Mantrin Imperial Guard - 004 Homestead

Chapter 5: Difficult Decisions

Author's note: Only one important thing to disclaim here. Wyr'Mo'Gwi. It is the name associated with the community that takes Stith in Lachrimae. A huge and important part of the 45 chapters of the original story took place here and it's where Stith got to learn about her people's culture.

Sadly nearly all of that is gone forever. I decided to expand on the idea and fill in the blanks, turning it into a movement that threatens planetwide social stability on Solbrecht.

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Houn and Yukiko

"We're so proud of you, Houn."

A firm hug from his mother and his father. Having reached adulthood had changed nothing about the warm feeling it had always given him. His parents were both Gouregs and his slate-colored skin had that deeper blue hue from his mother's side. The royal blue eyes were a family trait, although blue in general wasn't a very uncommon eye color for his race, though more so than the usual blue-green. The same could be said of the ears which were larger than usual for Gouregs, but still smaller and pointier than a Sogowan's.

Standing in the middle of the living room of the apartment he still called his own home, he noticed nothing much had changed. Their apartment was located on the fifth floor of the building, offering a wonderful oceanside view from the living room. The broad adjacent balcony offered enough space for all three of them to have their own lounge seat. It was spacious, even by Mantrin standards and a gracious blend of modern living and his people's traditional culture.

All the common elements were there, such as their Cathaiyra, sufficient green and a couple of tangible pieces of culture, but his parents had grown very much accustomed to their modern style of living, even though they both had to work their fair share of cycles to support it. That his father had a managing position at a nearby hover car factory did help matters a lot. In return their residence served them well, with a full climate control system, electronically-dimmable windows with built-in tv and robots to take care of household chores.

With his parents both wearing simple casual clothes, his uniform would've made them feel underdressed if they cared about such matters of appearance. Instead, their eyes glittered with pride.

"Myrsya. Erseh, ahmo, I need to tell you something. It's about Yukiko."

"Of course son, you can tell us everything," his father said without hesitation.

His parents' indifference about his relationship with the human girl was what he loved about them. They even supported him in his decision, telling him to follow his hearts, wherever they would take him. His mother's ears lowered and the expression that took over her face was one of concern as she detected the emotion that had slipped into his voice.

"Is something wrong? She seemed fine last time I talked to her. I often see her in the garden downstairs with her sister."

"I just saw her. We talked a little. She cried for a bit. She seems very concerned about everything that's happening around our world. I kinda... sort of promised that you would protect her... and her family if I'm not around."

He wasn't quite sure why he hesitated. His parents did warn him about the dangers of a relationship like the one he and Yukiko had, but never held anything against him. His mother's warm tone of voice was proof of that.

"Houn, of course we will. They're our friends. If it ever comes to that, we will do everything in our power to protect them. Tell her that for me."

"I will. Myrsya, ahmo."

She nodded.

"Don't worry, son," his father assured him. "We'll be here for her family, and for you. We've always been."