Children of Sol

XIV. Thos

"The Hegemon will see you now."

Shay almost gaped at the willowy dev'ylan secretary, who blinked slowly in answer. In the zho'zhala's heart of hearts, being arrested and sent to Ielara for trial was still the expectation. She had no idea why the Hegemon had agreed to let them through security. Apparently Leraje was more persuasive than Shay had given her credit for. Naamah bobbed in acknowledgment behind the sensitive while Alyssa and Kgosi exchanged a wary look. Shay managed to recover herself as she glanced over at Leraje. Her former comrade seemed perfectly composed to outside eyes, but there were cracks in the façade evident to the sensitive. She could sense little flashes of yellow anxiety.

None of them knew what would come of this meeting.

Shay moved towards the door to the Hegemon's office, trusting that her friends would follow. Alyssa leaned in close and spoke softly. "You sure 'bout this, jitterbug?"

"We have to." They were past the point of no return. The sensitive led the way.

Thos's office was a room surrounded by windows, most of which were open. Thick, sapphire carpeting softened their footfalls into muteness. There was a low table with a touchscreen surface, behind which the Hegemon himself sat cross-legged on the floor. He rose to his feet, revealing that he was tall even for a dev'ylani, almost seven and a half feet in height. His grey skin was covered in tattoos of blue script that denoted his status and his robe was sky blue with a white, toga-like wrap worn over the top. Silver rings flashed on both of his four-fingered hands, each one set with a crystal that resonated with power just as the artifact they had rescued on Nirvana did. His dark eyes seemed fiercely intelligent and hawkish in their attention to detail.

Shay felt small and awed. She had never actually spoken to a Hegemon before and the only ones she had seen were at a distance. The sensitive immediately touched two fingers to her forehead and then her heart before bowing deeply. Leraje made the same motions at her side. Naamah dipped down low on their spindly legs in greeting. Alyssa and Kgosi reluctantly mimicked Shay, neither of them particularly comfortable with the gesture.

Hegemon Thos returned the greeting with a polite inclination of his head. "Zho'zhalai, this is quite the surprise." His voice had the rasping quality shared by all dev'ylani. "And you bring with you dael. Most unusual. Please, have a seat." He gestured at the floor near the table before returning to his own seat. "There will be tea in a few moments, which you are welcome to."

"Thank you, Viezda Thos." Shay managed to keep her voice steady as she used the honorific name for his caste. Her training was the only thing keeping her nerves in check. "I apologize for troubling you, but it is very important."

Thos flicked his fingers in a symbol of amusement. "I would assume so, if it brings a fugitive to my doorstep. Zho'zhala Leraje was quite reticent to deliver any information over comms, save that your concerns pertain to my zdielevr, Zho'zhala Dajjal."

Shay took a deep breath. "That is correct, Viezda. I presume that you are aware of what happened at the laboratory on Ielara, just outside of Ahiri."

"The report was made available to me, yes." Thos looked past her when his assistant arrived with a tray of small, delicate porcelain cups and a short, round pot with a spout for pouring. Each cup was decorated with impressionistic scenes of nature in blues and purples. The tea inside was an amber color, with white foam in the shape of delicate fish that seemed to be swimming at the surface of the liquid. There was an artistry to dev'ylani tea that one did not often find elsewhere. "Thank you, Chiaz. That will be everything."

His assistant bowed her head and exited the room silently, closing the door behind her.

Thos tilted his head slightly to one side. "I presume, Zho'zhala, that you intend to tell me that Dajjal was involved in that horror."