“Thank the Light, I am so glad to be-” Retvik suddenly paused as he realized that Kuta had completely passed out and collapsed on the floor in front of him. Kuta passing out from long distance shadowjumps was somewhat common, but the way Kuta hit the deck was somewhat concerning, doubly so since Kuta was very, very floppy as Retvik diligently picked them up and laid them on the bed.
Once Retvik made sure that Kuta was stable, he made his way over to the door, to head downstairs and fetch Kuta a drink. However, the door opened for him, and Tenuk was standing there, arms open, ready to greet him.
“Thank heavens, you’re back!” Tenuk beamed, hugging Retvik tightly. “I missed you! We were scared!”
Retvik couldn’t help but smile as he hugged Tenuk back and ran his fingers through Tenuk’s mane. This caused Tenuk to shiver, then wag his tail in glee. As they let go though, Retvik peered past Tenuk, down into the main living area, where there were three people… no, two people waiting for him. Kayel had spotted Retvik and immediately leaped to the kitchen, grabbed two bottles of cold water and immediately shadowjumped upstairs, to Retvik’s side.
“Hey dude!” Kayel beamed. “I got a drink for you both. I assume Kuta hasn’t left already?”
A somewhat panicked grunt from behind Retvik answered Kayel’s question. Kuta flailed somewhat as they snapped back to consciousness. As they climbed out of bed though and made their way over, Kuta froze and stared at the Vohra cheerfully eating pizza in the living room. The Vohra looked up and waved.
“Welcome home, mister Lightbearer! Hello, mister Kuta!”
Kuta glanced at Retvik. “Why is there a Vohra… a bloody Vahla Guardian, in your house?”
Retvik shrugged. Kayel shrugged too as he forced the bottle of water into Kuta’s hands. Tenuk shifted awkwardly.
“I got lonely while house-sitting…” Tenuk immediately admitted. “And I’ve been teaching Talok how to do basic house things because… uh… she’s not used to normal life.”
Talok waved some more. “Best friend Tenuk showed me how to use a microwave! Mister Lightbearer, mister Kuta, do you want pizza?”
Kuta glanced between Retvik and the little black, orange and silver Vohra, then stepped back into Retvik’s bedroom so they were out of sight.
“I am uncomfortable with this.”
“It… is just a Vohra, Kuta…” Retvik muttered.
“Talok is fine, she knows not to use her telepathy!” Tenuk added.”Seriously, Talok’s fine!”
Retvik nodded in agreement, then took Kuta’s hand and led them downstairs. Tenuk and Kayel both followed, and everyone sat down on the sofas.
“Hello, Talok!” Retvik smiled. “How are you doing?”
Talok bared her tusks, the Vohran version of a smile. “Am good! Very happy! You have a nice house! And very nice friends! But you are tired. So is mister Kuta. You want pizza?”
Kuta eyed Talok some more as Retvik took two slices of pizza and handed one to Kuta. “Alright, fine, but I cannot stay long, I have work I must return to.”
“You can stay for an hour or two. It is 1700 hours back in Phos, everyone was going home anyway!” Retvik protested. “You need to rest anyway
“Alright, fine…” Kuta turned back to Talok. “You though, who are you? You are a Vahla Guardian, part of the Vohra Elite, but you are here, on your own, without a nest?”
“Yes, yes! Dead Vohra. Nestless now. But I have new home-nest and new work-nest.”
“Talok’s the new house fighter that Retvik punted across a small arena a couple of months ago!” Nyssi explained further. “She’s semi-immortal the way we all are, and apparently Epani wanted to imprison her or something so Arkay brought her here, since Phovos’s immortality somehow masks the scent of other immortal beings, ourselves included.”
“How comes you don’t need to hide that you are immortal?” Tenuk asked Kuta. “Because you have obvious insane powers! Talok is just semi-immortal, same as us, not that insane.”
“Actually…” Talok lowered her voice. “I am weird. Immune to cold like Ksithans. Can survive in space like Lanex can. Very, very good hearing, like Athrens. Have venom like Temthans. Have Traits of Others. Am more like mister Kuta than you four are.”
Kuta continued to eye Talok. “Traits of Others. That was… how the Allbirther once described me. When she first found me. How were you made immortal, Talok?”
Talok shrugged, then swallowed an entire slice of pizza in one go while she tried to think of an answer. “Do not know. I am born, I wake up, I live, I am born again. Do not understand. Sini’s Shadow called me Kiniseon. Like the Six we don’t know. Old Guardians. Leftovers from the Before.”
“What do you know of the Before?” Kuta asked.
“Not much. Fuzzy. Other people but they are not who they are now. One was taken and a new one was made. Others rewritten. Like we were. I asked best friend Tenuk already, he says his brother Levik is not the same. I meet Ct’Era, she is not the same…” Talok glanced up at Kuta, then immediately apologized. “You are stressed, mister Kuta. I bring up and open thoughts. Memories.”
Kuta took a deep breath, then apologized too. “I am sorry, Talok. I let my own telepathy slip. No, neither of them are the last person you are thinking of.”
“Wrong colours, yes?”
“I… do not know. I have not met him in person.”
“Uh, who are you talking about?” Kayel butted in. “You’re clearly talking about someone that Talok knows but… not?”
Kuta grunted. “It does not make much sense, but Talok is… technically also from… Outside? Before? Perpendicular to? I am not sure, it is something exo-universal, to do with a universe that no longer exists. But I do not remember, well, anything about it.”
“Why?”
Immediately, Kuta turned back to Talok. “It is complicated and I do not want to talk about it! Plus, this universe is better. I have an actual life and a poten-partner now.”
Talok clicked, then shrugged. “You are right. This universe is nice. Apart from big fat space whale. She is a big meanie. I do not like her.”
“You mean Epani?” Kayel laughed. “Yeah, you’re 100% correct there! Anyway, we should eat, before this pizza goes cold.”
“But cold pizza is good pizza too?” Talok asked. “Then again… Tenuk only recently showed me hot food. Wet hot noodles are better than dry cold noodles.”
Nyssi and Retvik both nearly spat out their food and drinks.
“You were eating ramen noodles dry out of the packet?” Nyssi exclaimed. “Hey, Retty, you got any real plans coming up? Because I think us idiots need to teach our smallest semi-immortal idiot friend how to cook properly.”
Retvik snorted, wiping his face as he did so. “Apart from the 9th, no, I have no plans. I also need to decide what to do for my birthday on the 19th. But we can spend a day cooking. Do you want to join us, Kuta?”
Kuta hid the realization that they needed to arrange something for Retvik’s birthday, thought to themselves, then shrugged. “I suppose I can find take an evening off to spend with you all. I will have to arrange a few things though, what with this ongoing investigation.”
“Yeah but that ain’t your job any more.”
“Hmph. No, it falls under the duties of the 9th, 10th and 115th Legions, but I have… experience…” Kuta sighed, then glanced at their wristband. “I really hate to cut this short, but I do have to go. I need to shower and wash my armour, and I do not like anyone apart from Retvik seeing me indecent.”
Kayel snickered. “I’m sure you’re 100% absolutely fine and in better shape than you are willing to admit, just a bit sharper than normal Rethans.”
“I guess.”
Before Kuta could leave though, Talok got up and handed them an opened box of pizza. “For you! For home! Big scary telepath Rethans need to eat too!”
Talok’s gesture make Kuta smile. They took the box, then patted Talok on the head. “Thank you very much, deary. I hope you all have a nice evening.”
“See you soon, dear, love you!” Retvik beamed as everyone waved Kuta off. Kuta smiled once more, then disappeared through the nearest shadow, no longer feeling too upset about recent events.