In the orange colored sky at dusk, the golden dome of the family mausoleum shone brightly, and the sun's reflection caused a glare that flared out and covered the grounds nearby in the Rhy'din Cemetery. The grounds nearby immaculate as if freshly mowed. With the sun in his eyes, Blake could barely make out the bronze plaque that carried his families name. Overhead, a lone hawk soared in the late afternoon thermal, it's cry catching his attention for a moment.
"A lonely life," Blake mused as he watched the hawk circle around lazily as if it were keeping watch over the residents of the cemetery. "Just you and the thermals. No lady hawk to keep you company or nag you." A chuckle escaped from him before he could stop it. After it did he felt remorseful. Even though in his mind he knew that everyone around him was very much dead and probably couldn't hear him, he felt it was still a sign of disrespect to laugh openly in a place as sacred as a burial ground. Apparently the hawk's other half agreed as he saw another swoop in, as if from nowhere, and join the other bird in it's lazy flight. "I stand corrected."
Blake shook his head and walked up to the entrance to the family crypt and stepped inside. The crystals mounted into the masonry of the crypt illuminated the interior as well as the torches he would have normally used. The use of the Evoian technology to illuminate the crypt in such a fashion was a bit of a marvel still to him. He knew of organisms on earth that would soak up the suns rays and expend the energy by glowing at night but the crystals were different, these didn't fade. In the center of the main vault was the sarcophagus that he was warned about prior to arriving. Even with his warning, Blake was still taken back by the remarkable work done with the marble. It didn't help, however, that the model was his father.
"Father to many, husband to one. Awaiting his return alright," Blake thought to himself. There was a bitter resentment towards whomever designed the sarcophagus and the name plate that was placed on it. How could he be such a beloved person when he did what he did" What kind of world was this that you could abandon your kids and people were okay with it' Blake stared at the sarcophagus and tried to stop his blood from boiling by taking deep calming breaths. This was not the reason he was here and he had to steel himself for the real reason.
Taking a few steps north from where his father's empty tomb, Blake came across an alcove where another sarcophagus was placed. Like the one that belonged to his father, this one was intricately carved and taken care of. The stonework was so well done and maintained that Blake thought for a moment the carving would come to life and speak with him. Although time had made him forget certain things and his memories were hazy, he instantly recognized the face. The bronze plaque on the alcove only helped to confirm that the feminine features belonged to his sister, Marissa.
"Robbed of her Innocence and Stolen from us. Now resting peacefully with her creator," Blake whispered the eulogy inscribed underneath Marissa's name and date. His eyes closed shortly afterwards, the act causing the tears that were welling up in his eyes to fall cascade down his cheek. A tightness forming in his chest before he broke down into a mournful sob over his dead older sister.
After what seemed like an eternity he regained himself and sniffled back any further tears from escaping his eyes. "Hey, M"issa," Blake spoke softly as he reached out with his right hand to touch the sarcophagus, recalling what he used to call his sister. "I don't know if you can hear me, wherever you are now, but I've come back home," Blake continued before moving his back against the slab and just lowering himself down to a sitting position in the crypt, his back resting against his sister's resting place. "Uncle Arlin needed the help, I guess." Blake brought up a hand to his head and ran it through his hair. "The company he and dad started is doing well but he had other things to attend to and needed the help of someone who they could trust to run things." Blake stared directly in front of him at the opposite wall where an intricate pattern had been carved into the stonework. "I ordered a few more ships to be sent here, I've decided I'm going to christen one of them Albireo. I hope you approve of it, I stumbled across the tale of Orpheus and I thought it would be a fitting name. I thought that calling it "Marissa" would be a little too obvious and I'm pretty sure that uncle Arlin wouldn't agree with the change to the naming convention." He stopped speaking just long enough to give someone a chance to respond, hoping, just hoping that the spirits would give him a response. When they didn't he looked to his side, his eyes giving a sidelong glance to the sarcophagus. "He's doing okay, you know" Married and we have a new cousin named Gavino. Cute kid and rather smart. I'm pretty sure he will blow up his first invention in a year or two." Blake chuckled softly at that. "Hopefully you and Kiran will watch over the boy and make sure he doesn't end up like his father, you know" missing arms and all." Blake turned his head to look back at the opposite wall. "His wife, Ciani, she seems like a nice woman. Doesn't think too much about our father but I can't say I blame her. I mean?" Blake looked down a little bit. "No, I guess you wouldn't know what I mean. M"issa, I know that I need to forgive and move on but it's just so hard. Why did they leave me" The only answer I get is that it was for my own good. Things were too dangerous in Rhy'din and I would be a target. But why did they not come back for me" It's kind of hard to forgive."
"Forgiveness comes from understanding, Blake," Although Arlin's voice was soft, the echo carried and bounced along the walls of the crypt.
Blake looked over to the source of the voice with a startled look and slowly lifted himself up from the ground after he realized it was his uncle. "Uncle Arlin! Uh, have you been here long?" Blake asked, remembering what he had said about Gavino and Ciani and hoping his uncle hadn't heard it.
"Long enough, Blake, long enough," In the light being given off by setting sun through the oculus and the crystals, Arlin's face showed no sign of being upset by anything he had heard. "I hope and pray every day that Gavino never know how painful it is when I wake up," his words were soft spoken but carried a lighthearted feel to them. "Mind if I have a seat?"
Blake changed his focus from his uncle back to the patterns on the stone. "Not at all, please, feel free to have a seat." He nodded a brief affirmation and sighed. "So what made you decide to come out here?"
"Memories, a desire to be a little closer to Kiran and Marissa," Arlin replied as he lowered himself down a few feet from Blake and leaned back against the stone wall of the crypt. "I'm presuming you are here to do the same?"
Blake nodded. "It's about time I visit my sister" Uncle Arlin" what is he doing here?" Blake tossed his head to the side and motioned towards the empty sarcophagus that carried his father's likeness.
"For the longest time it was presumed that he died," Arlin looked over to the sarcophagus and shrugged. "It didn't seem right to not have a place for him in here. I know you don't like him for what happened, Blake, but your father was a beloved figure in society."
"I don't really see why, I mean, what kind of a person just ups and leaves their kid behind on an alien world" I mean, you guys never even bothered to check up on me. I mean, even you, uncle Arlin, you at least paid me a visit when I was older." Blake motioned towards him. "I never heard from him, never."
Arlin let out a deep breath and looked back at his nephew. "I won't say that Kumba is without faults, Blake, even he will admit that he is not perfect. However, you need to know the whole truth before you judge him unfairly," Arlin looked around, almost as if he were checking to see there was no other person there. "Your mother and father loved you very much and it tore them up when they had to take you to Earth," Arlin began to explain. "The biggest argument that your father and I ever got into was over him needing to do that. Not because I wanted you to stay on Rhy'din but because he wanted to keep you close at all times." Arlin looked down and shook his head. "He was idealistic and thought that with Harken taken care of that everything would blow over." "You mean that it didn't?" Blake asked, surprised at what his uncle had just said to him.
"Hardly, after Harken there were others and each time they got closer and closer to us. I'll spare you the gory details, Blake, but as beloved as Kumba was, I was a different story," Arlin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Your father was always the man of peace. Heck, he was a high priest at one point! It's what got people to trust him with their darkest secrets. Me" I was the guy that did all of the dirty work. I could go places your father couldn't because of the moral code he needed to upkeep while I just didn't care as long as the job got done. There were also those that did not want me to marry the Queen and would have done anything to prevent it, even if it meant killing off family members."
"But uncle Arlin, why would they go after his kid then?"
"Why not' Your cousin and your sister were killed, you were the one left to carry the family line. What better tool to use to manipulate your father or myself than to threaten the elimination of our bloodline?" Arlin's eyes snapped open and looked at Blake. "Don't you see" Your mother was the last of her clan, your father is the last of his. Your mother wasn't going to be able to have another child and I certainly did not want another one with Ami," Arlin scoffed at that idea.
Blake thought about this for a moment. "But to leave me alone" Not even bothering to check up on me?"
"I won't make excuses for the man, Blake, all I can tell you is that there is more than what you know. He would probably best tell you. Which reminds me," Arlin began to speak as he stood up. "I have something that he would want me to give you. Something that belonged to your mother," He continued walked towards the entrance of the mausoleum and then back.
"What is it?" Blake asked looking at a wrapped up stick-like parcel that was being brought to him by his uncle.
"Your father had me create this for your mother, it is similar to your fathers blade as well as my own. The blade made up of compressed graphene lined with lonsdaeleite. The hilt is a lonsdaleite case wrapped with bucky paper. It's light weight, sharp enough to cut through steel like a hot knife through butter and strong enough to hold a few elephants on its blade edge without making it snap." Arlin slowly fell down to his knees and unwrapped the package revealing the custom-made katana. "The scabbard is made of a palladium micro-alloy glass and reinforced with graphene as well."
Blake took the weapon in hand and noticed the black dragon emblem in the hilt. "Why doesn't she have it?" He asked as he slowly removed the blade from its scabbard, making sure not to remove it completely, presuming the sword had already been blessed.
"When she left, Blake, she left everything behind in the hopes that you would use it if it were ever needed," Arlin watched Blake's careful treatment of the sword and nodded slowly in approval. "She wasn't going to need it where she was going and hoped that eventually you would put it to good use." Arlin slowly stood up again and looked down at his nephew. "It's tradition that those in command wield their own blade. That one is yours now and may it guide you the way mine has."
Blake couldn't believe his eyes as he examined the blade closer. The craftsmanship was second to none and even the finest blade smith on Earth would be envious of it and the materials used to create the weapon. "Uncle Arlin, this is just incredible. I don't know what to say. I mean, thank you but this is just' wow."
Arlin smiled down to his nephew and the temporary inability to form a sentence he was going through. "You're welcome. Just make sure you learn how to use it wisely. That weapon will save your life someday."
Blake placed the blade back into its scabbard and gave a nod to his uncle. "I will, uncle, I will." Blake replied and then looked down at himself. "Oh! This reminds me! I have something for you! A message to deliver to Ciani for me. It's about a meeting she wanted me to arrange for her." Blake reached under his jacket and retrieved a small envelope. "Please make sure she gets this. It's pretty important." Blake stressed before handling the envelope over. "It has to deal with someone I met who is part of the Brigade.?
"A lonely life," Blake mused as he watched the hawk circle around lazily as if it were keeping watch over the residents of the cemetery. "Just you and the thermals. No lady hawk to keep you company or nag you." A chuckle escaped from him before he could stop it. After it did he felt remorseful. Even though in his mind he knew that everyone around him was very much dead and probably couldn't hear him, he felt it was still a sign of disrespect to laugh openly in a place as sacred as a burial ground. Apparently the hawk's other half agreed as he saw another swoop in, as if from nowhere, and join the other bird in it's lazy flight. "I stand corrected."
Blake shook his head and walked up to the entrance to the family crypt and stepped inside. The crystals mounted into the masonry of the crypt illuminated the interior as well as the torches he would have normally used. The use of the Evoian technology to illuminate the crypt in such a fashion was a bit of a marvel still to him. He knew of organisms on earth that would soak up the suns rays and expend the energy by glowing at night but the crystals were different, these didn't fade. In the center of the main vault was the sarcophagus that he was warned about prior to arriving. Even with his warning, Blake was still taken back by the remarkable work done with the marble. It didn't help, however, that the model was his father.
"Father to many, husband to one. Awaiting his return alright," Blake thought to himself. There was a bitter resentment towards whomever designed the sarcophagus and the name plate that was placed on it. How could he be such a beloved person when he did what he did" What kind of world was this that you could abandon your kids and people were okay with it' Blake stared at the sarcophagus and tried to stop his blood from boiling by taking deep calming breaths. This was not the reason he was here and he had to steel himself for the real reason.
Taking a few steps north from where his father's empty tomb, Blake came across an alcove where another sarcophagus was placed. Like the one that belonged to his father, this one was intricately carved and taken care of. The stonework was so well done and maintained that Blake thought for a moment the carving would come to life and speak with him. Although time had made him forget certain things and his memories were hazy, he instantly recognized the face. The bronze plaque on the alcove only helped to confirm that the feminine features belonged to his sister, Marissa.
"Robbed of her Innocence and Stolen from us. Now resting peacefully with her creator," Blake whispered the eulogy inscribed underneath Marissa's name and date. His eyes closed shortly afterwards, the act causing the tears that were welling up in his eyes to fall cascade down his cheek. A tightness forming in his chest before he broke down into a mournful sob over his dead older sister.
After what seemed like an eternity he regained himself and sniffled back any further tears from escaping his eyes. "Hey, M"issa," Blake spoke softly as he reached out with his right hand to touch the sarcophagus, recalling what he used to call his sister. "I don't know if you can hear me, wherever you are now, but I've come back home," Blake continued before moving his back against the slab and just lowering himself down to a sitting position in the crypt, his back resting against his sister's resting place. "Uncle Arlin needed the help, I guess." Blake brought up a hand to his head and ran it through his hair. "The company he and dad started is doing well but he had other things to attend to and needed the help of someone who they could trust to run things." Blake stared directly in front of him at the opposite wall where an intricate pattern had been carved into the stonework. "I ordered a few more ships to be sent here, I've decided I'm going to christen one of them Albireo. I hope you approve of it, I stumbled across the tale of Orpheus and I thought it would be a fitting name. I thought that calling it "Marissa" would be a little too obvious and I'm pretty sure that uncle Arlin wouldn't agree with the change to the naming convention." He stopped speaking just long enough to give someone a chance to respond, hoping, just hoping that the spirits would give him a response. When they didn't he looked to his side, his eyes giving a sidelong glance to the sarcophagus. "He's doing okay, you know" Married and we have a new cousin named Gavino. Cute kid and rather smart. I'm pretty sure he will blow up his first invention in a year or two." Blake chuckled softly at that. "Hopefully you and Kiran will watch over the boy and make sure he doesn't end up like his father, you know" missing arms and all." Blake turned his head to look back at the opposite wall. "His wife, Ciani, she seems like a nice woman. Doesn't think too much about our father but I can't say I blame her. I mean?" Blake looked down a little bit. "No, I guess you wouldn't know what I mean. M"issa, I know that I need to forgive and move on but it's just so hard. Why did they leave me" The only answer I get is that it was for my own good. Things were too dangerous in Rhy'din and I would be a target. But why did they not come back for me" It's kind of hard to forgive."
"Forgiveness comes from understanding, Blake," Although Arlin's voice was soft, the echo carried and bounced along the walls of the crypt.
Blake looked over to the source of the voice with a startled look and slowly lifted himself up from the ground after he realized it was his uncle. "Uncle Arlin! Uh, have you been here long?" Blake asked, remembering what he had said about Gavino and Ciani and hoping his uncle hadn't heard it.
"Long enough, Blake, long enough," In the light being given off by setting sun through the oculus and the crystals, Arlin's face showed no sign of being upset by anything he had heard. "I hope and pray every day that Gavino never know how painful it is when I wake up," his words were soft spoken but carried a lighthearted feel to them. "Mind if I have a seat?"
Blake changed his focus from his uncle back to the patterns on the stone. "Not at all, please, feel free to have a seat." He nodded a brief affirmation and sighed. "So what made you decide to come out here?"
"Memories, a desire to be a little closer to Kiran and Marissa," Arlin replied as he lowered himself down a few feet from Blake and leaned back against the stone wall of the crypt. "I'm presuming you are here to do the same?"
Blake nodded. "It's about time I visit my sister" Uncle Arlin" what is he doing here?" Blake tossed his head to the side and motioned towards the empty sarcophagus that carried his father's likeness.
"For the longest time it was presumed that he died," Arlin looked over to the sarcophagus and shrugged. "It didn't seem right to not have a place for him in here. I know you don't like him for what happened, Blake, but your father was a beloved figure in society."
"I don't really see why, I mean, what kind of a person just ups and leaves their kid behind on an alien world" I mean, you guys never even bothered to check up on me. I mean, even you, uncle Arlin, you at least paid me a visit when I was older." Blake motioned towards him. "I never heard from him, never."
Arlin let out a deep breath and looked back at his nephew. "I won't say that Kumba is without faults, Blake, even he will admit that he is not perfect. However, you need to know the whole truth before you judge him unfairly," Arlin looked around, almost as if he were checking to see there was no other person there. "Your mother and father loved you very much and it tore them up when they had to take you to Earth," Arlin began to explain. "The biggest argument that your father and I ever got into was over him needing to do that. Not because I wanted you to stay on Rhy'din but because he wanted to keep you close at all times." Arlin looked down and shook his head. "He was idealistic and thought that with Harken taken care of that everything would blow over." "You mean that it didn't?" Blake asked, surprised at what his uncle had just said to him.
"Hardly, after Harken there were others and each time they got closer and closer to us. I'll spare you the gory details, Blake, but as beloved as Kumba was, I was a different story," Arlin took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Your father was always the man of peace. Heck, he was a high priest at one point! It's what got people to trust him with their darkest secrets. Me" I was the guy that did all of the dirty work. I could go places your father couldn't because of the moral code he needed to upkeep while I just didn't care as long as the job got done. There were also those that did not want me to marry the Queen and would have done anything to prevent it, even if it meant killing off family members."
"But uncle Arlin, why would they go after his kid then?"
"Why not' Your cousin and your sister were killed, you were the one left to carry the family line. What better tool to use to manipulate your father or myself than to threaten the elimination of our bloodline?" Arlin's eyes snapped open and looked at Blake. "Don't you see" Your mother was the last of her clan, your father is the last of his. Your mother wasn't going to be able to have another child and I certainly did not want another one with Ami," Arlin scoffed at that idea.
Blake thought about this for a moment. "But to leave me alone" Not even bothering to check up on me?"
"I won't make excuses for the man, Blake, all I can tell you is that there is more than what you know. He would probably best tell you. Which reminds me," Arlin began to speak as he stood up. "I have something that he would want me to give you. Something that belonged to your mother," He continued walked towards the entrance of the mausoleum and then back.
"What is it?" Blake asked looking at a wrapped up stick-like parcel that was being brought to him by his uncle.
"Your father had me create this for your mother, it is similar to your fathers blade as well as my own. The blade made up of compressed graphene lined with lonsdaeleite. The hilt is a lonsdaleite case wrapped with bucky paper. It's light weight, sharp enough to cut through steel like a hot knife through butter and strong enough to hold a few elephants on its blade edge without making it snap." Arlin slowly fell down to his knees and unwrapped the package revealing the custom-made katana. "The scabbard is made of a palladium micro-alloy glass and reinforced with graphene as well."
Blake took the weapon in hand and noticed the black dragon emblem in the hilt. "Why doesn't she have it?" He asked as he slowly removed the blade from its scabbard, making sure not to remove it completely, presuming the sword had already been blessed.
"When she left, Blake, she left everything behind in the hopes that you would use it if it were ever needed," Arlin watched Blake's careful treatment of the sword and nodded slowly in approval. "She wasn't going to need it where she was going and hoped that eventually you would put it to good use." Arlin slowly stood up again and looked down at his nephew. "It's tradition that those in command wield their own blade. That one is yours now and may it guide you the way mine has."
Blake couldn't believe his eyes as he examined the blade closer. The craftsmanship was second to none and even the finest blade smith on Earth would be envious of it and the materials used to create the weapon. "Uncle Arlin, this is just incredible. I don't know what to say. I mean, thank you but this is just' wow."
Arlin smiled down to his nephew and the temporary inability to form a sentence he was going through. "You're welcome. Just make sure you learn how to use it wisely. That weapon will save your life someday."
Blake placed the blade back into its scabbard and gave a nod to his uncle. "I will, uncle, I will." Blake replied and then looked down at himself. "Oh! This reminds me! I have something for you! A message to deliver to Ciani for me. It's about a meeting she wanted me to arrange for her." Blake reached under his jacket and retrieved a small envelope. "Please make sure she gets this. It's pretty important." Blake stressed before handling the envelope over. "It has to deal with someone I met who is part of the Brigade.?