“Brother?”
The second he heard that voice, Retvik leaped up from his chair, arms and legs straight. Close to a standard Rethan salute.
“General.”
“No need for rank, Retvik. Sit down.”
Retvik did as he was told, as his brother closed the door behind him and sat by his side.
“What do you want, Rethais? Why have you summoned me?”
Rethais took his sweet time removing the large, gold pauldrons from his shoulders, and delicately placed them on the table beside him. He then removed his footguards and placed them by his chair.
“I regret wearing those. Thought I’d try some new style, as my head Ksa suggested. Bad move.”
Retvik sighed. Every time he met with his higher-ranking brother, they always went through this silly song and dance. Then, eventually, Rethais would actually say what he wanted then bluntly leave like the bastard that he was. But since Rethais was a far higher ranking general than Retvik was, he never really had the courage to tell Rethais that he was a bastard.
“They don’t suit you either,” Retvik decided to play along. “Too many spikes. You’ve always looked better in flat armour.”
Rethais nodded in agreement, then took a sip of one of the drinks already on the table. “Mmhm. So how are you? How’s the partner?”
“Gath is fine, actually. Slightly annoyed that you dragged me all the way to Kolasi, but oh well. How’s your dear?”
“Vexi-en is doing very well. He dislikes these long business trips of mine, but this one only includes here and Thanatia 2.”
“I hate this planet…” Retvik admitted. “Reminds me of… everything.”
“It is phrases like that, brother, that tell me that you never lied.” Rethais was doing that being blunt thing again. “Not that I ever doubted yo-”
“You refused to speak to me for three months. You doubted me plenty.”
“I had to clear up after your disappearance. Some thought that I had you executed or something.”
“You sincerely think I would just leave Gath, leave everything, and disappear with some young Trehan-type?”
“Wasn’t the Trehan-type I was worried about.”
Retvik fell back in his chair, astonished. “You genuinely thought I was… I… I don’t believe it…”
“I am sorry,” Rethais apologised. “I clearly do not think that now. But when a decorated general and the brother of one of the generals in the council goes missing, we ask questions and make assumptions. Eleven years ago, I did not know what to say. Now I know I was wrong and that you were doing good. And I was wrong to cease communication for all those years.”
“I am glad that you realised your mistakes and I accept your apology…” Retvik couldn’t understand how his own brother could think such horrid things about him. Still, he just heard Rethais apologise for something, a small miracle in of itself. Not that it’d last long, Rethais was surely about to move on to something else entirely.
“And now for why I wanted to speak to you. Apart from the apology, I did want to do that. You see, things upstairs have not been… good.” Rethais adjusted his seating position, leaning closer to Retvik. “You do understand the situation with the High General, do you not?”
“I have heard that he is becoming immune to antivethic vials. I do understand his problems, I have had to increase my own dosage lately.”
“It is worse than that.”
“How so?”
Rethais glanced around. His Ksa had already secured the room, but he wanted to be certain. “The High General has spent more time as a Veth in the last two months than he has as a Rethan.”
“We have had similar issues with Tenuk.”
“Tenuk is a half-Deitic and one of the Dessaron. What happens to you four is of very little concern to us. No offence.”
“None taken.”
“This is the High General we are talking about. He is no longer fit for duty. Elkay is currently holding things together, but we’ve pushed back elections until the current crisis is over and I am worried we will not have normality once more.”
Retvik shrugged. To him, this worry seemed out of place, especially for Rethais. Rethan society was still running strong. The Rethan economy had paradoxically become stronger. Most Rethans were fine. The problem only seemed to be within the council.
“Did you not expect this to happen? High General Photeianos has been in power for 600 years. No vok has doubted him yet and now you do.”
“I did not expect to find myself suddenly made both immortal and infertile during my time in power. Or that my brother went back in time and killed gods. Or any of the insanities currently happening.”
“Still…” Retvik didn’t really have a rebuttal. “Do you have…some sort of plan or something?”
Rethais leaned back, his chair creaking under his weight. “I have ideas. I cannot discuss them with my Ksa because they always agree with me. I certainly cannot discuss them with the other Generals. Family is my third but best choice.” As he spoke, he swung his chair and himself back towards Retvik. “I am considering running for Vice General.”
“Really?”
“Considering. It depends on what Elkay plans on doing.”
“How do you mean?”
“He might be running for High General.”
Retvik’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Rethais sighed loudly. “Photeianos is in no position to rule. He might be like this for months. We have no idea if, when the Soul Rupture ends, whether the Veth will all disappear or not. Elkay has been doing an amazing job, keeping not only us Retha calm, but everyvok else as well.”
“I guess we’ll just have to see how it goes. But if Elkay DOES run for High General, there’d be a power vacuum.”
“Those are my thoughts exactly.”
“But if either of you fail, you might not be able to regain your positions of power. Photeianos would lose faith in you both.”
“I know…”
The two Retha fell silent and took several sips of their drinks. Rethais downed his, then started putting his armour back on.
“Promise you won’t spill,” Rethais eyed his brother. “This remains between you and me.”
“Understood!” Retvik nodded as he too stood up. “It was good seeing you, brother.”
“It was good seeing you too, Retvik. You should visit more often.”
“You should pop by when you can as well.”
“I will try.”
“Trying is all I ask,” Retvik smiled as he left the room. “Thank you, brother.”
“Thank you too, brother,” Rethais replied, watching as his brother walked away.