Nyx
[Friday, Dreyrune 19, 4310]
—Nyxara's Library—
Sitting across from Korran while we set up the chessboard for our weekly match has become soothing. Especially after I shared that in my previous life before his passing, my papa and I had weekly chess matches as our special time for just the two of us.
Korran admitted that while Grey had a talent for chess, they hadn't played much together as she got older. She would only come to him for advice so she could show off in front of Koba.
I could tell that while he now knew Grey had been under the Dillard's control to behave and think a certain way, it still hurt him that the strong bond he once had with her was broken and he would never get the chance to repair it.
Neither of us could replace the ones we had lost, but we could choose to build a relationship all our own during these matches. We can connect with the person before us as they are and truly become a father and daughter pair. That is our heartfelt wish, so we play and enjoy these hours that have been set aside for just us.
I was playing white this time, I reached for a pawn to make my first move. Korran shifted in his seat, eyes on me instead of on the board. I paused in my reach, met his eyes, then without breaking eye contact, I moved my piece. His smile was worth acting a bit cocky. He made his move without looking down, And that became the rhythm of our game.
It added an unusual challenge to our match. Líma and Maram, Korran's personal assistant and Rhazin guard, kept us supplied with refreshments and light music.
When did Líma learn the saxophone? Why the saxophone? Líma is so weird. I should ban her from watching The Simpsons.
To Líma's recent dismay, I've been refusing to acknowledge the Lisa Simpson cosplay she has been wearing for the past two days. It amuses her to get a rise out of me.
I would ask someone to check her programming, but Líma has too much dirt on me. Líma would be petty enough to send my friends a report of random silly things I've done. Harmless incidents, but still not something I wanted shared.
"You're thinking too hard." Korran's teasing tone brought me back from going further down the rabbit hole that was Líma's oddity.
"No, I'm not." I responded, finally having to look down because I couldn't remember what move I was going to make before my mind wandered.
"You've adjusted that piece three times." He pointed at a knight that I could move to check his king, but I saw the trap he had laid.
Now that I refocused, I returned to meeting his eyes while making my move. His lips didn't move, but his eyes were grinning. "Welcome back. Did you figure something new out?"
"Not particularly. Just confirmed that I'm surrounded by smart but strange people. Makes life interesting because I have to make sure I can hold my own." He nodded as he countered my move.
I didn't rush to make my next move. The don't call him the Smiling Sage for nothing. I knew for him to be bonded to Azrail and mated to Nimra, he couldn't be a simple man. He has a complexity to him that is only discovered over time and then only if he wishes to reveal it. He can be cunning and strategic when he chooses to be.
"You aren't our patriarch for nothing." The statement slipped into the quiet between us. Líma and Maram paused in their playing before continuing when Korran chuckled.
"Thank you. It pleases me that my daughter acknowledges my awesomeness." Under the soft lighting with his face propped up by his hand, he looked younger and carefree. From this angle, I could see that Keir looked the most directly like him, but all three got their eyes and air of quiet dominance from him.
Just as I was about to make my next move, Korran's question halted me in doing so. "So, Elias Cress? How are things going with him?" Not sure what exactly he was asking. I gambled and sacrificed a piece before answering him.
"In all aspects, things are fine as is. He is a great trainer. He takes everything I've learned before and assimilates it into the style he is training me in. He pushes me and accepts nothing but my best. He is someone I consider a friend." Korran's eyebrow raises intriguingly as he makes his move almost immediately after I finished making mine.
My own eyebrow raised, not expecting him to make a move that left him open for me to take his bishop. I, of course, took it. His lips moved into a pleased smile.
"He will be joining your Sentinel class when you return. He could directly enter the Sentinel ranks, but we figured it wouldn't hurt for you to have someone at your side you can trust implicitly." This brought me to a full stop. I'm not even sure I'm breathing.
They planned…for how long…then is he? I sat back as I worked through the implications of what I just heard.
"Did you plan for him to be my trainer to build rapport before my return?" Korran made his move, then sat back in his chair. He took a piece I had left vulnerable. I glared at the board as I waited for his response.
"Not originally. Keir and Lux chose him because he is close to your age, well-trained in a diverse range of fighting styles, and in his own way, is a fighting prodigy. You two being attracted to each other was unexpected, but after assessing the matter, we came to the conclusion that he wouldn't let that distract him from training you well."
A pleased grin bloomed on Korran's face. "In fact, it has made him train you even harder. As you said, he won't accept you being anything less than exceptional. He has that sort of pride."
Korran tapped his wine glass thoughtfully as I absorbed his words. "The plan for him to join the Sentinels?" I asked, moving a pawn.
"Both his own wish and our intention. He was previously in my division, SUN-NIGHT, which is similar enough in function to the Sentinels that he wanted to be assigned there to expand his skills and knowledge."
"Since he wanted to go anyway, we figured why not send him to watch your back? At the time, we didn't know if you would reconnect with Zen, so having guaranteed support for you was our goal."
I took a bite of a tart and sipped on my lemonade. I asked the one question that had been hovering in the back of my mind for a while now. "Is he my personal Rhazin guard?"
This made Korran instantly chuckle with mirth. "Why do you ask?"
Though he didn't give me a confirmation, he didn't deny it either.
"My reasons are the following: It would make sense why he seems to have almost unrestricted access. I've glimpsed him going into the Rhazin guard area in the pavilion. You just told me he will be given a public reason to remain nearby me. As a trained elite soldier, it would be redundant for him to be around me if I also have a Rhazin guard. Yet if he and my Rhazin guard are the same person, then everything makes sense. Your move, Korran."
Korran looked down surprised. I had made my next move while explaining my reasoning. For the first time since we started playing, he had to analyze the board. "Good. Very good, dear one." He chose to move his queen.
"Your reasoning is sound. You will do well as a Sentinel. Are you ready for the ritual tomorrow?" So no actual confirmation if I'm right or wrong. And he changed the topic. I'll have to find a moment to ask Elias myself then.
While I considered how I felt about the ritual, I also considered what my next move should be. I moved my knight and asked a question instead. "What if it changes everything?"
"It will." He made a move, and I quickly counterattacked. His next move was just as quick. "This doesn't mean you will lose yourself. Instead, I believe you will find yourself."
I reached out to make my next move when I heard the suite door open and the sound of four individuals headed our way.
Líma and Maram stood ready by the time Lux appeared in the doorway. They bowed in welcome as Lux, then Aspen, Keir, and Elias entered the room. Korran's relaxed demeanor shifted to one of mild irritation. "To what do I owe the honor of your four interrupting my private time with my daughter?"
His tone made it clear they better have a good reason. All four simultaneously assumed at-rest positions. I shifted in my chair so I could see them more clearly. With Korran's attention on them, I subtly tried to move my piece, but my hand got flicked by Korran without him taking his eyes off the four interlopers.
I pouted while blowing on my hand. Korran pushed his slice of chocolate lemon cake towards me. I happily accept forgiveness bribes.
My hum of happiness when I took a bite reminded me there were others present when they couldn't keep their chuckles to themselves.
When I looked up, I was instantly caught in golden amber eyes. I looked back down, focusing on my treat. "Korran, we wanted to give Nyx some gifts we remembered we had gotten her." Lux handed over a large gift bag.
Aspen's placed a medium gift box next to Lux's gift bag. "We figured having something to look forward to will help anchor you so you will come back sooner from the Astral."
Keir was next to offer his medium gift box. "I hope you will find my gift to your liking. I wasn't sure what to give you." Keir was trying not to show his nervousness, so I just smiled and nodded. To put him out of his anxiety, I opened his gift box to find a mid-length combat knife with Vel'Sharii runes etched into it. There was a small note in the folds of the cloth the knife had been wrapped in.
This is one of the few artifacts I've successfully made. I etched the runes with my blood. Now you can carry a part of me with you always. Love you, dragonfly.
I kissed the blade and looked into Keir's eyes. Showing him wordlessly how honored I felt to be gifted something so precious. With watery eyes, he motioned towards the box. There were two more items in the box. The second item, I pulled out of the box, was a case of eight vials filled with thick red liquid. The attached note told me the vials contained battle-grade recovery elixir to be used when I need an energy boost while in the field.
The last item was a comic book. Curious, I read a few pages to find the book was a cleverly hidden battle tactics guide. The main characters experienced various battle scenarios where victories and losses depended entirely on the choices they made. I put everything back into the box, then gave Keir a heart sign with my hands before moving onto Aspen's gift box.