“You seem to get pretty exhausted when you shadowjump, Little Bitey!” Kayel mocked as he peered from the doorway, as he heard a loud thump in Retvik’s otherwise empty bedroom.
Kuta grunted as they picked themselves up off the floor. For a change, Kuta wasn’t wearing their standard scary Below Twenty armour. Instead, they were wearing a very nice light metal set, with a specially bought white silk cape with an ice blue trim. They were also wearing their standard gold band around their left arm, signifying their rank. Kayel wanted to say that Kuta looked fancy, but he didn’t really know enough about fancy Rethan fashion to comment.
“Considering that, firstly, I am a Rethavok and shadow abilities go directly against our elemental affinity and, secondly, I just travelled across multiple solar systems in an instant, of COURSE I get tired!” Kuta sneered, before straightening themselves out and inspecting the room. On the bed was a suitcase and a collapsed gunstaff but little else. “I assume Retvik is ready to go?”
The familiar, heavy footsteps lumbering up the stairs answered Kuta’s question. Retvik almost stampeded into the room and wrapped his arms around Kuta.
“You seem happy.”
“I am always happy to see you!” Retvik smiled, hugging Kuta tightly before letting go. “I will admit I am somewhat nervous about this family gathering, but your presence will make it so much better.”
“Why are you nervous?”
Retvik’s smile faded. “I will… tell you when we get there. Do you need a quick break or can we leave right now?”
“I would like a minute or so-” Kuta paused. Kayel was suddenly standing next to them, holding a bottle of water, clearly having shadowjumped across the house. However, as Kuta reached to take the drink, Kayel pulled it away playfully.
“You can have this bottle of water, but I want you to teach me how to do long-distance shadowjumps. Also I kinda need you to tell me if there’s anything I need to know about sleeping with Arkay.”
“You… are trying to sleep with Arkay?” Kuta blinked.
“Mhm.”
“Oh. Well, um…” Kuta hesitated a little. “Firstly, yes, I will try and teach you long-distance jumps, but not today. Secondly, I suppose the good news is that Arkay should be much more compatible with you… all I can really say is two things: wear a condom, a thick one, and Arkay, should you eventually convince him, is terrified of hurting you, so take it very, very slow.”
“Ah, I see… no, wait, I don’t see… How do you know what Skyavok downstairs look like up close?”
Kuta crossed their arms and tutted. “You are not the only one who spent time in a K-Class youngling training base.”
“Oh…” Kayel immediately understood, then handed Kuta their drink and backed off. “Alright, cool. Have a nice trip!”
The plucky Skyavok disappeared through a shadow back to his own bedroom, leaving Retvik and Kuta alone once more. Retvik gave Kuta an odd look.
“What do you mean-”
“Where do you think I learned how to shadowjump properly?” Kuta tutted some more. “I was eight years old, and everyone just… assumed I was a teenager Skyavok. And it turns out teenager Skyavok do not really wear clothes.”
“That… that is…” Retvik frowned, then shook his head and grabbed his stuff. “Never mind. We should get going, yes?”
Kuta nodded. They swallowed their drink in one go, then smiled as they took Retvik’s hand and pulled him towards the shadow in the corner. They both then took a deep breath as Kuta dragged Retvik through the shadow, then briefly passed out on the other side, falling into Retvik’s arms.
“Uh, Kuta, are you alright?”
Kuta snapped back to attention. “Apologies, dear. Shadowjumping so far so quickly is very straining.”
“Ah. Where are we?”
“My apartment on the outskirts of Phos. I do not know the exact location of the Villa at the Lake, so I wanted to bring you here first, rather than accidentally shadowjump you into the blades of a 47th Legion soldier or five.”
“Fair.”
Kuta sat down on the nearby sofa, taking a moment to catch their breath, while Retvik wandered around. It was a pretty nice place, with a cute little waterfall feature on one wall, a large television, a clean, fancy kitchen and one large bedroom with a small office to one side. Retvik noticed that Kuta’s own suitcase and collapsed gunstaff were on the sofa, waiting for them, but Kuta also carried a short, thin sword as well.
“A quick thing, Retvik?” Kuta suddenly spoke.
“Yes, dear?”
“You brought your Captain’s Insignia, yes?”
Retvik nodded.
“You should put it on. And keep it on. Mostly because I see you cut your higher-caste strips again.”
Retvik grunted, then rummaged through the pouch on the front of his suitcase, until he found a heavy, silver band, which he wrapped around his left arm. “I was on autopilot. Thursday is always armour-trimming day, and I am still fighting thirty four years of having to trim my strips.”
“Fair enough…” Kuta grabbed their stuff, attached their collapsed gunstaff and their sword to their belt. They checked their communicator, which had a map on it, as well as several videos from security cameras, then grabbed Retvik’s hand again. “It must be quite weird, having been an exile for so long, and now suddenly you are a captain in a very prestigious Legion.”
“It is weird. Are we leaving now?”
“Yes.”
Yet again, Kuta pulled Retvik through the shadow. They reappeared underneath a shady tree on the edge of a vast, shimmering lake. Standing nearby was a 47th Legion soldier by the name of Trasmik, who Kuta knew somewhat well and had given them the coordinates to get here. Trasmik waved, then pointed the couple towards a very large, very pretty villa made of dark wood, with large, crystal windows. Kuta waved back, then walked Retvik over to the entrance, where more 47th Legion soldiers were waiting for them. Being a standard Legion, most 47th Legion Rethans were soldier-caste and thus rather quiet.
“Welcome!” one of the soldiers bowed as they approached. “The High General is straight inside, they are expecting you!”
“Are we late?” Retvik asked.
The soldier shrugged. “I think you are early, actually, captain. Please, go through.”
Retvik was rather caught unaware by being called ‘captain’, but he shook that feeling off as he and Kuta did as asked and entered through a pair of massive, wooden doors, and through a corridor, lined with more soldiers.
They then stepped into a large room with one wall entirely made of glass, one wall filled with shelves, books and trinkets and three luxurious, velvet sofas all surrounding a beautiful stone fire pit. Oddly, there were only four other Rethans present, all of whom immediately stood up.
“Retvik, my dearest sibling!”
Rethais didn’t intend to be imposing, but they still somewhat were as they marched towards Retvik and, rather uncharacteristically, gave him a large but brief hug.
“Hello, High General…” Retvik muttered as he stepped back and bowed, only for Rethais to lift him back up. And struggle to do so, since Retvik was far more dense and muscular than Rethais was.
“No need for ceremony, not right now!” Rethais smiled. “During this weekend, the three of us, we are equals. Right, Relkir?”
Relkir waved meekly from behind Rethais. Retvik had forgotten how small Relkir was, and they looked even tinier standing next to Gath, the colossal General of the 1000th Legion, who was essentially Retvik’s boss. However there was also one Rethan present who Retvik didn’t immediately recognize, but Kuta did.
Rethais however turned their attention to Kuta and shook their hand. “You certainly picked a wall of a partner, Kuta! Not as much of a wall as Relkir did, but still! I am glad you joined us. And thank you for bringing my dear sibling here so quickly.”
“Thank you, Kyr Rethais!” Kuta smiled back. “Would I be able to get a drink or something? I am quite exhausted.”
“Of course! Before we do so, let me just introduce everyone!” Rethais led Retvik and Kuta to the sofas and everyone sat down. As they did so, Rethais quickly pointed to everyone in turn.
“So, I think most of us here know each other already… I mean, Gath, how could any of us NOT know you, but Lysar, dear, this is my sibling, Captain Retvik of the 1000th Legion. Retvik, this is General Lysar of the 9th Legion, my poten-partner.”
Lysar waved and smiled. “A pleasure to meet you.”
Retvik lowered his head and smiled back. “A pleasure to meet you too.”
Once they were satisfied, Rethais snapped their fingers, and almost instantly, a 47th Legion soldier dressed in hospitality gear appeared with a pad and a pen. “Gentlevok, what would you all like to eat and drink? Whatever you want, we can get!”
“Whatever we want?” Gath innocently asked.
“Whatever you want!” Rethais repeated.
Gath glanced down at Relkir, then smiled cheekily. “Could we order a massive pile of cheese toasties and a vast amount of mead?”
“Consider it done!” the High General beamed. “This weekend, for once, we shall all be treated like, well… all of us here are Generals except Retvik and Relkir, but, you get what I mean… Anyway, feel free to relax and enjoy yourselves. We all deserve a quick break.”