silence fell. Cal could feel Buddy’s breathing quicken under her fingers, which were resting against his side.
“I have to go back,” she insisted. “My family – ”
“May have made it off-planet,” Allianah interrupted gently. “And even if they have not, you would be granted no opportunity to find them. You would be drafted into the military immediately upon your arrival to the planet. And,” she added firmly, noticing the expression in Cal’s eye, “it is not my place to attempt to persuade them otherwise.”
“But – my mum and dad – ”
“Would have wanted you to be safe, Cal,” Buddy mumbled quietly.
“Shut up, Buddy,” Cal snapped, uncharacteristically vicious. “Nobody asked for your input.”
He and Allianah both went quiet, regarding her with hatefully sad eyes. They should be sad. They should be angry. Anger drove actions, not sadness, and actions were what mattered now. She had to get there – she had to make sure her family were safe –
“I will, of course, uphold my promise,” the deity said with some reluctance. “I can turn you back into a ker and transport you back to Xara, if you want me to. If you choose to extend your stay, I would recommend you remain a fairy. This world was never designed to be multi-species.”
“Yes,” Cal replied immediately. “I want to – ”
“I’m staying,” Buddy announced in the same, quiet voice, his tone firm and unwavering. Cal’s jaw fell open.
“Buddy?” She asked tentatively.
His head had dropped several inches and he looked utterly deflated. His bright, electric blue eyes were unusually dull and downcast. Even his coat seemed less glossy.
“I know what happens to aja in wars,” he grimaced.
Cal did too. At least in the Volcano, aja were a first line of defence. Unbonded aja, and the aja of disabled or elderly ker, were treated like animals and sent in alone to scare the enemy. Aja bonded to strong, able ker were saddled into the cavalry. In war time, the laws protecting aja were the first to go: any aja found without a ker (and sometimes even with) could be confiscated by the army. The two aforementioned scenarios were the best potential ones. Military-owned aja were also used to pull artillery, transport goods, and there were even rumours of military knacker’s yards. Aja meat was only repulsive if you knew what it was.
She’d been so focused on her family that she hadn’t paused to consider anything else. Cal buried her face in her hands, pushing the tips of her fingers into her vibrant red hair. As the Volcano’s famous Dark Lightning, Buddy wouldn’t be in danger of ending up at the knacker’s, but he would be confiscated almost instantly. He’d be reassigned to a general, or used as propaganda. Even if he went with her to Xara, they’d likely be split up once they got there.
“I’m not going to stop you going if you’re adamant, but I have a compromise,” Buddy sighed. “Don’t go now while you’re emotionally charged. Give yourself some time to think it over before you make a decision. If you’ve thought it all through and you still want to go, I’ll go with you.”
“A wise and fair assessment,” Allianah agreed quietly, as Cal flung her arms around his neck. “If you agree to it, I can return in a week or two.”
Her face obscured by her aja’s neck, Cal just nodded, afraid that she’d start crying if she tried to speak again. She waited until she’d heard Allianah’s footsteps recede before she let her tears fall.
____________________________nothing happens to you, it happens for you
In spite of what some of the locals said about the deities lacking thoughtfulness, Allianah had been kind enough to host their meeting outdoors, so Buddy could attend this time. Meeting was a rather formal word to describe the adhoc nature of it, considering it had only been conceived five minutes before when Caldera flagged the goddess down in passing. She was lucky she had, too. Allianah had been preparing to travel off-planet.
“I hadn’t forgotten,” the Nubian assured her. Cal chose to believe that.
They’d travelled together then to the pantheon, conversing little. Cal, for the large part, was intimidated; Allianah seemed preoccupied. Even Buddy was quiet, and had significantly cut back on his swagger. It was one thing to brag to fellow mortals about meeting the goddess of the Volcano, but it was quite another to be in her presence. Allianah was, the locals agreed, one of the more unapproachable deities. Tall and imposing, she had sharp, angular features, a permanently haughty expression and blazing eyes which made most people think twice when she stared at them. She was never without weapons of some description, and was usually dressed for combat, as she was now. Tight, leather armour covered the vulnerable parts of her body, leaving the arms and most of the legs bare. Strapped over one shoulder was a bow and quiver, and attached to the armour over her back was a holster containing a wooden staff. The end was blunt and shiny from use. Her long, thick, dark hair was the most normal looking thing about her; it had been woven into dreadlocks and then tied back in a practical ponytail. The style was reminiscent of Desert ker.
Cal, by comparison, had gone native. In the cold weather, she’d ditched her force uniform in favour of a royal guard’s one, with long trousers and sleeves. She’d retained her leather holster with her spitter and still had the Tech clipped the top of her ear; without them, to look at her, no one would know she was from Xara.
Only when they reached the pantheon did the goddess suggest that they discuss their business outside, so Buddy could hear and have his say. The aja’s ears pricked gratefully and Cal smiled, some of the nervousness fading from her face.
“You both did a good job,” Allianah continued. ‘Good’ was a spectacular compliment from the famously hard-to-impress deity. “Shaman is indebted to you.”
Buddy arched his neck and puffed out his chest like a royal steed. Cal could feel excitement bubbling in the pit of her stomach. With a reference like that, the army would have to give her her old job back. The prospect of being able to go back out into the field and bust up some bad guys, after so many years saddled to a desk, was like a dream come true.
“Thank you,” she put her hands together respectfully. “We’re ready to go home now.”
For a soldier, Allianah wasn’t so adept at hiding her feelings. The muscles around her mouth tightened and her eyes took on a very human quality.
“Unfortunately,” she sighed, “all is not well on Xara. The Volcano attempted to annexe the Desert.”
Cal’s throat constricted. “A – attempted?”
“The Rock intervened,” the Nubian explained. “The Desert has been turned into a battleground, and the Rock and Volcano are raiding one another too. Some managed to make it off-planet when the fighting broke out, but the shuttles are closed now. The Swamp is becoming overcrowded with refugees from all three kingdoms. I’m sorry,” she added feelingly.
Silence fell. Cal could feel Buddy’s breathing quicken under her fingers, which were resting against his side.
“I have to go back,” she insisted. “My family – ”
“May have made it off-planet,” Allianah interrupted gently. “And even if they have not, you would be granted no opportunity to find them. You would be drafted into the military immediately upon your arrival to the planet. And,” she added firmly, noticing the expression in Cal’s eye, “it is not my place to attempt to persuade them otherwise.”
“But – my mum and dad – ”
“Would have wanted you to be safe, Cal,” Buddy mumbled quietly.
“Shut up, Buddy,” Cal snapped, uncharacteristically vicious. “Nobody asked for your input.”
He and Allianah both went quiet, regarding her with hatefully sad eyes. They should be sad. They should be angry. Anger drove actions, not sadness, and actions were what mattered now. She had to get there – she had to make sure her family were safe –
“I will, of course, uphold my promise,” the deity said with some reluctance. “I can turn you back into a ker and transport you back to Xara, if you want me to. If you choose to extend your stay, I would recommend you remain a fairy. This world was never designed to be multi-species.”
“Yes,” Cal replied immediately. “I want to – ”
“I’m staying,” Buddy announced in the same, quiet voice, his tone firm and unwavering. Cal’s jaw fell open.
“Buddy?” She asked tentatively.
His head had dropped several inches and he looked utterly deflated. His bright, electric blue eyes were unusually dull and downcast. Even his coat seemed less glossy.
“I know what happens to aja in wars,” he grimaced.
Cal did too. At least in the Volcano, aja were a first line of defence. Unbonded aja, and the aja of disabled or elderly ker, were treated like animals and sent in alone to scare the enemy. Aja bonded to strong, able ker were saddled into the cavalry. In war time, the laws protecting aja were the first to go: any aja found without a ker (and sometimes even with) could be confiscated by the army. The two aforementioned scenarios were the best potential ones. Military-owned aja were also used to pull artillery, transport goods, and there were even rumours of military knacker’s yards. Aja meat was only repulsive if you knew what it was.
She’d been so focused on her family that she hadn’t paused to consider anything else. Cal buried her face in her hands, pushing the tips of her fingers into her vibrant red hair. As the Volcano’s famous Dark Lightning, Buddy wouldn’t be in danger of ending up at the knacker’s, but he would be confiscated almost instantly. He’d be reassigned to a general, or used as propaganda. Even if he went with her to Xara, they’d likely be split up once they got there.
“I’m not going to stop you going if you’re adamant, but I have a compromise,” Buddy sighed. “Don’t go now while you’re emotionally charged. Give yourself some time to think it over before you make a decision. If you’ve thought it all through and you still want to go, I’ll go with you.”
“A wise and fair assessment,” Allianah agreed quietly, as Cal flung her arms around his neck. “If you agree to it, I can return in a week or two.”
Her face obscured by her aja’s neck, Cal just nodded, afraid that she’d start crying if she tried to speak again. She waited until she’d heard Allianah’s footsteps recede before she let her tears fall.
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