The Rift in the Domain- The Auranos Stories Book 2

Chapter 3- Kaonon

Kaian reacted exactly as we expected her to. She was never very happy with the idea of leading a rebel uprising. And it didn't help that she'd been awoken from her beauty sleep.

"Absolutely not," she snarled. "I had no support for this idea when Knox was yakking on about it, and I still do not like it now."

"And you prefer the idea of letting the Domain maintain its power over Lagokia?" Zina asked, smiling patronizingly.

"Hey, hey," I said, stepping between them. "We can't fight amongst ourselves."

"We aren't fighting," Zina said, smiling at me innocently. She laughed. "No, no- of course we aren't fighting." She swung around to face Kaian. "Fighting insinuates that this is up for discussion."

"Exactly," Kaian agreed, scowling menacingly. "It is not up for discussion."

"Glad we agree on something, then," Zina chirped.

"We are going back to Lagokia," Kaian said.

"We're fighting Shadow," Zina said at the same time.

"Really?" both shouted.

Enough! Yraak commanded. That's enough of that!

"But is it?" Kaian demanded. "If we do this, we'll start a war," she said. "We will be the cause of a war. All the blood will be on our hands," she said, pointing to herself violently.

You don't believe that, do you? Yama said. This is a revolution. It's a revolt. It's about time the Lagokians stood up for themselves. Any blood spilled... well...

To say that it would be unfortunate would be a gross understatement, Jalakoro interjected. But even worse would be letting the Domain push the rest of Auranos around for another era. How much blood is on the Domain's hands? Isn't it time we stopped that?

"I don't want to be involved," Kaian muttered.

An idea hit me. "You're not a revolutionary- you're a nurse," I reminded her. "This... this war is going to be our responsibility, Kaian- it's happening with or without you. You don't have to be a causal factor. What I'm saying is... please come with us, if just help to prevent deaths."

Kaian blinked, and then scowled at the ground. "I'm coming along with you on a technicality?"

"It's not a technicality, Kaian," I said. "And you know it." I gave what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "We'd die out there without you. Won't you help us?"

"Mmph," she muttered.

"That's a yes!" Zina shouted happily. "Now let's get a move on before Shadow has us all brutally executed."

Maple Valley was going to be a long ways away- probably just under two weeks, if we kept our pace up. In the meantime, we had extensive, detailed discussions with the spirits regarding military hierarchies, strategic base plans, and even a governing body. That was where I added some radicalism to the conversation. How? Well, the Lagokians and the Dominions had always been under the power of a monarch. They were really only different with regards to the governing style of said monarch. Neither group had much experience with such a strange, foreign idea as a democratic government. Say what you will about America- we're obnoxious, cocky and fairly corrupt. But democracy isn't a bad idea, if you do it right.

"Wherever our 'base' is," I explained, "We can give each of a few different areas a representative, who is chosen by popular vote. All of the representatives come together and make decisions based on what the people they're representing would want. Boom. Democracy."