Downside of perfection

Chapter 7

After a while, when Esfa had calmed down, questions started to pop into her head. "Ehm... Mister Yalt?" she asked softly. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"You're suddenly a lot politer, aren't you?" Yalt sneered. "Well, ask your questions!"

"What is your species called?" Esfa asked, ignoring the mean words of Yalt.

"We're Lithians." Yalt said.

"Why do you call us Torrayans?"

Yalt laughed. "What else should I call you?"

"Mikéz." Skeon said. "That's what we're called."

"No." Yalt said. "That's what Torrayans and Lithians together used to be called."

"We were once... one species?" Esfa asked disbelieving.

"Exactly." Yalt said. "Do you remember the second couplet of your legend?"

Esfa immediately sang:

"Among the beauty, a hero arose

Out of the ashes of a burned rose

He washed the blood of the rising sun

That shined down on the planet of Ykle

Oh! The wonders of the planet of Ykle"

"Right." Yalt said. "But haven't you ever wondered how that blood ever came on the sun?"

"No." Esfa said.

"Well, I'm going to tell you." Yalt said, and he smiled. "Very long ago, the Mikéz were one species. But someone suddenly dreamt up the crazy idea that long-tailed Mikéz were better than short-tailed Mikéz. And that idea was pretty popular- among the long-tailed Mikéz. It led to a war, which destructed every trace of our previous civilization. In the end, they decided we were all guilty: the long-tailed and the short-tailed. So they banished the long-tailed into deep, dark caves and the short-tailed to high, cold mountains. And that's how the Mikéz were divided in two."

"Ridiculous!" Esfa said. "Just because of some minor difference in tail-length?"

"It's sad, but true." Yalt said. "And the effects have lasted for ages, allowing both races to evolve in their own way. You, Torrayans from the caves, developed that strong armour of yours, and the small wings you only use to keep balance. We, Lithians, developed this white camouflage-colour and our wings grew giant, so that we can actually fly."

"And what has all this to do with the legend?" Esfa asked.

"Everything." Yalt said. "Don't you know the fifth couplet?"

"No." Esfa said. "Only the first four and the last."

"Well, the fifth is this one:

But obviously, these words aren't true

Our hero was just trying out something new

He has lead the Torrayans out of the caves

To the forest of the planet of Ykle

Oh! The wonders of the planet of Ykle

And now you also know how comes you don't live in the caves anymore."

They were silent for a moment.

"Aren't you worried about us knowing too much anymore?" Skeon asked.

"No, not at all." Yalt said. "You already knew too much anyway. And the more you know... The bigger the rewards for me catching you!"

Esfa felt rage flooding back into her. "You just used us!" she hissed.

"Yes I did!" Yalt laughed.

"That's revolting!" Esfa growled.

"Shut your face!" Yalt said. "I hope you're behaving any better in front of the mistress!"

"You bet I don't." Esfa mumbled.

Then they arrived at their destination and Yalt pushed them out of the hover house. "There we are." he said. Even though Esfa could not see, she could clearly imagine his smug face. A few days ago, she didn't know it was possible to hate a person as much as she hated Yalt now.