Elkay rubbed his eyes as he wearily entered his little apartment, overlooking the city of Palaestra. In the distance were mostly just fields and Ksithan farmhouses, but to the east was the edge of the warehouse district, which provided not just storage but also temporary housing as well. Because, for some reason, everything in Palaestra seemed to have a dual purpose.
“How was your day, dear?”
Sitting by the window in a very soft, squishy beanbag chair, was Teekay. He was holding a tablet in his hands, tapping away quite happily. A vegetable stew was cooking on the stove in the kitchen and Teekay was clearly just relaxing and enjoying the view. Taking a deep breath and taking note of the array of slow-cooked scents, Elkay made his way over to the other beanbag chair next to Teekay, avoiding the pile of cushions and pillows in the middle of the room.
“Awkward. Most of the other guards looking after Kyr Lokmahro were Temthans, who did not seem to like a Threanic being working alongside them… Otherwise, just another standard work day.” Elkay muttered as he sat down.
“You still having troubles with those Temthans?”
“Yes. But not as bad as last week.”
“It’ll get better. It’s still very early.” Teekay smiled, then went back to typing.
Elkay watched as Teekay typed, then turned his attention to the view outside and closed his eyes, drifting off into his own thoughts. Something was bothering him, but he couldn’t figure out what. He was healthy, he was preoccupied, he was working a job that provided an income for himself and the vok that he deeply loved. By all means, he should not have been feeling so uneasy. Maybe it was because of his… dealings with the Raptor.
Shaking his head, Elkay snapped back and returned to watching Teekay type.
“What are you doing?”
“Writing.”
“I can see that. What are you writing about?”
Teekay shrugged. “I thought it would be nice to write a little daily blog about our lives. I made my own little website and everything.”
Elkay sighed, visibly displeased. “Are you… sure about that? After all, you have had your home burnt down multiple times by religious fanatics and I am an exiled former High General who is barely even a Rethavok any more…”
“I’ve not put our real names or anything like that, it’s more just how things are different from living under an eternally black sky… I mean, you can see these sunsets, right?” Teekay shrugged again, peering out of the window briefly before going back to typing.
Elkay grunted, wanting to be annoyed at Teekay. But the more he looked on, the less angry he felt. Teekay was sitting there, happy and fulfilled, probably for the first time in months. And Elkay was… about the same.
“Is something bothering you?” Teekay suddenly asked.
“Pardon?”
“Something is bothering you. Is it that thing with the Raptor?”
Elkay relented, nodding. “Yes.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“… Yes.”
Teekay smiled and put his tablet down. “Did she say you were special or something? Blessed by the Allmaker?”
Elkay’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How… how do you know? Were you… spying on us or something?”
“Oh no,” Teekay shrugged. “I’ve met the Raptor before. When Kayel became the All-Ksa, the Raptor was the first xenon diplomat to see him. They spoke in private, but the K-Class and I who were on duty were… told a few things afterwards.”
Elkay blinked in confusion. “Did you just… spill…”
Teekay smiled some more. “Nah. It’s common Skyan knowledge that there is something weird between Kayel and the Raptor…” Suddenly, Teekay trailed off, lost in thought. He picked up his tablet, swiping his writing to one side, and started typing something new. Elkay got up, dragging his beanbag chair with him, and sat as close as he could next to Teekay.
“Um, dear, what is going on?”
“I think… I just realised what all of this is… The Allmaker chooses a perfect specimen from each species and… blesses them.”
Elkay tilted his head to one side. “That is a big assumption.”
“I know…” Teekay shrugged, sighing. “I just… I have a lot of theories. Unwritten ones. Never to be read.”
“Then why not write about them?”
Teekay blinked, looking back up at Elkay. “That… is a really good idea…”