“They finally convinced you to get some rest, eh?”
Rethais sat up from bed, as his brother Retvik stood in the abnormally large doorway. He wasn’t sure how long he had been sleeping for, but it was dark outside, faint moonbeams shining in from a gap in the bamboo window blinds. All things considered, Retvik actually looked somewhat healthy, but the wraps of cotton fabric and bone splints around his arms and stomach did look very out of place.
“They did. These Banikans, I admit I misjudged them. Far wiser than I believed.”
“They are as intelligent as any other sentient race…” Retvik mused. “Just in a different way. Although, all things considered with our fellow vok…”
Rethais grunted, pulling a blanket off himself and swinging out of bed just a little too fast. He could feel a twinge in his side, where his stitches were.
“The Banikan Med’Dir was very insistent that I stop stressing myself out and rest, getting back to health before I started working on a plan. But my sleep is filled with mistakes from the past.”
“That will pass with time…” Retvik frowned as he sat down next to Rethais. “Yes, what happened will haunt you for a long time, but it does fade. Eventually.”
“Can you not sleep either?”
“Not at all. So I decided to preoccupy myself. Find something to do that is… well, distracting. I do not think either of us are of sound state of mind to plot against deities.”
Rethais noticed that Retvik was fiddling with one of his wristbands. His other wristband was goodness knows where, but this one had the little internal keyboard open, with a settings and debugging menu visible on the miniature screen.
“What are you doing?” Rethais asked.
“I spoke to the Banikans. They are… somewhat isolated here. Aside from monthly visits from Vrekan ambassadors for trading purposes at the main Banikan city to the north, there is no way off this planet and no other sapient races aside from other, less friendly Banikans. Their own words, not mine. There are also no Rethan telecommunications as well. Which is why I am trying to alter my wristband to connect to either Skyan or Vrekan olanet systems.”
“Any… any luck?”
Retvik sighed. “Well… not really. I managed a very brief connection to a Skyan network but it must have just been a passing ship because the signal bottomed out. It does mean that we are not completely out of range though, we just need an olanet-enabled ship to be around long enough for me to send out some distress signals…” Retvik paused, realizing that Rethais wanted him to stop. “What is wrong?”
“You are being careful who to contact, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Who are you trying to contact?”
“Hopefully I can get in touch with Tenuk, who can spread the word with his vast connections…”
Rethais grunted. “Tenuk is a Kronospast who pretends to be a Rethavok. You do not know whether he is friendly or not.”
“Brother, we do not know anything for certain, but I trust Tenuk, perhaps more than I trust you. We cannot simply stop trusting every other being ever because we had been slighted by a traditionally not particularly truthful deity.”
“Yes, but can we trust someone who aligns themselves with the Rethavok when the rest of our kind are no longer trustworthy?”
Retvik sighed. “You are somewhat correct… Maybe if I try and contact King Ver?”
“No. Too close.”
“All-Ksa Kayel?”
“Too unpredictable.”
“The Raptor of Palaestra?”
“Hm..” Rethais trailed off. “She is a Ksithan, yes? Worships them all?”
“Only the Main Four, as far as I am aware…”
Rethais shrugged, lying back down in bed. “That could work. Start there, get some followers, some political power, build a base, work from there…”
“So… shall I continue my efforts?” Retvik asked, getting up so Rethais could rest.
“Yes, please do. And good work so far…”
“I appreciate that…” Retvik sighed as he left the room. “Rest well, brother…”