Fic: Wizards of the Sky
Title: Wizards of the Sky
Author: Araine
Pairing(s): Kit/Nita, Original/Original, Dairine/Roshaun
Rating: PG-13 (for violence and romance)
Warnings: Spoilers for... everything. But this story should stand alone - if you haven't read all of the books, and aren't worried about some spoilers, don't worry.
Summary: An interplanetary empire is on the verge of open civil war, something the wizards want to try to prevent at all costs. Faith, sacrifice, and love of all kinds is called for. And once again, Nita and Kit are called on Errantry. Because some stories are too timeless to let die.
Chapter Summary: Nita converses with Roshaun, and meets an At'kokaldran princess. A strange dream leads into the beginning of the conference.
Author's Note: Thanks once again to readingredhead for being my beta! Sorry I took so long with this one - it gave me a lot of trouble. I had to get through a lot of exposition, and I had a hard time balancing that and keeping it interesting.
Also, play spot the borrowed alien culture! The different diplomats are all from existing sci-fi cultures (with the exception of At'kokaldra, which is my own, and the earthlings, for obvious reasons.) This is mostly laziness on my part (worldbuilding alien cultures takes a lot of work, and I only needed particular traits from the different cultures, so I borrowed), and they're mostly from well-known sci-fi (or in the case of Wellakh, from Duane herself) - with the exception of maybe one. I'll name them next chapter, but see if you can guess beforehand!
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5358145/3/Wizards_of_the_Sky
For a moment, Nita, Kit and Roshaun all looked at each other in shock. In a universe of infinite diversity, it went against all common sense that they would find someone that they knew. Still, wizardry had taught them - there was rarely such a thing as coincidence. Clearly, if Roshaun was here, there was a purpose in his being here.
Roshaun, for his part, seemed vaguely amused by the turn of events. “I have visited earth before,” he said to the Emperor, as explanation. “I am well-acquainted with Juanita’s sister.”
Nita had to hold back a grin of amusement. Nothing could be proved - yet - but ‘well acquainted’ was not the word-choice she would use to describe the relationship between Dairine and Roshaun. She was not entirely sure what words she would use.
“How fortunate, to meet unexpected friends,” the Emperor said, his wide eyes narrowing into an expression that gave Nita the impression of a smile. “Of course, there are no accidents.”
And then, to Nita’s surprise, Roshaun made a long, sweeping gesture with his arm and inclined his head. Nita did not have Dairine’s expertise on Wellakhit gestures, but she was pretty sure that was an indication of high respect. Nita’s eyebrows shot up.
‘I don’t think he’s even that respectful with his father,’ she thought, both surprised and impressed.
“My people owe the Imperium a great debt,” Roshaun said. “One that I fear may never be repaid.”
The Emperor smiled once again with his eyes. “Who would we be, if we did not help our neighbors?” the Emperor asked, rhetorically.
‘Neighbors?’ she asked Kit silently. She wasn’t sure if it was a trespass or not to talk to her partner, even in the privacy of their heads.
‘I think in a galactic sense,’ Kit replied. ‘You’d have to check the manual for the correct numbers, but I think the Imperium’s open cluster is within fifty light-years of Thahit’s system.’
For a moment, Nita thought about the general location in the galaxy of Roshaun’s planet, and the general location of the cluster of stars that the At’kokaldra Shy’selorat Heavenly Galactic Imperium had formed in, and realized that he was right. She was surprised. Life might prevail across much of the galaxy - but in a galaxy over a hundred thousand light-years across, fifty light-years certainly constituted a neighbor.
“It is the Imperium’s turn to graciously ask the help of Wellakh,” the Emperor was saying. “We offered our assistance during your planet’s time of need, with only the hope that you would return the favor, as you are doing, Sun Lord.”
Roshaun’s expression was pleasant, but there was an almost taut edge at the corners of his mouth. Nita’s first guess would be that deferring to someone else for extended periods of time disagreed with him. But that was not quite it…
“For now, however, let’s not talk of that,” the Emperor said. He once again turned his wide-eyed gaze on the three wizards from earth. “We welcome all emissaries and friends of our Imperium. I hope that you find everything to your liking.”
It took Nita a moment to realize that she was being dismissed. For some reason, it felt abrupt. Still, she smiled, attempted one more wobbly curtsy, hoped nobody noticed how wobbly it really was, and then turned and walked away from the raised dais where the Emperor sat gazing out over the grand room.
Roshaun seemed amused. “Your sister seems to have inherited the grace in the family,” he said, quietly.
“Thanks ever so,” Nita said wryly. She knew it was the truth - however blunt. That didn’t mean it wasn’t annoying.
Roshaun turned suddenly to Alex. He held out a hand in a gesture that - Nita realized - was not Wellakhit but instead a normal earth handshake. Still, no matter how normal the gesture, he still managed to make it as officious as possible. Alex, for his part, was pleasant as he shook the Wellakhit’s hand.
“We have not been formally introduced, Advisory,” Roshaun said, dropping his hand.
“No, we haven’t,” Alex said. “I am Alexander Monnier - a geomancer by trade. I have heard of your exploits, Sun Lord - and your unique situation concerning our moon. I have to say, I’m impressed.”
Roshaun’s gaze was far off, obviously remembering. Nita sighed. Returning from the strange half-death Roshaun had suffered had been no easy task - and she had not played the principle role. She still remembered that particular universe - much closer to Timeheart than her own - with a kind of longing. The Wellakhit had spent much longer there.
He brushed off the wistful look. “I wish I could say I knew as much about you,” Roshaun said. “Still, geomancy is a difficult specialty. I applaud you.”
“Thank you,” Alex said. He smiled at Nita and Kit. “I am going to spend some time looking around. Dai’stiho, Sun Lord. I expect we shall meet again.”
Roshaun nodded. “I look forward to it,” he said.
Alex left their small group, without any more chat.
That was when Nita noticed Kit’s hungry look, as he stared at some At’kokaldran dish that had been set out for the guests to enjoy. The dish in question was a rather radioactive-looking green. “You might want to check your Manual before you try anything,” Nita teased her hunger-prone partner, good-naturedly. Kit had been sprouting like a weed lately, and seemed to be hungry all the time.
Kit grinned a little awkwardly. “Yeah, don’t worry,” he said. “Aren’t you hungry? It’s been awhile since breakfast.”
It had been some time since she had last eaten, Nita reflected. She was hungry. And the other varieties of food - in colors other than neon green - did look tempting. “I’m alright for now. I have a few questions I want to ask Roshaun.”
Kit nodded. “Me too,” he said. “They’re probably the same. And if you’re going to ask, it means I can get some food.”
Nita laughed. “You’re incorrigible,” she said. Kit had the presence of mind to look guilty - but only for so long.
“I’ll be back soon,” he promised, voice low, and then he turned and left.
Nita wondered for a moment why that thought made her heart beat hard. Still, there were more important things on hand. Like, for example…
“You had questions for me?” Roshaun’s look was blank, utterly nonplussed.
Nita was a little sheepish. “I was just wondering what the history between Wellakh and the Imperium is. Whatever it was, it has to be impressive.”
Roshaun’s look remained calculatedly blank. “There were Imperial wizards present when Thahit flared. Most of them died in the Sunfire - trying to save a planet that was not their own. The Imperium then helped us through the following famine.”
Nita was rather impressed. It was one thing to sacrifice yourself for your own people - a much harder task to do the same for others. For Roshaun, however, it seemed to be an uncomfortable topic.
“Why hasn’t Dairine mentioned that before?” she asked.
“My people are not fond of aliens,” Roshaun said stiffly. “They often bite the hand that feeds them.”
Nita knew this part of Wellakh’s culture well enough. Her little sister was embroiled in it. No wonder Wellakh’s debt to the Imperium was an uncomfortable topic - he was already a king who was slave to his people, but surely he also felt some measure of gratitude to the Imperium.
Deciding to change the subject, Nita asked, “Speaking of my sister, where is she? I heard she was with you.”
“She may still be on Wellakh - if she has not returned to your planet. She was out of contact, on an agricultural scout mission, when I was called away.”
“And does she know that you were called away?” Nita asked.
Roshaun shrugged. “I am sure she will figure it out. I left a message with my father,” he said blandly. He gave Nita a sidelong look. “You disapprove?”
“She might,” Nita said. As far as she knew, Dairine wasn’t a fan of people running off and doing things without telling her. She wondered how much of this Roshaun knew.
He seemed genuinely surprised. “I don’t see why,” he said. “Dairine’s mission was dangerous in nature - I did not want to distract her.”
Nita was torn between admiration for Roshaun’s concern over her sister’s safety, and her own concerns. Dairine could take care of herself, Nita knew, but she had been under the impression that Dairine would tell her if she was getting into anything dangerous.
“What does that mean?” Nita hissed. “I thought her mission was agricultural. Is she dealing with demon plants?”
Roshaun’s look was vaguely condescending. “Of course not,” he said, in a way that made Nita feel absurd. She glared at him for a moment, and then Roshaun continued. “It was a mission to the rest of Wellakh’s sunside. We are looking at the possibility of reintroducing some of the native plant life.”
“Where you have thin atmosphere, no food or water, a thin planetary crust, and with possible assassins on the team?” Nita was silent for a second, as she let the implications sink in. “If you think for a second that I’m going to let you bully my sister into doing the hardest, most dangerous jobs just to gain acceptance on your planet, then--!”
Roshaun gripped Nita’s arm hard. She fell silent in shock - and only then noticed the large number of At’kokaldran eyes drawn in by her rising tone. She felt her face go hot, and jerked away from the Sun King.
Roshaun set his jaw. “Believe me, I worried about those same possibilities,” he said, under his breath. “Dairine… requested that she go.” He did not, Nita thought, look happy.
She was still deciding whether to continue to be annoyed with him, or to just let the issue drop, when a soft At’kokaldran voice spoke up from behind her. “Dai’stiho, cousins,” she said. “Perhaps it would be best if we avoided making a scene.”
Roshaun looked a little bit embarrassed. This was comforting, because Nita felt a little mortified. She hoped she wasn’t blushing visibly. She turned, to see a dainty, blue-eyed At’kokaldran female, dressed in multicolored, elegant but gauzy material. Behind her was Kit.
“En’aidela, Daughter of the Imperium, dai’stiho,” Roshaun said. He inclined his head. Nita hurriedly dipped her third wobbly curtsy of the night to the highest princess of the Imperium. “We’re sorry for the disturbance. It was of little importance.”
‘Little importance my foot,’ Kit said to her, silently. ‘What was that about, Neets?’
Nita sighed. ‘A misunderstanding, mostly,’ she replied. ‘And Dairine. I’ll fill you in later.’
Kit looked somewhat dubious. She flashed him a smile that she hoped was reassuring.
“And you are Juanihta Kallahahn,” En’aidela said, turning her round blue eyes on Nita. “I have been getting to know your partner.”
Nita smiled. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said. “I usually go by just Nita.”
“Nihta. Kitt.” She pronounced both names with an accent. “Your culture also has informal names.”
Nita grinned. “We’d call them nicknames,” she said.
The princess smiled suddenly, her blue eyes closing and her tiny nose bunching up. “You must call me Aidela, then. If we are to be friends,” she said.
“Thank you,” Nita said, grateful for the At’kokaldran’s sincerity.
“I hope that we will get to know each other. I look forward to learning about wizards from other planets.”
Roshaun seemed amused. “Earth’s wizards seem to be the stubborn variety,” he interjected.
Nita rolled her eyes. Aidela seemed quietly amused. “Of a nature not far from your own then, Sun King,” she said lightly. Then the smile dropped from her eyes slightly, and she turned away from the Emperor’s dais. “Sun King… there is a matter I should like to speak with you about.”
Aidela and Roshaun stepped slightly away, saying their goodbyes to Nita and Kit. The two earthlings turned the other way, and wandered over toward one of the large murals that decorated the different alcoves. They studied it quietly - the fiery blue-white star.
“Aidela said it was Kan’shiala,” Kit said, his eyes sweeping over the way the star seemed to almost move and shed light, although it was merely paint. “Probably the furthest star out in their entire system.”
Nita smiled. “It’s really beautiful,” she said quietly. “Aidela seems nice, for a princess.”
Kit nodded. “She’s pretty young, too,” he said. “Just past latency, I think. She’d probably be about fourteen, in terms of earth’s years.”
Nita grinned. She too had tried to figure out the strange way that At’kokaldrans reckoned time. They had four star systems and eight planets, all with vastly different rotations and orbits. They seemed to count the dates by the relative positions of stars, although there were still remnant pieces of their calendar which dated back to the days when they had been one singular society.
“Well, we’re pretty young ourselves,” she said quietly. “And look at all that we’ve done.”
“So,” Kit asked slyly, changing the subject, “what was this about Dairine and Roshaun?”
Nita laughed. “You gossip,” she teased him, and then she sobered. “Dairine’s been doing dangerous things on Wellakh. I… I just wanted to make sure he’s not pressuring her into them.”
“You should know better than I do, if Dairine does a thing it’s because she wants to do it,” he said quietly. “She’s not going to be pressured into anything.”
Nita smiled wryly. “Yeah, I guess so,” she said. “I’m just worried.”
Kit settled a heavy hand on her shoulder - an easy feat since he had grown taller than her - and a smile crossed his lips. “Come on,” he said. “They have some really good food.”
“It’s not blue, is it?” Nita asked, suspiciously.
“Please, I don’t eat food just for its color,” Kit said, feigning hurt. His hand remained on Nita’s shoulder, a comforting presence, even as he smiled slyly at her. “It’s actually orange.”
Nita made a sound of disgust, but followed him anyways.
The night itself passed by quickly, in a blur of red-gold At’kokaldran faces, as well as a few other aliens - though they were by far the minority. Nita began to curse her choice of wearing heels, as they pinched her feet - though she said a short spell to prevent herself from getting further blisters.
Alex found them eventually. He had been speaking with a large-eared, orange-colored alien from the Perseus Arm, but excused himself when Nita and Kit drew near.
“People are leaving now,” he said. “I’m heading back to the rooms; you two can follow along whenever you want to.”
Nita nodded. “I’m a little tired,” she said, not mentioning her aching feet. “I think I’ll go.”
Kit grinned. “I’ll head back, too,” he said.
They left the palace, the same way that they had come in, though the multicolored and beautifully decorated rooms, and eventually returned to where the jetcars were parked earlier. Nita looked up into the sky at the blue-green, ringed moon hanging low in the sky, casting a watery shadow over everything. She could just make out the super-bright dots that were the other stars in the star system.
It was a strange thought, to think that these people were stretched across all of that distance. They had reached across space, but the darkness of space was still so vast. And things were breaking down here - she could not forget that.
Still, it was a beautiful skyline - the city twinkling above and below, and the large ringed moon casting its shadow.
---
Nita dreamed vivid dreams that night. She dreamed of a green-eyed, broad-faced At’kokaldran, mingling among the crowd from last night. She dreamed of a cloud-covered planet, and another platform high above the clouds, buffeted by strong winds.
She dreamed of a large ship sailing through a worldgate, and two people who watched it side by side.
When she awoke, she was more confused than when she had awakened.
It was still dark outside of her window, although Nita had slept for a long time. She quickly checked her manual, from where she had set it at her bedside. It read that she had slept for eight and a half hours, which was more than she usually did.
She set about brushing her hair and teeth anyways, and getting ready for the day ahead of her. It would be the first meeting of the diplomatic council, and Nita wanted to make sure she was prepared. She pulled on the skirt and blouse she had brought just for this day. Not that it mattered so much - most of the aliens didn’t even wear clothing.
When she was finished, Nita pulled out her manual and began reading over pieces she hadn’t had a chance to read. From what she could tell, At’kokaldra’s problem was quasi-religious, though it hadn’t started as a religious issue. But a large part of the population had turned from the central government.
She was just reading over the economic concerns of the third planet in the Shy’selorat system, when Kit’s thoughts intruded on her own.
‘Neets?’ he asked her.
‘What is it?’ she replied, flipping her manual closed. It would mark the page she had been reading for her.
‘It’s almost time to go. You ready?’
Nita took a deep breath. ‘As ready as I’ll ever be.’
She met Kit and Alex out in the hallway once again, and took the lift down to the ground floor, where they once again picked up their jetcar. They were falling into a kind of routine, already, Nita mused. They flew over the floating platform that housed the imperial palace, and it shimmered a hundred feet beneath them in the bright sunlight.
When they landed, it was on a platform close to the Imperial palace - a large building reared up, a great behemoth of reflective glass and steel, curving upward into the wispy nitrogen clouds of the planet’s upper-atmosphere. It was probably the tallest building she had encountered thus far, and though it wasn’t as big as the Imperial palace, it was just as impressive.
“Our center of communications,” said the At’kokaldran who was driving the jetcar said, seeing their stares. He seemed to be smiling. “The conference shall be seen across the Imperium.”
‘That makes me feel so much better,’ Nita thought. From Kit’s half-grin, she knew he had heard her.
They eventually came to a large room full of various aliens - most of them foreign looking. The emperor himself was among the group of At’kokaldrans, along with two advisers. Dwarfing the At’kokaldrans was a group of large, three-fingered, heavily armored aliens.
Not far from them was an alien that looked almost like a large insect - it had the multifaceted eyes and the wings - but stood on stocky hind legs. She spotted Roshaun, among several people from Wellakh, their blond hair reflecting the white light from At’kokaldra’s central star. They were talking to a group of deer-like, blue-skinned centaur-shaped aliens - though the creatures had no perceivable mouths and eyes on stalks that seemed to look every which way. Standing apart were the orange-skinned people with the large tapered ears and wrinkled, large foreheads whom Alex had been talking to before.
“We are all gathered,” the Emperor said, in the Speech, his accent barely noticeable. “Let us go inside.”
They followed him inside a large room, where a large table was set up at the center. It had a holographic projector mounted in the center, and different kinds of equipment peppered around the outside, that was probably to broadcast it across the different stars of the Imperium.
Different accommodations had been made for the various ambassadors’ anatomies, and Nita was pleased to see that the humanoids had been given a large-backed chair made of some plush material that was extraordinarily comfortable.
She raised her eyebrow at Kit, as the Emperor gave them a short welcoming speech. The instruments around them hummed to life, and Nita fought the sudden urge to fix her hair.
They were finally down to business.
And that was where all the trouble began.