The Night Rider

Chapter 62 - Inheritance

"Guidance my ass. Shove that respect up your Trait and smoke it, Underwood. Siara deserved better than that and you know it. Sybil too, damnit."

Nivara's confusion was muddled by the wince of pain on Kirai's face, perturbed by the sudden verbal onslaught but seemingly resigned to his fate. Aidari's brief flashes of memories were too blurred to make sense but the familiar features of a certain Sunspell elf made Nivara think.

She hadn't seen many elves since Creed was attacked and none of them matched the hazy details of a Sunspell elf. She didn't know how long ago this was, so perhaps they didn't align themselves with the Taishin or hadn't done so yet. But the expression on Fiora's face was unmistakable, however long he had been in her life they hadn't parted on good terms.

"That's enough, Fiora. We can air his dirty laundry as much as we like but it's still the same shit he's probably used to hearing by now." Aidari conceded, returning his nod out of courtesy more than anything.

Her grandmother's Nocturian slang sounded so natural compared to her usual Caldorian tongue but Aidari's choice of crude humour certainly had the desired effect. Nivara couldn't help but enjoy the cat-like grin on her mother's face, Kirai's ears tipped red in embarrassment no matter how many times he tried to hide it with his hat.

"Why are you here, Timekeeper? I doubt it's anything to do with Kalaris unless she's somehow changed her demeanour in the last few years since the Green Seas war ended." Aidari asked evenly, alluding to so much history as if simply commenting on the weather.

Nivara blinked as if attempting to hide something caught in her throat. He was the Timekeeper before... well she didn't know quite what to call him but this Kirai ...the name felt wrong but apparently, he was a Keeper of Trait. But to Aidari he was just another face in the crowd of people she associated with.

He wasn't a friend, clearly far from it but the relationship seemed close but strained at the same time. Almost like someone she desperately wanted to reach towards but lacked the words to do so. Nivara's stark realisation made her think of only one person to compare it to. Creed. She had been sent into this Memory Weave, this out of body experience to meet his predecessor.

"No, Stormkeeper. Kalaris and I...we have gone our separate ways. She is far more capable on her own without being tied to my...less than stellar reputation."

Aidari folded her arms, closing her eyes in a subdued expression but Nivara's head hurt with all the questions whirring around in her mind. The waves of emotions and memories Nivara caught were too many to comprehend, hidden beneath the surface of her impassive expression towards him.

Fiora's derisive scoff broke his melancholy tone.

"That's not how I saw it. That woman was obsessed with you and you know it. Almost as much as you are with these damn Keeper's, Underwood."

Kirai turned his head away so fast Nivara was almost sure she heard his neck crack, hiding his blush with the brim of his hat but the tell tale burning of his ears remained. Fiora's grin reminded her of a kid secretly snacking in the larder. The Air Traited mirrored her mother Aidari's crude nature and no bullshit tolerance she got from dealing with Neridian higher ups.

It was easy to piece together why Aidari and Fiora had made their new visitor angry; a natural way to veto a Fire Traited was to see how much control they had around others. But Kirai was clearly hiding something.

"Yet you were never named as one despite your lineage, Fiora. Perhaps those rumours about your lacklustre Trait weapon were true. Look how the mighty House of Caldor has fallen." He snapped back defensively, a cruel hint of a smile on his face.