Night Come Down

Chapter 4 "Lost"

The speeder screams across the desert plains outside the city, down the rut of a road towards Kal'ias' workshop. As they approached, Quav looked over Kal'ias' shoulder and saw smoke rising in the distance, making his expression droop with grief. Kal'ia looked up from the speedometer and gazed upon the smoke, seeing that her workshop was in ruins. Upon arriving, Kal'ia leaps off the speeder and runs for the shop, breathing heavily and observing the wreckage. She drops to her knees and pulls down her scarf, swallowing a knot in her throat and breathing hard. Quav stumbles off the speeder and comes over to Kal'ia, stepping on a bent shard of metal that swung upwards and hit Kal'ia in the face, knocking her back.

Quav; "OH MY- Kal'ia, are you ok?"

He reaches out a hand to help her up, but she swats it away and she gets up with a growl, the left lens of her goggles shattered. The lens falls away, showing a brilliant purple reptillian eye.

Kal'ia; "How do you think I am?! My shop is gone! The only home I had! Because of you!"

Quav backs up a moment, a hand over his heart.

Quav; "I-I'm just trying to help you. I got you into this mess, it's only right I help yo-"

Kal'ia; "I don't want your help anymore! Take that speeder and get out of here!"

She forcefully points to the speeder as Quav also curiously looks at Kal'ias' purple eye. He sighs quietly and looks down, walking to the speeder and starting it up, turning it 180 degrees and heading back to the city. Kal'ia sighs deeply, and turns to the wreckage once more, stepping over the ruined lathe and wincing in pain as she got a foot full of glass from one of the display cases.

Meanwhile, Quav arrived back at his place and sniffled as he put his face up to the retinal scanner. When the door opened, a Lorinthian punched him square in the face and he fell back, hitting his head on the speeder as he fell. The Lorinthian lugged him onto the back of the speeder and strapped him to it before speeding off deeper into the city.

Back at the shop, Kal'ia was looking through the scorched ruins of her training room, kicking aside a mangled mannequin as she leaned down to pick through a crater, pulling out a Rapier with symbols etched into the blade. She sighs before picking it up and strapping it to her belt, causing one of the symbols to glow. She turned to face a seemingly nude Lorinthian of completely purple complexion, somewhat crystalline and with crossed arms. Kal'ia gasps and jumps back before growling at her.

Kal'ia; "Vulcanalia! Where were you when they were destroying my stuff?!"

Vulcanalia; "Where were you when Lorinthia needed leadership?"

Kal'ia mumbles under her breath and turns around in frustration as Vulcanalia lets her arms droop.

Vulcanalia; "I chose you to be my Acolyte to lead the Lorinthians... This is not what was meant for you."

Kal'ia snapped as she turned around.

Kal'ia; "Well, it's not what I wanted either! But life isn't always fair, is it?"

Vulcanalia sighed as she came a little closer, holding up a hand momentarily before speaking softly.

Vulcanalia; "Kal'ia... Look at me."

She turned and Vulcanalia gently reached to lift Kal'ias' broken goggles so both her amethyst eyes were visible. She squinted a little shortly after they were removed.

Vulcanalia; "The world has hardened your heart so... Look at you, you poor thing."

Kal'ia begins to well up, but turns away and growls quietly.

Kal'ia; "Your sympathy is noted, but it's not getting me back decades of forging weapons."

Vulcanalia sighs and clasps her hands before herself.

Vulcanalia; "You make weapons to make up for your apparent lack of strength... And wear a mask, to hide this flaw."

After a moment of silence, Kal'ia drops to her knees and swallows a knot in her throat.

Kal'ia; *choked up* "I don't know how a goddess like you can make such a mistake by picking someone like me..."

Vulcanalia walked over to Kal'ia and kneeled beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Vulcanalia; "There's a reason I said 'apparent,' you know. I know you don't like change, and want any change to become the new normal as quickly as possible."

Kal'ia; "There's been a crap load a change since you first found me."

Vulcanalia; *softly* "And guess what? You've endured! You're still here, still alive after everything that's happened. You didn't make it through unscathed, but that's ok. You are living proof that you can survive against all odds. I could not be more proud of you."

A lone tear rolls down Kal'ias' face as she smiles softly, turning to look Vulcanalia in the eyes.

Vulcanalia; "Someone that can weather the storm of life? Strongest person I could ever know."

Kal'ia; "But... If I am to lead Lorinthia, am I not in need of a court? A military? A palace?"

Vulcanalia smiles and pats Kal'ias' shoulder.

Vulcanalia; "Let's... Start small. Like an advisor. I think you know a good candidate."

Kal'ia; "How am I gonna get there? Quav took the speeder."

Vulcanalia; "I'll take care of that."

She cracks her knuckles with the sound of crinkling glass before she held out her right hand. Purple energy gathered in her palm and shot out in a ray, quickly manifesting a speeder made from a carbon-fiber looking material, a deep amethyst color. Kal'ia gives Vulcanalia the Lorinthian salute before straddling the speeder and heading off for the city. As she speeds down the dusty road, the radio kicks onto wideband and Cacophany can be heard.

Cacophany; *over radio* "Citizens of Lorinthia and the colony of Qexatra! All the dissidents of Sto'kov'lore have been gathered in the capitol! An example shall be made of them, and with their spilled blood, we shall ascend into a new era of prosperity! Our world shall be glorious! Lorinthia will reign supreme! And we will be powerful as the gods!"

Kal'ia arrives in the city to see other people stopped in the streets, listening to the broadcast. She arrives at Quavs' place to see the door wide open. She quickly hops off and runs inside, drawing a revolver from her holster. The library is in ruins, and a scroll lays open on the floor, with the symbol of Sto'kov'lore cut into the parchment. With heavy breathing, Kal'ia runs back out to the speeder and starts it up, heading out to the capitol building in the distance.