Night Come Down

Chapter 6 "Murmur"

Kal'ia limps into the door of what was Quavs' apartment. There's Lorinthian Sto'kov'lore workers putting things back where they were, cleaning it as best they can. She wandered over to the couch and took a seat, wincing in pain and holding her side. She looked around a moment before one of the workers comes over with an old scroll. It was weathered with some holes in it around the edges.

Kal'ia; "Who might you be?"

The worker gives a salute before speaking.

Worker; "No'lo Geroxee, miss."

Kal'ia; "Just, call me Kal'ia, please. Take a seat, make yourself comfortable... It's what he would've wanted."

No'lo sits down and sets the scroll in his lap.

No'lo; "Quav was an archivist... Of ancient Lorinthian history... Even delving into mysticism and arcana."

Kal'ia shrugged a little before looking to the frosted glass window... Which looked out to the nextdoor apartment complex.

Kal'ia; "That difficult to tell the magic from the reality?"

No'lo; "Well, a lot of it could be explained by natural phenomenon, but some of it..."

Kal'ia; "Gimme an example. Humor me."

Quav; "Well, this scroll in particular mentions an 'Acolyte' of Vulcanalia, Goddesses of Armaments."

Kal'ia; "So? The other eleven had Acolytes too."

No'lo turned to look at Kal'ia as she spoke, unfurling the scroll.

No'lo; "Well, yes, but it says that the Acolyte would see the future and lead Lorinthians to the stars... 'Eyes of Amethyst paves the way to the gods' fists'... So the Acolyte had to have had... Purple... Eyes..."

Kal'ias' eyes turn to No'lo and she raises an eyebrow.

Kal'ia; "Oh, it hit you just now?"

No'lo remains speechless as he looks at her, and she turns her face to look him in the eyes.

Kal'ia; *sigh before speaking* "Yes... I'm well over a couple million years old."

No'lo; "But... Where have you been all this time? Why did you go away?"

She shrugged and looked forward at the Sto'kov'lore workers fixing one of the robotic arms attached to the shelves.

Kal'ia; "I had two things in my way... First, obviously, was technology. We were still bopping each other over the head with sticks and stoning each other... With rocks, I mean. And we started to factionalize... We fought each other, until one group stood on top and the other two were on the brink of extinction. I got tired of waiting and I got tired of playing negotiator."

She leaned back in the chair, groaning quietly and gritting her teeth.

Kal'ia; "So... I hid as a slave, working the weapon forges, faking my death every so often... Found out I liked making swords and spears, so I hid out in the wilderness with my shop, watching Sto'kov'lore progress our people at the expense of Lor'inth Quasba and Cysko'dro'ranin. Two whole castes, abused and swept aside, No'lo. That's why I went away."

She went to stand, but gasped and quickly put a hand over her heart, falling back into the couch and groaning in pain. No'lo shouted at one of the onlooking workers.

No'lo; "Don't just stand there! Get some help!"

After a few more moments of agony, she no longer felt like she was in pain. She looked around a moment before standing up.

Kal'ia; "I'm fine now, No'lo. What were we talking ab-"

She gasped at the sight behind her; her lifeless body, paramedics performing CPR on her. She then heard the voice of Vulcanalia to her side.

Vulcanalia; "I'm sorry I had to do that... I just want you to know you're running out of time."

Kal'ia looked over at Vulcanalia, her fists clenched.

Kal'ia; "You could've given me a warning first!"

Vulcanalia; "You've only a few decades left, Kal'ia... You need to make the most of it."

Kal'ia; "What do you mean?... You're gonna kill me? You told me that being an Acolyte means I live forever."

Vulcanalia; "That's... Not entirely true."

Kal'ia; "Then give. Me. The. Truth."

Vulcanalia; "Biologically speaking, yes, you cannot die... But, trauma can still be fatal. The shock you endured has made your heart weak. You've no more than a few decades, give or take a couple years."

Kal'ia sat on the table, her ghostly form phasing through the medical equipment on it.

Kal'ia; "I think... You should just find some other Acolyte. I can't do what you're asking me... Especially with them still fighting each other."

Vulcanalia comes and kneels besides her, resting a hand on Kal'ias' shoulder.

Vulcanalia; "Well... What do you think we're doing right now? Yes, there's no physical violence, but there is violence in your soul. The other clans fight each other, yeah, but you've been fighting against all of them. This is something ingrained into sentience. Not even us Primevals are immune to petty squabbles."

Kal'ia looked at Vulcanalia with an expression of mild shock.

Vulcanalia; "Not everyone will want to be under one banner, and that's ok. Many people will rally to you if only you call out to them."

Kal'ia clears her throat before speaking.

Kal'ia; "... I know what I must do."

Vulcanalia smiles and brings up a hand with purple energy.

Vulcanalia; "I knew you would."

Suddenly, Kal'ia is flashed back into her body, and Vulcanalia is nowhere to be seen. No'lo lets out a sigh of relief as the medical officer pulls away the defibrillators. Kal'ia takes a deep breath, holding her chest.

No'lo; "Are you alright, Kal'ia?"

Kal'ia; "I'm fine... Lorinthia is not. Is there any way you could arrange for me to make an announcement to the people?"

No'lo; "We can get the equipment set back up by tomorrow, yes."

Kal'ia; "Good... Any of these books say anything about succession?"

He skims through the scroll he'd been holding.

No'lo; "Um... By rights, you're in charge. It's not official until we hold the ceremony, but you're the incumbent Empress. The Vorta."

Kal'ia; "Then the people will know that the Empress was, is, and always will be a force for unification. Starting tomorrow, we are not Lor'inth Quasba, or Sto'kov'lore or Cysko'dro'ranin. We are Lorinthian."