“Heya, Kuta.”
Arkay didn’t look up as Kuta approached, then sat down on the pier next to him. They had just finished their Decayling studies, and since Kuta had done a few Decayling exams already, there was no need to redo them. At the same time, Kuta didn’t have much else to do, and was mostly waiting for their poten-partner to finish up.
“Hello, Arkay.”
“Is something wrong?”
“No, no, just… lost in my thoughts, I guess. And I saw you sitting here in the sad spot, as my sibling calls it, and wondered if you were well.”
Arkay paused, then did actually turn to face Kuta. “You here because you want to be here, or did Litvir send you?”
“No, I came here on my own. Litvir is busy doing… things. Helping someone who was mind-controlled by a Voidborn. I find it odd how Litvir now regularly does “common work” when he always used to send underlings to do chores.”
“Litvir changed.”
“We both changed…” Kuta sighed. “I am a lot more like Litvir than I want to admit.”
Arkay thought for a moment. “What’s wrong with being more like Litvir, now that he’s a better person? You both changed, sure, but you changed for the better.”
“I am more of a vampiric asshole than I should be. I am a diet-Litvir. The low calorie, low caffeine version of an actual vampiric asshole.”
“You’re really not. You’re perfectly fine.”
Kuta tutted. “You do not have your telepathy on all the time. I hear what the other Decaylings think of me.”
“And what do they think of you?” Arkay asked. “Because Ret loves you more than anything. Anyone can see that, even without telepathy.”
“My protective desires keep on kicking in. I am a little overprotective around all of them, including my dear Retvik. And Phovos and Thassalin in particular, they get a little annoyed about me always leading the way.”
Arkay snorted. “They only think that because Thassalin is a Time Drake and Phovoula is a Voidborn and they both believe themselves to be above everyone else. Phovos does it as well, because she’s a Life Goddess. Being above everyone else is pretty standard for all of them, doubly when both Phovoses WERE above everyone else before they ended up out here. They’ll get over themselves eventually.”
“I hope so. At least Kayel, Tenuk and Tahvra all respect me. It is a little touch-and-go with Nyssi, as she sees herself as being the leader of her little team.”
“Nah. Nyssi’s just struggling with her own telepathy and having a more blatant leadership role now. She’s the smartest of the four of them, and they’re looking to her for help occasionally…” Arkay trailed off briefly. “Are you alright with Ret at least?”
“Heh. Retvik and I are doing better than ever. It turns out, having the same schedule and having rooms next door to each other makes a relationship so much easier…” Kuta allowed themselves a little smile, but the smile quickly faded. “I feel bad thinking that it was a good thing you dumped me, because otherwise Retvik and I would have never ended up together.”
“No, me leaving you was definitely a good thing. It was wrong of me to date you in the first place. I filled you with unwanted memories and cost you your home and your job.”
Kuta waved their hand dismissively. “While those are bad, they are more temporary things I could afford to use. But you also gave me some closure, you made me not feel ugly and boosted my self-esteem and we parted ways gracefully, continuing down separate but better paths. Well, I did. It was a little tougher for you, but you got there in the end.”
Arkay sighed deeply. “You’re right. And calm, reassuring words like what you just said make me realize why we somewhat put you in charge of our new Decaylings. You are the wise leader they all need.”
“Hah. I thought that was just favouritism from Litvir and Galyn.”
“You were the General of the 11th Legion and a Captain of the 606th Legion. You know how to lead both large and small teams. And, admittedly, you have adapted way better than everyone else, since you’ve already spent time as a Decayling.”
Kuta shrugged. “That is fair. But still, I feel like I owe you for getting me and Retvik together.”
Arkay tutted. “That was 100% on you. I kinda did the same thing with Elkay and Teekay too. Also, when Elkay was a Decayling, according to Litvir, he was always slightly overprotective and the designated leader for his set of Decaylings too.”
Kuta paused for a moment, then frowned. “There is something off with Kyr Elkay… and I do not mean the whole “he is a Synaisthyn like you” thing. Or the fact that he married a Skyavok.”
Arkay paused. “What do you mean?”
“I often wonder if Elkay is genetically related to Litvir and myself.”
“H-how comes?”
Kuta frowned some more. “He has telepathy, he has very dark skin, similar to mine and Litvir’s, he is oddly short like I am AND he has fangs. The fangs are not as long as mine, but they are there. These are all traits Elkay had as a mortal. He also had wings. There were a handful of… Kaldieridos slave children who had wings.”
Arkay thought for a moment, then tutted and shook his head. “I don’t think it’s possible for Elkay to be one of Siona’s children. You and Litvir killed everyone and broke free before Elkay was even laid.”
“We did not manage to kill everyone. Siona spent thirty years building his army, we are certain some of her more normal children escaped the same way we did. And I KNOW there was some horrible inbreeding between the older Kaldieridos kids…”
“I still don’t think it works. Mostly because Retvik and Rethais’s mother Revalos, as stupid as she was, probably wouldn’t knowingly sleep with a Kaldieridos. Mostly because, no offence, most Kaldieridoi are pretty obvious. You and Litvir did somewhat get very lucky when it comes to appearances.”
Kuta shrugged. “I suppose that is very true. Litvir used to be the one who would go out on public outings to get supplies, mainly because he was only just normal-looking.”
Arkay shrugged too. “I wouldn’t worry about it. And, honestly, if that were the case, Sini would have pointed it out already.”
“… Yes, good point…” Kuta trailed off again, but this time, they did so for good reason. “Are you practising your invisibility, dear?”
Arkay turned around and smiled. “Heya, Ret. You done with your lesson?”
“I am, yes!” Ret beamed as he made himself visible again. “I wondered where Kuta was and saw you both here chatting. Wanted to, uh… ask Kuta something.”
Kuta glanced at Arkay. Arkay smiled some more, then nodded slightly and stood up. “I’ll leave you two to it.”
“Thank you, Arkay.”
“Hah! No worries!” Arkay grinned as he disappeared in a puff of smoke. “Have fun.”