Galaxy of Hyperion: Mystic Heir

Chapter Twenty: Promised Reunion

No matter how many times Jayler blinked, he couldn't get his mind to agree with his eyes that what he was seeing was real. He knew realistically that the Silver Knight had to be there, but he found it difficult to believe in full. He had spent so many weeks waiting for her to appear before him once again, and there she was. The last time they had met, she had said that she wasn't going to be using her armor and mask the next time that they crossed paths, and Jayler was inclined to wonder if this was a dream or not despite having already pinched his skin between two fingers to make sure. 

"What are you doing here?" Jayler finally managed to ask, barely pushing the words through his teeth. He found himself taking a small step forward, reaching out towards the Silver Knight even though he knew that he wasn't going to actually touch her. She was there, yes, but he wasn't going to cross any lines by getting too close without permission. 

"I heard that you were back in the Galaxy of Hyperion," the Silver Knight replied with a loose shrug. The motion was jerky and unpracticed. "I figured that I would stop by to see how you were doing... You're in a palace, so I would say that you're doing rather well for yourself... But I assume that you know the history of this place and why it's so significant to the people of Skylia, yes?"

Jayler nodded his confirmation. "Yeah, I do," he told her. "This used to be the base of operations for the Skylox Heroes, but it's been left abandoned ever since they all fell in battle ages ago... The Draconic Superiors figured that this would be the perfect place for us to operate out of. We're trying to make a place where all Hanilia can gather and cooperate together. There hasn't been something like this in a long time, so we thought that we would at least make an attempt to try and foster connection among the different factions of Hanilia."

The Silver Knight nodded slowly, hearing his words but not seeming ready to fully register them. "I understand," she murmured before glancing back up to Jayler. He could tell that she was meeting his eyes even if they were hidden behind the silver of her armor. "It's nice to see that you're back in the Galaxy of Hyperion... You managed to return to Earth safely and then get back here."

"Yeah," Jayler confirmed. He had been waiting for this moment for so long, a thousand questions seemingly always swirling in his mind, but when he stood there in front of her, nothing came out. He was sure that he had a million different things to ask her, but nothing would leave his lips, so he simply stared at her and wondered what could have coaxed her out of hiding to speak with him once again, and using the armor from the war with the Fearbringers no less. 

The Silver Knight seemed to understand that he was curious about such, so she decided to explain. "I'm here because I wanted to see you again," she said simply. "I have another mission right now, and that's keeping me from being able to show you my face. I would love for us to meet in another way, but this is all that we can do for the time being. I hope that you'll forgive me for hiding even after I told you that I wouldn't be doing that anymore."

"It's fine," Jayler assured her. If the Silver Knight was right about the importance of names and faces, then he wasn't going to fault her for hiding what she thought was important to keep secret. After all, she had far more experience living and fighting in the Galaxy of Hyperion than he did, and he doubted that such a fact would ever change. She knew what she was doing, and all he could do was chase after her shadow. 

The Silver Knight allowed her hand to rise, and she coughed briefly to attract his attention and change the subject. "How have you been doing?" she questioned. "I didn't know that you were back in the Galaxy of Hyperion until recently. I suppose that there's been a bit too much happening for anyone to focus too much on gossiping about the return of you and the rest of the Clan Leaders. These are exciting times that we live in, especially given that Daragon is still recovering from the aftermath of the war against the Fearbringers."