Mantrin Imperial Guard - 004 Homestead

Chapter 12: Homecoming

Author's note: I've got the writing plan for the next episode ready and I'm looking forward to it! I will take a short break before continuing to do some editing on older stories and I expect to post the first chapter of episode 5 around the beginning of next month.

Lesser Arcanna are created by Doc.

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Azdar and Masai

With the last traces of daylight having disappeared behind the horizon, darkness had fallen over the city of Vehnurii. Despite it having been a cooler day, Azdar didn't yet experience so much as a shiver, his uniform able to keep his body warm under much lower temperatures than most of the main continent ever experienced.

A few lonely clouds dotted an otherwise clear and bright night sky, Solbrecht's two moons highlighting the shinier details, such as the lonely pieces of metal furniture, and a pair of empty glasses and bottles that had been left on one of the three party tables in the hotel's small backyard bordering the deserted street. The utilitarian lampposts that flanked it spread a pale yellow shine, just enough to expel the darkness from their surroundings, lighting up bushes at the edge of the small park on the other side. Part of the backyard was a little L-shaped pond, its surface like a mirror, the reflection of the starry sky a perfect copy of the real thing.

The hotel didn't have many guests. Their room came with breakfast included, but they had paid to make use of the buffet with only about twelve other Mantrins and humans, only to regret it after the first bite. It was beyond his and Masai's comprehension how they managed to make everything taste the same and as bland as it could be, and no amount of salt or spices could have saved it. Even the cozy appearance of the place, with its candles, wooden partitions and the corner with the traditional seating arrangement for their species could not detract from what he deemed was close to inedible, though at least they didn't have to go to bed hungry.

Shifting his weight onto his metal left foot, feeling the soft grass-covered soil give way under the pressure, Azdar took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders, disappointed he didn't see the warm air blowing out of his nostrils condense as she exhaled. At least that would've given him something else to focus on, other than worry about Niylaa. Maybe Masai was right. Maybe his level of attachment to his mother had already passed a threshold where it made him weak and fragile whenever his thoughts about her crossed his mind. Unfortunately this happened very often, such as now, ruining his efforts to calm down before a night's sleep.

"I knew I'd find you here," a soft female voice behind him shook him out of his train of thought. The mental image of his mother's face faded as he looked down at his hands, opening them and noticing his claws had been digging into the palms to the point of almost puncturing his skin. Retracting them, he heaved a mild sigh, feeling the gentle touch of Masai's hand on his left thigh close to his upper knee shortly thereafter as she joined his side. Laying his hand on top of hers, he did his best to smile when he looked at her, fearing he wasn't doing a very good job at it. "Here's your phone back. Thanks for letting me borrow it. My Preidogian is rusty, though I think I'll be able to make a little conversation. Let's switch for now and find out how well I can keep up."

"I know what you're going to say," he said, taking the device from her hand and pocketing it. Continuing like she suggested, he forced himself to keep cool in her presence.

She did not deserve to be the target of or even be a witness to his occasional outbursts. Masai had been his most loyal friend since they met during their first posting. Before the Myr'shala he had considered her his only friend, though to his own surprise that had changed. There was something about that ship that brought people closer together. He had Raeth to thank for that. Even Jirro, the guy he had considered more or less his equal in certain ways, had begun to lighten up. They had become the family that Raeth had pictured in his mind from the moment they had started to call each other by name instead of rank.