Tempest: Legacy

Chapter 7: Rift

“Baron Tempest. Good to meet ya. I call myself Magnus. That ain’t my real name but I wasn’t happy with that one so I changed it. I’m just Magnus now. Guardian class. Enhancer. I can kick the air with enough force to run on it or send out shockwaves. Or you know, just kick you really hard.” Magnus was a middle-aged man wearing an enhanced outfit with thick brown boots. He was clean shaven and his beaming smile complemented his ebony complexion.
“I’m Delilah Sandow. Wind elemental. Accredited arbiter. I look forward to working with you.” Delilah was tall, her height on par with his at 5’11. She and Magnus shared a similar complexion and features, leading people to believe that they were from the same locality.
“Enola Chau. Comms.  Guardian class arbiter. I’m the link between you guys. Let me into your head before we start so that I can keep you updated.”, Enola was the opposite of Delilah, barely five feet tall with a complexion and features similar to Inga.
“And I’m Sven Halder. Rune arbiter, Guardian class. I’m sort of the odd jobs guy here; I do whatever needs to be done.” Sven was a man of medium build. His bespectacled face gave him an academician’s look.
To Kyran of course, all of these people appeared completely different from their physical appearance. He registered Magnus as an easy going and relaxed man with a hard core and knew that this friendly leader could be very ruthless. Delilah was indifferent. She didn’t display any emotions except for those of a person settled into a monotonous routine they didn’t know they could escape from. Enola was hyper aware of her surroundings. Her mental state was engaged in several different trains of thought. Sven was excited to meet the person close to both The Tempest Arbiter and the new Venator Class Arbiter he had met the other at the barracks. He had witnessed Inga’s promotion test and now had an idea of the gap between his current ability and the rank he aspired to reach. His energy stood out from the group to Kyran as someone with an ambitious core, one who wasn’t content to stay in the same place he was currently in and wanted to improve himself and his standard of living. Individualistic but driven, he thought. Kind of like Urvein but less like a mountain and more like a well. It could be helpful as long as you didn’t fall into it.
“I’m Kyran Tempest. I’ll be working with you guys from today. I’m a Successor Class Arbiter, my mentor hasn’t been decided yet. I use void lightning. I’m more of a Redistributor than an Elemental. I can absorb energy up to a certain capacity, and I can repel things too. And of course, I can use it as normal lightning. The repulsive properties are selective; for example, I can’t reflect energy attacks. So, I can’t turn invisible or anything like that. The repulsion is purely physical. I can use it to blast a hole straight through anything though. Except Baran wood and Querqan iron, but then that’s obvious. So yeah, that’s me. Pleasure to meet you guys.” The rest of the group regarded him with feelings of awe and skepticism. “Well you’re part of our unit now. As you can see, we’re in charge of the area just along a two kilometer stretch of the East Wall. That’s why we’re standing on this ten-story tall monstrosity of a wall. Look at all the toursits here from other sections of the city. Or other cities. The view here is pretty great, though I guess ya wouldn’t know that. There’s a huge stretch of barren grassland as far as the eye can see, with some trees here and there beside the roads exiting the city. There aren’t any villages along here for quite a distance. They’re mostly along the Western Wall that faces away from where the Verkains come. Our job is to help out the local cops with stuff they can’t handle. We don’t move unless we see something that we think warrants our attention, or unless one of them requests backup. So yeah, it’s a lot of hanging around up here and acting as deterrents. Any questions?” Magnus asked. “If I think of any, I’ll be sure to ask.”
Urvein stirred the pot rhythmically with his left hand and sauteed the vegetables on the pan with his right hand. Behind him Sahis was cleaning a Tralon. In the living room Advika and Burgatt were cleaning the rented crockery and furniture. The rumble of the moving ground outside meant that Burgatt was sliding along some furniture to the newly formed garden space between the two buildings. Tonight’s party was a small one for an inauguration, but the guests attending were some of the city’s elite. Zhang Zeiss would be in attendance, as would Rivas and his Captains. Knovkin and Sengira would be there too, along with Vanya Livingston. Rance Yelleva, Valeria Santos and Hylan Ervam would represent the aristocrats who would informally acknowledge Tempest House as one of them. Mavro had been invited but was unable to make it. Urvein’s mood was a bit off today after he heard the news. He had seized the chance to cook for the occasion despite Kyran’s protests that he would hire a catering company for the evening and that his friends should just sit back and enjoy themselves with the rest of the guests. Advika had quickly wrested control of the occasion from Kyran. “You have a batch of kids about to meet a Judgement Class Arbiter and some of the most distinguished people from the West of the City. I think they need your attention much more than arrangements do. And I’ve been bored these days. The only thing of mild interest lately has been my trip to the interior design store. So shut up and let me take over.”
“I’m done with this one Urv. Shall I start on the next?” Sahis called out from behind him.
Urvein took the pot off the burner and put on another one in its place. “Yeah. We’re maintaining a good pace. We should be done by the time it’s the fifth chime. We’ll still have two hours to freshen up.”
Urvein transferred the Tralon from the cutting board and replaced the cooked vegetables in his pan with a fresh batch that Sahis had cut up before he began working on the Tralons. Passers-by had been stopping outside the gate for the past two chimes, tempted by the tantalizing aromas wafting out of Tempest House. Urvein took it as a testament to his skills. The work went on in silence for a while.
“Hey Urv, imagine the look on those kids faces when they get to eat this tonight. This will blow their tiny little minds!” Sahis chuckled.
“I don’t think they’ll be able to appreciate it as well as the adults would. I do wish Mavro had been able to make it. I wanted his opinion on my progress.”
“Um, Urv, I get that you’re ambitious and all that, but you do know that today is about the children, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes, it’s about the children and Kyran’s vision for what the Tempest House will stand for.” The interest in Urvein’s tone had died down.
“You’ll become the most popular of us to them. They say that the way to everyone’s hearts is through their stomach after all.”
“Kids find joy in anything.  Their joy will fade by the next day and only exist as a memory for the older ones.”
“No need to take out your bad mood on the kids Urvein.”
“Have I said anything untrue?”
“Not untrue, but it’s like your words are devoid of emotion. Except maybe resentment.”
“They’re logical words.”
“Well, you’d been uncharacteristically vocal since we got here. I thought maybe you’d tapped into a nicer side of yourself but yesterday when you told me that my fears would come true, I realized that the jerk is still in there.”
“The ‘jerk’ is a realist. I can’t tell you that it won’t come true because everyone does whatever they do for themselves in the end. Because they want to do this thing. No one’s going to stay static for you to keep reliving your favorite memories.”
“I know that Urvein. I know it and that’s why I’m afraid. But you’re wrong about people doing everything for themselves. You think Kyran is taking in these kids to feel good about himself?”
“Isn’t he? Isn’t that why people do good things? Because it makes them feel good?”
“Is this what you’ve always thought all these years Urv?”
“Haven’t you?”
“No Urv. People don’t always do things for themselves. People do something for other people’s happiness. They may not be able to see the consequences of their actions but they do them in the hope that someone will benefit from them. They don’t get to see the results to ‘feel food’ about themselves for doing them.”
“Then they are fools wasting their time over something they shouldn’t be concerned about.”
“You’re telling me that you’ve been doing all these good things over the years for Kyran , Rayla and I because they made you feel good and not necessarily because they’d benefit your friends?”
“Their happiness is my happiness.”
“So that’s why you saved Inga and Knovkin that day. Not because you were concerned about them. But because if Kyran was grief stricken over losing them it’d spoil your mood?”
“Now you’re beginning to think properly.”
“I guess Mavro is a fool then.”
Urvein shut off the fires and rounded on Sahis. “Say that again.”
“By your logic,” Sahis said defiantly, “Mavro is a fool.”
“How did you jump to such a stupid conclusion?”
“Mavro does what he does because he likes seeing the effect that his food has on people. The thing is, Mavro doesn’t actually see how people react to his food most of the time. Sure he hears praise a lot nowadays but it has taken him years to build up his reputation and level up his skills.”
“Mavro isn’t like what you make him out to be. You haven’t even met him. All you’ve done is read some interviews and articles after I told you about him. Mavro loves cooking and that’s why he does it. If he cared about the reactions of his customers, he wouldn’t work down there by the oven.”
“So now you’re saying that your idol isn’t just a fool, but also a liar?”
“You’re treading on thin ice Sahis.”
“No logical answer from the Man- Mountain this time? You’ve always only seen what you’ve wanted to see Urvein. You never gave us a glimpse inside your mind till now. You’re never going to be as great a chef as Mavro because you don’t know how to love anything except yourself.”
Urvein aimed his fist at Sahis’ face and struck. Burgatt’s hand intercepted the punch and used his momentum to push back the younger Wedge. Advika stepped into the kitchen and slapped Sahis across his cheek, snapping him out of his rage. “Enough of this you two. Arguing about senseless crap like this on a festive day. I’m ashamed of you. Sahis, get out of here and go help Burgatt with the crockery. Urvein, you tell me what needs to be done here and I’ll take Sahis’ place. Burgatt, if he goes into another one of his hysterics just slap him silly and he’ll learn to control himself. Now stop wasting time and get to work.” Sahis shot a vehement glance at Urvein as Burgatt put an arm on his shoulder and dragged him out of the kitchen. Advika stared at Urvein. “I don’t know if you meant what you said and I don’t want to argue about it today. So, let’s work in silence for now.” Still seething on the inside, Urvein nodded and gestured at the half cleaned Tralon. As the work in the kitchen resumed, Urvein connected with Advorel , exulting in the sensation of his anger being drawn away by the mindless rotation of the planet. “A planet only looks after itself, not that which lives on it. How would they who can’t connect with it understand this truth of life.” He thought to himself. He tasted the sautéed gourd. It was bitter.

Rayla sat in the comfortable recliner in the Livingston home theatre, the centralized air conditioning set to just the perfect degree of coolness. Besides her sat a woman with striking blue hair, dressed in an embroidered gold robe. Rayla’s own robe was just monochromatic brown, but woven from the same comfortable Veridian Cotton. Rayla felt like she was wrapped in the concept of a hug given physical form. The well-modulated audio of the period drama they were watching came from all sides, immersing the two members of the audience into the world of Tectoria 800 years ago. Such a system would have been considered a waste by Bevroren Livingston. Rayla’s father did not like the finer things in life nearly as much as her mother did. Vanya Livingston, in addition to being a shrewd investor, was an expert at splurging. The daughter of a rich commoner from East Zeiss, she now had the rank of Countess to go with that wealth. At first Rayla has expected to be disgusted by the excesses of her domain; but Vanya Livingston knew how to have her way with people. A therapeutic massage wasn’t something a Successor Class Arbiter had much time for. Rayla hadn’t realized how worn out she was until her first evening here where Vanya had ensured that they had a mother-daughter relaxing session that completely dropped her guard. The mental image she had cultivated in her mind about a lavish lifestyle had shattered. To her horror she found herself wishing that she could experience such pleasures every day. Seeing her best friend depriving himself of such an opportunity generated sorrow in her heart. Kyran had a hard life. Now he had the means to make it so much easier, but he was already planning a way to spend his money on someone else. On a lot of someone elses. She knew that she would melt immediately when she met the kids. She was a people person all right.
She still felt bad about snapping at Inga and resolved to make it up to her tonight somehow. She had been ashamed of enjoying the palatial luxuries her mother had arranged for while her oldest friend coped with the death of his brother. Inga was there for him when she should have been. It turned out to be the best possible outcome. The two had found happiness with each other. A week ago, they had almost died in the Colony. Today they would be celebrating Life. She had always treated Inga differently. Tectorian. Commoner. More inclined towards academics despite her combat prowess. It almost felt like she snapped at Inga because she suspected her of being after Kyran’s status. Her mother’s words were slowly beginning to take root in her mind and she hated that too. Her friends would have assumed that it was pressure from her mother that had caused this change in behavior. How could she admit that it was the utter lack of it that was tormenting her?
“What a wonderful movie dear. I like your taste in cinema.” Vanya Livingston smiled at her daughter. “Thanks mom.” Rayla felt a wave of happiness inside of her. She had missed her mother. Whatever it was about the woman, Rayla still longed for the affection of both her parents. Her picky mother’s praise meant a lot to her. Vanya Livingston lightly sprang out of her chair. “Shall we go get dressed? It’s already the fifth chime. We don’t want to be late for the young Baron’s party. I can’t believe that this is the same shrimp who used to tail the Tempest Arbiter like a lost puppy. You were always guiding him around, and at the time I disapproved. There are servants one can hire for those sorts of things. Rance never missed his chance to pass rude remarks about it. But now, with the benefit of hindsight, it seems like a good move. You’ve successfully established a political alliance with this new house before it even became a house.” Rayla rolled her eyes. As soon as Vanya took one step forward in her eyes, she just had to take another back. “Let me give you a heads-up mom. His girlfriend is a commoner from Tectoria. Inga, a member of our friend group. The one you disapproved of most. Wait, let me finish. She’s now a Venator Class Rune Arbiter with the Zeiss Guard. Aim any jibes at her and you’ll earn Captain Shirley’s wrath as well.” Rayla made sure that her tone was more similar to the one her mother’s friends employed during their “information exchanges” than it was to a threat. Vanya was visibly taken aback. “She must be quite the remarkable girl to have climbed up that far from nothing. I don’t like it when these nobodies come up here to steal ranks that should belong to us, but once again, I think that if she’s on good terms with the Zeiss Manor and the Tempest House, I can make an exception.” Two steps back, Rayla thought. “Well, you’ve saved me from public embarrassment my dear. I can’t wait to see Hylan’s face when he earns the wrath of a host of powerful Arbiters after he opens that big horse mouth of his.”
Enola listened carefully to the radio in her hand. The rest of the unit kept their eyes trained on the chase below them. A kidnapper's vehicle was speeding through the traffic and a police car was in hot pursuit. Sven was fashioning a beacon rune for Magnus. These runes, when triggered, would send out pulses of anger, an emotion that Kyran would easily be able to detect; a target marker. The idea had been Delilah’s. “Requesting Arbiter backup!” The radio screeched. The police car had been caught behind a bus at the red signal. The kidnapper had barely avoided being sandwiched between two cars as it shot across the road before the signal turned red. “Showtime people. The corner of Lightning and Rockfist street.” Enola’s voice echoed in the heads of the rest of the unit. As one, they leaped through the air at super speed. Magus ran across the air as if he was walking on dry land. Kyran covered himself in a layer of repulsive lightning and hopped through the air behind him. Ahead of them, Delilah was speeding away as the wind carried her forward. Sven was at the end of the group, held aloft by a rune of suspension.
Enola’s voice kept updating the group about the current position of the vehicle. Delilah spotted it first and glided downwards, prepared to chop off the front tyres of the car. She pulled back at the last moment, cursing. “The mad man is holding the kid in front of the windshield. If I stop the car that’s the end of the kid!” The remaining arbiters tensed as they heard Delilah’s scream.  Enola was the first to recover her wits. “Shouldn’t be a problem with Kyran around. Magnus, divert it away from the traffic. Even if he’s got leverage, he’s not going to risk getting stomped on by those big feet of yours. Kyran, Sven, you know what to do.” Acknowledging the efficacy of the plan, the three burst into action. “Up here douchebag!” Magnus whooped as he pulled up alongside the vehicle. The shocked driver swerved sideways , trying to get away from Magnus. Magnus kicked out in three directions, forcing the driver to turn towards the road leading to the wall. Another kick sent him into a less busy bylane. A bolt of stunning purple lightning struck the car head on. Tendrils of dark purple snuck into the car, lightly brushing over the occupants, stealing their forward momentum. The car came to a perfect stop. Kyran landed ahead of the car and walked slowly towards it. The criminal hopped out of the car, holding the screaming child in one hand and a gun in another. “Let me go, or I pull this trigger. I’m warning you, don’t try anything.” The criminal’s voice was hoarse with desperation. “It’s not me you should be worried about.” Kyran said.
A rune of sleep crashed into the back of the criminal’s head. Delilah sent a gust of wind that ripped the baby out of his hand and sent her to Magnus. The kidnapper fell forward onto the road. Kyran was already besides him, having dashed over there to grab the gun in case he pulled the trigger as he fell. Magnus tried comforting the baby, but his rough voice only succeeded in riling it up. “Allow me.” Enola’s voice echoed in their head. By the time the police arrived the baby was asleep as soundly as the criminal.

Inga surveyed the group of nervous and excited children before her. The previous day had been pure chaos. The bus arrived at 9am, filled with their over enthusiastic wards and one very bright looking Leslie. The newly arranged garden between the smaller Tempest House and the large new Kaden’s Shelter grabbed their attention. The other property had covered a much larger area. In addition to the building, they had used the remaining room to set up a garden and a path connecting the back door of Tempest House to the back door of the new building. The kids had run wild over the lawn, temporarily forgetting their discipline. Each of the older ones carried their little suitcases themselves. Kyran and Urvein carried the bags of the little ones. “Don’t you want to see your rooms first children?” Inga asked. Her words snapped them back to reality. “Do we each get rooms of our own?” Vijay asked sweetly. “Yes, yes you do.” Inga beamed at them. The next hour had been spent chaperoning the impatient children to their new rooms. The ground floor consisted of a large central hall. Passages on either side led to the kitchen in the back and the dining room on the left. Leslie’s room was on the right. Besides these rooms, the ground floor also had two washrooms and a storeroom. The first floor had twelve smaller rooms, a common room and two washrooms. These rooms were meant for the younger children, where they were between the older ones above and Leslie below. The other two floors also had the same floor plan, though the third floor was sealed off because there were no occupants for that floor yet. Inga’s favourite reaction of the day had been from an eight-year-old girl named Wanda. As soon as she was shown to her room, she ran back downstairs to call Leslie up to see her new abode. Kyran and she had smiled warmly at the scene, happy that they had made the right choice in hiring the caretaker. Urvein was called away by Burgatt early on so the couple spent the rest of the day helping their wards decorate their domains and preparing them for the banquet tomorrow. Leslie had also spent some time educating them about the guests who would visit.
The first guest to arrive were Burton and Ganelle Wedge; Burgatt’s parents, followed by the Detkanar family and the Bredd family; Advika and Sahis’ parents. Inga heard distant sounds of chatter from the gate as they walked to the garden tables. Urvein and Advika had set up a covered self service banquet table of snacks which would later be substituted by dinner at the ninth chime.  Meckler, Kelter and Cendanda were the next to arrive. Meckler apologized profusely to Kyran for missing his evaluation. He had been tied down by a family emergency. Kelter would remain in the city until the refugees returned, and so Cenanda had brought him along as her plus one. The captains began to arrive, looking dapper in their formal wear. It was a refreshing change to see these influential figures swap out their uniforms for ballroom wear. Captain Cellis and Captain Shirley arrived together, wearing a suit of white and a dress of grey respectively. The Comms Captain Veldin came third, wearing a white shirt and embroidered coat over thicker pants more common in Walchia. The Elemental Captain Chavez was next, wearing a pant suit of navy blue. Healer Captain Tenya drove up in her sedan wearing a red and black dress that she had bought specially for the occasion. Enhancer Captain Martin had hitched a ride with her, and emerged from the car wearing traditional Zeiss wear, the same outfit as Kyran's but green instead of purple. Zhang Zeiss landed lightly in the courtyard with Rivas and Knovkin just behind him. The master of the city wore a white suit with long coattails and a grey shirt underneath. Knovkin wore a plain black suit, as did Rivas. Only their contrasting shirt colors of black and white respectively differentiated their outfits.
Kyran greeted each guest personally at the gate. Advika then showed them to their seats as Burgatt and Sahis asked them for their choice of beverage. Magnus and the rest of the unit were the last to arrive before the aristocrats. Kyran had insisted that they join in, and Captain Cellis and Knovkin had agreed to make them feel comfortable among the other distinguished guests. Magnus was wearing his best suit. He had managed to find a pair of black boots that were decent enough to wear. Sven looked like he was in his element, wearing a traditional outfit like Martin had.  Enola and Delilah both wore grey pantsuits and looked nervously at each other upon spotting captain Chavez also in a pantsuit. Advika swooped in and ushered them along, making conversation with all four of them at once. And then the aristocrats arrived. First on the scene was Rance Yelleva and his daughter Clara. Kyran respectfully acknowledged his arrival. “Earl Yelleva. Lady Clara. Good evening. Welcome to Kaden’s Shelter.” The Earl acknowledged with a nod and then replied “I have been by this place last week. You’ve done a commendable job with it.” Without waiting for Kyran’s thanks, he let Advika chaperone them away. Hylan Ervam was the next to arrive, with his wife and son. The Count’s greeting was more distant than the Earl’s had been, but he was courteous enough to accept Kyran’s thanks and add on a comment about hoping that the children had started to adjust to their new environment. Valeria Santos was the second last to arrive. She arrived alone, dressed in a fur coat of brown over a glossy dress of the same color. Her greetings were lighthearted yet indifferent. Kyran sensed malice lurking in the countess’ psyche and resolved to keep his distance from her.
Kyran heard the screech of wheels by the driveway and assumed that Rayla had arrived at last. To his surprise, 7 unknown presences hopped out of a truck that had parked before the gate. “We told you we knew where to find you.” A rough voice announced. Kyran lifted his hand, ready to fight. But before he could move a ring of fire encircled the seven intruders. One of them sent waves of water in every direction, which harmlessly evaporated after making contact with the flames. Each licking tongue of flame seemed to have a life of it’s own. “Go back to where you came from.” Zhang’s voice called out from besides him. “Tell you employer that the master of the city will find him one day and pay him a visit.” The circle began to close around the truck. With howls of fear the goons leaped back into the vehicle. The duke dispelled his flames and the truck sped away, crossing the Livingston’s car on their way down the street. As Zhang walked back towards the house, Rayla pulled up. Vanya Livingston stepped out of the car, dressed in a blue dress and a pink scarf. Bangles of Platinum hung off her wrists. Rayla followed her in a simpler but glossier blue dress that stopped at her ankles. Last to enter was Sengira, clothed in a silver dress and small black coat. “How you’ve grown my child.” Vanya surprised Kyran by hugging him. “I’m sorry about the loss of your brother. I hope you’ll be a worthy heir.”
Vanya turned to face her chaperone. Advika had been held up by Captain Veldin, and so Urvein had taken her place.
“Hello mudpuppy. You look as sullen as ever.” 
“Bevroren’s witch. Still prone to excess I see.”
“You mean these bangles? And here I thought you were an admirer of everything that came from the planet.”
“I am, hence it grieves me so to see them being used by you.”
“Your verbal snipes are getting better. Have you been practicing with your equally dense cousin?”
“With Bevroren himself actually. I still wonder what trap you sprung on him so long ago in the past.”
“No trap at all Mudpuppy. Bevroren knew quality when he saw it. Which is why he never takes you along on any of his missions.”
“And also why he leaves you at home to enjoy your luxuries instead of spending time with you.”
“And how are your culinary ambitions progressing?”
“You’ll find out. I am tonight’s caterer.”
“I’ll be prepared to grudgingly give you my approval then. The aromas lingering in the air are quite satisfying. Strange how good food can come from such a lifeless person.”
“Strange how extravagance can cover up a barren wasteland of a soul.”
“Urv, Lady Vanya, as entertaining as your conversation is, I think it’s time for me to bring out the children. Can we please hurry along?” Kyran interrupted the conversation upon sensing darker emotions circulating around Rayla’s mind. He extended his arm and felt her lock hers with him in the same familiar way she always had. He smiled at her and Sengira as Vanya and Urvein walked ahead of them. “Not there. To the house.” Kyran redirected Rayla way from the party and headed towards the house. “We need a fourth helping hand to take one corner opposite me at the back. And I don’t think you want to be around Urvein or your mother right now.” “Yeah, this is a better arrangement.” Rayla replied gratefully.
The children marched out in an orderly fashion as Inga and Leslie led them out into the garden. The guests let their snacks and conversations wait as the wards of Tempest House filed out into the space between them. “Good evening everyone, on behalf of Kyran, Leslie and the children, I thank you for being available tonight to join in on this celebration. The children will now introduce themselves to you. Rayla and Kyran encouraged the children forward one by one, starting with the oldest so that the smaller ones could get used to the presence of such intimidating guests. Each introduction was met with cheers and cooing as some of the most important personages of the city were won over by the kids. Leslie was the last to introduce herself. Despite only being a caretaker, she upheld herself with grace and strength. Kyran noted that the Zeiss Guard and their master were impressed, while the aristocrats were indifferent. After the introductions were done, Burgatt began to play classical music over the speakers he had set up that morning. The kids were allowed to roam freely, with Sahis, Urvein, Burgatt and Advika each keeping an eye on the nobles to ensure that they could step in to vouch for the kids in case they committed any acts that they may perceive as transgressions against them. Before long, each Captain had a smaller child seated on their laps. Zhang was engaged in an animated conversation with Vijay over whether white was a better color than blue. Wanda and Martin were trying to see who could finish their plate of snacks the fastest while Chavez had discovered that Selena was a water elemental like her and was excited watching the little girl create small waves in her glass of water. Inga went over to introduce herself to each guest, with Kyran and Rayla close behind to back her up. Rance Yelleva looked her up and down as she approached. “Hey are you one of the caterers?” he asked. “Or one of the house help? Because if you are then I’d like it if I could get a cushion for my back. I forgot mine in the car.” “I’ll bring you one momentarily.” Inga replied. She sent out a rune for “pillow” in Henry’s direction. Her protégé nodded in her direction before scurrying off to find one.
“Actually, I was on my way here to introduce myself. I am Inga Lim- “
“Oh, you’re a rune arbiter. That was skillfully done for a commoner. Are you accredited yet?” Rance interrupted her derisively. Inga kept control of her temper remarkably well. Kyran was surprised at how little it rose.
“I’m a Venator Class Arbiter actually. Part of the Zeiss Guard. I’m also the Baron’s girlfriend. I came to thank you personally for attending today.” Inga’s reply held no undertones of anger, clearly catching Rance off guard. Kyran and Rayla decided not to step in at that moment. Someone far more effective was already on her way over. “You’re actually part of the Ze-“ “Inga, those kids looked so comfortable with you, did you spend the whole Sunday with them yesterday?” Captain Shirley interrupted Rance’s bewildered question, putting her arm around Inga and pulling her close. “Sorry to interrupt you Rance, but I have stuff to discuss my new Venator here, so I’m going to take her away from you now.”
Kyran and Rayla turned away to laugh at Rance’s indignation. The party was in full swing now. The children were accustomed to their environment and the adults were trying to find ways to hold their attention. Leslie and Advika seemed to be getting along well. There was a noticeable bitterness between Urvein and Sahis. The duo avoided each other the entire night. Advika herself avoided the both of them, while Burgatt pretended as if nothing was wrong. Though Inga was occupied with the captains, Rayla and Kyran had noticed these cracks spreading through their group. The two sat down at a table meant for their friends, who had now gone away to sit at other ones. They began to converse among themselves, keeping an eye on the kids.
“I sense less anger in your today Rayla. Is Vanya treating you better?”
“I have a confession to make Kyran.” Rayla leaned over and grasped his hands. “Mom hasn’t been bad to me. At all. She’s actually treating me really well. And I’ve been conflicted about that.”
“If it’s affection from your mother that you’re getting, I say you take it.”
“But you see, this means that I have to reconsider everything about her. She proved her biases against Urvein right today. He could have stopped and been the bigger man but he didn’t.”
“That’s an isolated incident.”
“She’s also playing with Sally as we speak.” Rayla nodded her head in the direction of where Sally was showing Vanya an old toy of hers. Kyran was surprised that Vanya was actually touching the cheap doll.
“So Vanya’s not as bad as we thought she was.”
“But that means that I have to think over all of her views again. I dismissed them in their entirety before.”
“I hope you’re not talking about her political and social views.” Rayla was silent for a moment.
“Look I wanted to try to make it up to Inga today for treating her badly. All this time. I’m reconsidering everything. I feel like I can’t trust anything about my life except for the fact that you’re my best friend.”
“We’ll figure this out then. Together. Besides that’ll give you and Inga a lot of time to bond.”
“There’s something I want to tell the others after we’re done with the party. Everyone is staying back for a small after party aren’t they?”
“They will. We’ll find out what this weird tension between them is about too.”
The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Leslie and Advika who sat down in front of them.
“I thought that the Tempest Arbiter was unique in his care for the civilians, but I see that the master of the city is quite a considerate man.” Leslie opined.
“Well, he’s too busy to normally interact with the general public, but he and Kaden were students of the same man. Pretty good for them.” Rayla jumped into the conversation.
Kyran stood up and straightened his coat. “If you’ll excuse me ladies, Knovkin requires my assistance. Valeria Santos seems to have him cornered. The young Baron dashed away to his mentor’s aid, leaving the three ladies discussing about the master of the city while said master of the city could heard them from two tables away as he tried to tune them out so he could pay attention to Vijay.
The children were all ushered in to their bedrooms by the tenth chime after bidding farewell to their guests. By the eleventh chime, guests began to leave. Urvein received universal praise for the menu he curated. The last guests to leave were Captain Rivas and Knovkin. Vanya Livingston and Sengira had left just before them, after Rayla assured them that she’d use her enhanced speed to run back in ticks when done.
“These are some wonderful kids Kyran.”
“That they are Knovkin. I’m glad Kaden found them.”
“Listen Kyran. They haven’t found…a mentor for you. Now that I’ve taken over Jehndal’s place I’ll be coming over ever Friday for meetings. What I’m trying to say is that if you’d like it, you could be my successor.”
Kyran trapped his mentor in a bear hug as the others watched on. Rivas began to guffaw loudly behind while Sahis and Rayla hollered. “There’s no one I’d rather succeed Knovkin. I can’t wait to get whacked on the head by that staff of yours again.”
“It has missed this very unguarded forehead of yours.” Knovkin wriggled free from Kyran and rapped him twice on the forehead with his knuckles. The two old friends left the party, waving to the others before speeding away. The seven friends began to clean up, leaving behind some drinks and a table to lounge on. Leslie came out for a while to help them take away the dishes before she retired for the night. It was the first chime of Tuesday by the time they were done. One by one they settled down around the lone table in the garden. Sahis and Advika at down opposite Urvein and Burgatt. Rayla broke the silence. “What happened between the four of you today? You’ve been avoiding each other since we arrived.”
“Oh, and you’ve been here helping us all this past week?” Advika shot back.
Rayla was taken aback by her temper. “I have been distant this week. I’m sorry. I’ve had a lot on my plate, metaphorically speaking.”
“We all have Rayla. Our colony got attacked remember?”
Inga butted into the conversation, trying to prevent another rift from happening. “Urvein, Sahis, you two haven’t said a word to each other the entire evening. I know you were working in the kitchen together when I left and that Sahis, you were out on the lawn when I returned. What did you fight about?”
“Ask the Man-Mountain over there. Ask him if he thinks of you as Inga, his dear friend, or Inga, a pet he keeps around to make him feel good.”
“I never said any of you were pets you over dramatic skunk.” Urvein rumbled.
“You didn’t need to. Advika and Burgatt heard you too. Everything is just a transaction to you, isn’t it? You give: time and help. You receive: good feelings. A friend’s in trouble? Oh, how inconvenient. His pain and how he deals with it doesn’t matter. Just that he gets well fast enough to prevent your mood from being ruined is what matters to you.” Sahis thundered. None of them had heard him talk in this tone before.
“What about you, the human bundle of nerves? You don’t trust any of us enough to even feel safe around us. You’re an eternal pessimist.”
“ I would still trust you with my life in an attack Urvein. There’s no one more dependable than you in a pinch. And that’s where we messed up. We all assumed that because you’re good in crisis it would be a good decision to make you the core of our group. We let you be the voice of reason, had some unspoken agreement that your opinion was the most trustable. That’s why we’re always dysfunctional. We’re a faulty group because we have you, a faulty core.”
“Maybe Urvein meant what he said.” Inga said. “But you’re not doing anything to make it better Sahis. You’re just telling everyone that one of your worst fears came true so now we should all defer to you.”
“And you’re still insecure about your place here so you’ve been trying too hard to fit in here. One day you’re hanging in the background and now you’re trying to be Baroness Tempest. Don’t talk to him like you’re any better!” Advika’s outburst turned Inga pale. She turned to Kyran “I’m not-”
“Oh, great miss Advika, our de facto leader, are you threatened by Inga being more secure with her life? Threatened that she’ll take your place because you went over capacity and had to spend some days in the infirmary?” Rayla’s defense of Inga surprised all of them.
“This is what I meant yesterday when I told you that I feared us breaking up.” Sahis took the opportunity to get back into the position of prime interlocutor.
“No Sahis, you’re being the cause of it right now.” Urvein shot back. “Your overreactions are what lead to this.”
“So, the two of you found a way to turn a day about the kids into a day all about you.” Kyran was angry, and his anger manifested itself in the form of a deathly quiet murmur that cut through their babbling.
“Urv. I’m disappointed. I’m really disappointed. But it’s fine. All of us have some mistakes with our attitude that we can work on. Sahis, you too. You have your differences. But they’re not ones we can’t work out. But you two chose today of all days to fight?”
“Urv doesn’t care about the kids Kyran. He only cares about himself.” Advika intervened. “Burgatt and I heard him too.”
“If you guys did care too, wouldn’t you try to bear it for an evening? Doesn’t that prove him right? That you care about your own feelings over anyone else’s?” Inga’s point brought Advika and Sahis’ thought processes to an abrupt halt.
“Say something Burgatt.” Sahis implored. “You’ve been silent all day.”
“I’m nine years older than all of you. I’m already past this stage in my life and you need to get through it too. I can’t go through this again. So, I’m going to stay out of it.” Burgatt finally broke his silence. The mood soured further.
“It begins. Burgatt distances himself from us.”  Sahis proclaimed.
“He’s just being neutral Sahis. Proving that he’s the most sensible of us.”
“It’s easy for you two to talk Kyran. Y’all just set up your lives around here. Why’d you even run away from home Inga? Why are you here?”
“Because I couldn’t stay there anymore. They kicked me out. They hated me for being an arbiter. They wanted a normal kid and got one who sent around floating letters of an ancient language. They used me for the money I could bring in as an Arbiter. Now mom's got a well paying job and my brother started working too. They have a child they want and their other one earns enough to be independent. So they kicked me out and told me to go with the Arbiters to “Arbiter land”.  That’s why I came to Zeiss. And when I needed help the boy I liked gave me that help despite the trouble he was going through. So I don’t want to hear complaints from any of you. All that you three guys are doing is trying to accentuate the problems already there and trying to portray your grievances as greater than each others.”
“Cry me a river. You’re still going to stay here, separate from the rest of us.”
“Actually”, Rayla piped up. “I think I’m going to stay here and join the elementals. Bevroren isn’t back and I want to spend time with my mother.”
“I knew it. You’re just like the pile of rocks here. You nobles who think you’re so much better than us. I’m done with you. All of you. I’m going back. Good night. See you when I see you.” Advika got up and walked to her car. Kyran got up to follow her, but Inga held him back.
“Don’t Kyran. She needs time.”
“We all need time. Especially from these two.” Sahis said, pointing at Rayla and Urvein. He got up and dashed away in the opposite direction, heading for the station.
“I think I’ll take my leave Kyran, and go back with Burgatt. I can’t stay here after this. You can’t see things as I do. None of you. One day you will.” Burgatt got up to follow Urvein.
“By not fighting with us you basically told everyone that you didn’t care either Burgatt!” Rayla shouted after him. Burgatt shrugged as the two Wedges entered the house.
“You don’t think I’m ….doing the wrong thing do you Inga?” Rayla asked her.
“I don’t. You need to figure out who you are for yourself. I know that we’ll have a place in your life.”
“Thanks Inga. Good night. Good night Kyran. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night Rayla. Take care.”
“ Good night Rayla.”
Rayla raced away as the two Wedges emerged from Tempest House. Urvein stopped at the gate. “Kyran. When you feel ready. Call me. We’ll have a proper talk.” Urvein Wedge walked off into the darkness behind his cousin.
Inga leaned over to Kyran and held his hand. “Hey, Kyran, can you walk back to the house?” Inga asked in a soft voice. Kyran nodded as he got to his feet. Inga put her arm around him as she supported him on his way back. “So much pain. My mind. Split. They’re all harboring such rage. It’s as if all the layers they had have been peeled back to reveal a core that we didn’t need to find. Rayla’s uncertainty. Your insecurity. Urvein’s insensitivity. Burgatt’s apathy. Advika’s need to call the shots. Sahis’ mistrust. And my own weakness. All my friends were fighting and I could only manage a few sentences. Too overwhelmed. Too tired.” The couple reached Kyran’s room. Inga paused outside the door. “It’s been a crazy week Kyran. So much has happened. I think we just need some peace and quiet for a while. Time heals.” Inga leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Inga. Don’t worry. I know. You’re always comfortable in my field. You could never lie to me.” Inga smiled back at the young Baron. “Get some sleep. We’ve got a 10-6 shift tomorrow.”