Striker (35 page)

Quickly sending a guard with a message to Dargon, Zeus began to undress, his guardsmen following suit. Going through the glass doors, he vaulted onto the railing. Alpha made of noise of joyous glee as Zeus dived into the water, swimming like an eel underwater toward his brother. Surfacing briefly for air, Zeus went under again, following Canry as they swam down to the bottom of the deep pool.

The longer their descent, the more the water changed around them, turning cooler and darker, the bottom still seemingly a greater distance away. When Zeus realized Alpha was as comfortable as he in the water, he quit worrying and enjoyed the swim. The next time they surfaced, they were in the sea, the city of Haven in the distance. The deafening sound of the waterfalls could barely be heard.

For a while, they simply floated, surrounded by the watchful eye of their bodyguards. Zeus imagined Canry was as overwhelmed as he was.

"Being on land is strange. It is very stable, lacking any movement, and dry," Canry murmured.

"Working at the space station, I missed swimming in the Waters of Poseidon the most. The station's air was very dry. Another thing I missed was the jungle, the smell of soil, and the color green. I swore when I returned home I would never leave again." Zeus floated on his back, his shoulder occasionally brushing Canry's.

After much thought and a long bout of silence he asked, "Moving through water, can all the people of the Longing transport themselves to other places?"

"No. There are a few like me who straddle ... it is hard to explain what I can see, feel about The Ways. It is a road in a sense. Where they exist, I can ... pluck at them and shape them to my purpose. I know I am not explaining this correctly. In the case of those with the Longing, where there is water, I can lead them there. If the cause is just, I can move through as little water as what a glass will hold. It is difficult, but in times of need, I can do it."

Zeus frowned, wondering how Cary would climb out of something so small. "Nethus. He is like you?" For Canry's sake, he attempted to keep the contempt out of his voice.

Canry laughed. "He has behaved badly, has he not? He is a tempest, the eye of the storm that brings rain. He is older and more powerful than I. He is difficult, certainly, but not terrible. It is not his fault I answered the call. He fears I long for land." Canry's voice had turned soft, almost wistful. Before Zeus could ask more, Canry changed the subject. "Meme still loves me."

Zeus glanced at Canry. "She never stopped. You are her son. Did you enjoy spending time with her and father?"

"Yes." The answer was soft, thoughtful.

"Are you going to stay for a while? I do not know how long we will be needed here. Although, Azaes and Mestor will need to return home soon. Our cousins are good males, but with the now open divisions in the Noble Houses, Azaes or father will need to be there until the unrest settles."

"I will stay for a while, but I have to resume my training soon."

Zeus was almost afraid to ask. "Is war coming?"

Canry sighed. "No one seems to know. I hope not. Nethus said all of the remaining ancients are on the move. Maybe if they find Prometheus in time. I do not know, brother."

They floated together for a little longer before heading back to the city. Canry brought them to the pool outside the balcony windows of Zeus’s suite. He had barely surfaced when the double doors swung wide open and Dargon stepped out, offering Zeus a hand over the rail. When his feet were on the floor, Dargon drew him into his arms and peppered his face with soft kisses. Canry left before Zeus could bid him good evening, but that was okay. Canry would not leave this night.

It was a good thing Meme had arranged for Canry to have his own rooms, because Zeus planned on showing Dargon how much he considered him and Alpha as his home.

Zeus concentrated on locating a hand hold in the sheer cliff face, carefully placing his feet, inching his way up the rock wall. Dargon had not been happy about being left behind, but there was no way his mate could make the climb in his lion form. For as long as could be remembered, Mar'Sani males had been climbing the cliffs to reach Rhodes Peak, where they received the birth bed for their youngling.

He would have made this journey sooner, but he, Dargon, and Alpha spent longer on Valespia than Zeus had anticipated. Azaes and Mestor left much earlier. A trusted cousin worked as magistrate in their absence, but the need for the king or the heir apparent to be present was necessary while the Noble Houses jockeyed for position after what was being called the Cordyl Scandal.

Canry stayed a couple of weeks, spending time with their parents. Zeus liked his brother's laugh. The sound was good and strong, and it drew people to him. Often, Zeus found himself standing in a corner watching Canry with their family. Being reunited with Canry seemed to energize their parents. Meme often sat next to Canry and held his hand as if she expected him to disappear, but her expression never betrayed any worry.

When the time came for Canry to leave, Zeus stood next to Meme as she held her peace. She embraced Canry, nodded when he said he would visit soon, and then watched him dive and disappear into the pool. When he did not surface and appeared to be gone, she turned and buried her face in his father's neck. Zeus quietly slipped out, not wanting to intrude on his parents' sadness.

Prince Malek and Prince Vipre shook the foundations of the Chtichlians when they were charged with the kidnapping of himself and the Bespoken. Then, everything afterwards became mysteriously hushed. The galactic emperors closed off all information regarding the proceedings, leaving everyone speculating on what happened.

Zeus knew he was wrong to take cold pleasure in whatever discipline or fine the Chtichlians received. They stole something precious from him that could never be returned. They robbed Prometheus, and even Athena. He hoped whatever the crown princes devised would be excruciating.

Every day, more and more information about the depth of the V'Saar and Terren alliance was revealed as the captured Terrens were questioned. Rumors hinted that the humans did not resist the questioning, some requesting asylum. Then, again, the flow of reliable information trickled to a stop. The one piece of news everyone understood was that a war brewed. The failed preemptive strike on Valespia had set the two Terren companies and the V'Saar back, but no one could say for how long.

The Fal'Amoric once again settled into their abandoned communities on Valespia under the watchful eyes of the Valuzial Guardians. Half the number they had been when they disappeared, most of them were under the age of fifty. Cyprian revealed to Zeus that the Fal'Amorics were long-lived and only the young survived the Terren imprisonment—that they could be certain of, anyway. New information came in every day. Some alluded to elders hidden in Terren space. But how reliable it was, well, no one knew.

Zeus was surprised when three Valuzials asked to be allowed to reside with him. Traditionally, each Fal'Amoric had a guardian, the creatures having been devised long ago by the Ancients specifically for the Fal'Amorics. Too recognizable, the Valuzials had been left behind when the Fal'Amorics ran from Valespia. Zeus and his children were, in Valuzial eyes, Fal'Amorics. They refused to be left again. He found he could not deny them.

The traitor, and by extension, the spy system, that had almost crippled and entrapped the imperials, was taken into custody while Valespia was under siege. The collaborators on the planet had nowhere to escape to and were all captured. Announcements were not made, but people began to vanish, taken by security, mostly without witnesses. From janitors to shop owners to people of wealth and prestige, in quick succession, they disappeared into the system. With no official investigation, the populace speculated wildly, and many, for a while, became overly paranoid.

The siege on Valespia and the failed attempt of the Terren/V'Saar coalition spread like wild fire through the allied galaxies. Diplomats and ruling families swarmed to Haven, some summoned by the Galactic Emperors, others coming to volunteer resources.

Zeus had noticed the influx of people, but the arrival of the Dar Massagas took up all of his spare time and attention. When he and Dargon received a request for an audience, after a quick glance at Dargon, who appeared excited and hopeful, he sent the courier back with an affirmative reply.

The palace attendants returned to clear the room, placing chairs and couches along the wall. Puzzled, Zeus explored the open space, unsure why they would need that much, until the knock came and the Monticore opened the double doors to reveal the Alpha of all Alphas.

A hovering disc more than two meters across and four-to-five meters long held the Alpha. Surrounding him were the biggest male Dar Massagas Zeus had ever seen, not that he had seen many, but compared to Dargon or the Prime Chancellor, the Alpha's attendants were a massive head taller than Dargon.

"Alpha?" Zeus did know which question to ask first. Should he be afraid?

"We are safe,"
Alpha quickly soothed.
"He is where all Dar Massaga symbiotes come from, and where they return to when their Dar Massaga dies. Not often does the core of us travel from home. This visit is a great honor."

Nervously, Zeus stepped forward, not sure how to greet the Alpha who sat taller than Zeus on his hover disc. For the first time, it was disconcerting not to be able to look into a face.

An armlike protrusion reached toward him, but did not touch. Hesitantly, Zeus placed his hand on the end of the arm, jerking in surprise when the Alpha spoke to him.
"Prince Zeus Vondorian, it is a pleasure to meet you. It has been a long time since we have found a Marked one. Your bonding with Dargon and Alpha brings us great joy and gives us hope."

Alpha had shared with Zeus memories of how they had once been a thriving race of Alpha Trines. The devastation the V'Saar reaped on their people left the Alpha-Zetamites alone, until they discovered the dwindling race of Dar Massagas.

"Alpha tells me the Alpha-Zetamites do not die?" Zeus said.

"We became aware in the darkest reaches of space, the first, the oldest, and the enduring."

He could not imagine the heartbreak of bonding to a Dar Massaga over and over again. To love them, and then to lose them to death. "Then why do you choose to suffer constant loss?"

A feeling of warmth came from the large Alpha. "Because we remember our Trines who, until the war, had endured time along with us, without a loss through death. Because we remember, we have not lost hope. We can have such again. So when a new Trine forms, we visit the race and see if there may be others who are compatible, only to come up with a handful. Even that is a small victory."

He thought he understood. "You wish to feel whole again."

"Yes, young one. We desire to be complete, but few Dar Massaga leave home nowadays, so we cannot search for the connection."

"Then you should tell them. When Dargon learned Alpha carried an emptiness,"—he glanced at his mate—"he was hurt because Alpha did not trust him. The Dar Massaga are a strong people. You do not need to protect them from the truth, especially now."

Zeus would never forget the visit, or all he learned the day he spent with the Alpha-Zetamites. Later, Dar Massaga began sojourning to the Fal'Amoric settlements, many opting to stay. Multiple announcements were released regarding the formation of Alpha Trines and Zeta Trines. Zeus recalled the Alpha-Zetamite's loneliness and the excitement, and of their hope. The face of three races would change forever. None knew what impact, if any, the union would have on the future of the Galactic Empire, but neither did any stand in their way.

Returning to Atlainticia, Zeus discovered his household had grown. Mayra and Gaex asked to join him as part of Amlyn's pride. Axis requested a visit, but Zeus was sure Axis had his eye on the chimera brothers, and them on him. He hired Hadon, although Hadon attempted to refuse the salary, to become the bodyguard of his younglings when they emerged from their pouch. Of course, where Hadon went so did the Ursid brothers.

Otho requested he be allowed to work for Zeus, stating he had learned more working with the prince than he had in the last five years alone. The L'Eema valued knowledge above all else, and sent multiple petitions to the Galactic Emperors to release Otho from their service so that he may study. He was not released, but rather stationed on special assignment to Zeus. Otho explained he did not care, as long as he was allowed to learn from Zeus. Zeus decided Otho was only excited because he allowed Otho to experiment with explosives.

The most curious request came from the Orions. The whole family troop invaded his family home. By the time their request came, he had become used to saying yes without asking why. The fact of the matter was that the crew of the Oethra 7 had become his friends and an extension of his family. Their requests meant they were not spread across the galaxies where their paths may not cross again. Instead, they were nearby and they would be welcome for as long as they wanted to stay.

Madux Manx was one of the few who did not go with Zeus. Instead, he joined Alpha's son, Star Eater. They accepted a mission from the galactic emperors and disappeared after a quiet farewell and a promise that Zeus, Dargon, and Alpha would see them again.

Upon arriving home, Zeus began to work for the Atlaintician military on secret projects. The battle above Valespia taught them many lessons and Zeus worked diligently on solutions. The crew who came with him was brought into his program. It only made sense. He already trusted them, and they had been chosen for the search and rescue of the Fal'Amorics because they were the best in their fields.

Nowadays, he spent most of his time at his new home in the jungle, located outside a hidden military base where he put his master mechanic skills to work. Occasionally, he, Dargon, and Alpha were called to the capitol to confer with Azaes as his warlord.

Azaes would soon marry his sweetheart Ariafella and be crowned Emperor. His brother would enjoy his time with his new bride, the pressure to bear grandchildren lifted thanks to Zeus and his Trine. Their father had accepted a seat on the Council of Neighn, but would not return to Valespia until Zeus’s commitment ceremony. The formality had been put off until after the kits ventured from Dargon's pouch, allowing Dargon to return to his humanoid form, which would be any day now, and was the reason Zeus now endeavored to acquire the birth beds.