Ben Blazze and Heimdall's Orb

Chapter 2: The Mixed-Race Child

[1 day before in Atlantis]

Vulcan Nummitor, an Arkto, arrived at the Pearl Tower – the headquarters of the Board of Atlantis. There he would have a meeting with the Chairman of the Board, the Vagui Sigurd Völundr.

"What could be so important that they couldn't discuss over a holocall?" He wondered, muttering aloud. That nock staff will regret it if he made me leave the house for nothing, he said to himself this time. Nock shepherds used long, thin rods, and this was one of the many loving ways Arktos and Vaguir treated each other in their millennial rivalry.

He stepped out of the teleportation chamber directly into the main lobby of the Tower and found it packed. The crowd there was quite ordinary, in the sense that it did what crowds usually do best: disrupt each of its members. But that particular agglomeration would be mesmerizing for any earthling, especially those who think New York's JFK airport is the top of "race" diversity. There, in the lobby of the Pearl Tower, Vulcan saw several Arktos, like himself, but also Vaguir, Caelis, Siriar, and many of the other races living in Atlantis. Tiny people were flying across the room with multicolored, translucent wings. Others, huge, crawled on their bellies like snakes. Some walked on two legs like us but had several additional pairs of arms.

Vulcan cut through the crowd to the massive statue of Alber Valingrer. There, he passed under its immense legs, taking the next corridor. The dwarf, as humans would call him, made his way down the hallway to the end, coming to an anteroom where a smiling Vagui girl greeted him.

"Good morning, Mr. Numitor," she said.

"Good Morning, Skuld. Mr. Völundr is expecting me."

"Indeed. The Chairman asked you to come in as soon as you got here. Please...," the secretary gestured to the door behind her, which opened automatically.

Vulcan entered the small elevator chamber, and the door closed. Soon he felt the slight effect of the ascent on his body, which gave no hint of the elevator's breakneck speed. A few seconds later, the door opened into a large circular room, with windows across the opposite wall. From there, it was possible to contemplate the whole "island."

Just ahead was a huge desk. Sitting there, a man with long straight dark hair was taking notes. Upon noticing the entrance of the Arkto, Sigurd rose with a smile and came towards him. The Vaguir have the average stature of a human man, which made them about 50 centimeters taller than a medium Arkto. Sigurd had a shaven face and was wearing a long, loose tunic over tight pants and shirt.

"Vulcan, savin rainë!" he chirped, greeting Arkto in the ancient language. "Nice to see you again," and reached out to greet the dwarf.

"My pleasure, Sigurd," Vulcan replied. "Your good mood surprises me."

"How so?"

"You wouldn't dispense with the convenience of a holocall unless there was a serious problem."

"You're still sharp," said Sigurd, "and there is a problem, indeed. But after millennia in one lifetime, great friend, one thing we have learned is that our state of mind should not depend on external factors. Besides, good humor helps a lot in difficult situations."

"Can we get straight to the point?" asked Vulcan, letting go of the joke that came to mind when Sigurd called him a great friend.

"Ah, the typical Arktos pragmatism! Of course, we can. The First Rule is at risk. We had information that the mixed-race child is on his way to the human grandmother's house."

"Huh... How did that happen?"

"Arthur Blazze's mother found out she has a grandson, and yesterday she secured custody of the boy in court."

"Do you think he can find out anything about his father?"

"Well, that's not impossible. Arthur must have left nothing exposed. Otherwise, his mother would have discovered something. But, if there is even the slightest possibility, we must act now. Of course, it would be better if the boy never knew anything and spent the rest of his life as a typical human boy, wrapping up this subject. Anyway, we can't risk him discovering and telling humans something."

"And the element we have infiltrated in the Blazze's residence?" asked Vulcan.

"That agent couldn't stay with the boy all the time. Ideally, we should keep a closer watch on him, someone who could remain hidden and only act in an eventuality."

"Any idea?" the Arkto asked.

"That's what I called you for," Sigurd said with a smile.

"Huh... If the child finds out the truth, our sentry would have to interfere. In that case, their role would be to make the boy aware of the situation and convince him that the secret should not reach humans." Vulcan thought for a minute and then asked: "How about a Caeli?"

Völundr considered the idea for a moment before speaking again.

"It is an interesting idea. A Caeli could spend months unnoticed with them. Do you have someone in mind?"

"Sweetflower Appletree," Vulcan proclaimed.

"Your student, the daughter of Sunbreeze Appletree? But isn't she a preteen?" asked Sigurd.

"Exactly. That can make all the difference in earning the boy's trust if we need direct contact with him."

"And her parents? Wouldn't they oppose?"

"Caelis mature and become independent earlier, as you know. I think the Appletrees would cherish a job opportunity for the Council. Moreover, Sweetflower is more impulsive and rebellious than the average for her race, and that's a lot. She also has always craved living in the outside world."

"Fine, I'm convinced. Let's make arrangements then."