Nero
“Next time I tell you no and you think otherwise, you have permission to kick me in the butt,” Saraf says when Nero limps into his store. “I heard they’re calling you the wee Borukin for Stone’s sake. With how well you sense Aether, I should have figured you’d be able to perform Odo. Did you pick it up from watching Natina train?”
“A little.”
“Did you learn from Sosimo?”
Nero shakes his head.
“Then where?”
Nero looks off to the side and starts to inspect some of the Amulets.
“Out with it already. You’re giving me an ulcer.”
“There’s this smart entity or something I play with in the park,” Nero says in just above a whisper. “I’ve been using broom sticks to defend myself from its Aether.”
“That explains everything…”
Nero looks up. “It does? Do you know what it is?”
“I’ve been wondering where my broomstick went! Come on Nero. I’m not that old and gullible. Where did you come up with the idea of a smart entity?”
Nero’s head drops. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”
“You’re serious?”
Nero nods.
“A smart entity?”
Nero nods again.
“For all the times you’ve proved me wrong and surprised me, I’d be stupid not to take you seriously. You’ll have to show me sometime but for now it’ll have to wait.”
Nero barely catches a package as it bounces of his chest. “What's this?”
“A package you broom wit,” Saraf says. “Open it.”
Nero rips off the wrapping and his excitement plummets. Clothes? Yuck. He pulls out a nice tunic and holds it up. “Uhh... Thanks, this is very nice.”
“Yeah I'm sure you really like them. Hurry up and put them on.”
“What? Really? Do I have to?”
“Yes you do if you’re going to accompany Natina today. Your ratty clothes won't cut it.”
“What?”
“Natina wants you to join her for the final day of competition.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“You don't mind?” Nero asks.
“No. This may be your only opportunity in your life to go to this event.”
“And if I want to go I have to wear these clothes?”
“It's a horrible price I know. Can you manage?”
Nero looks at the clothes one more time and nods. “I’ll try.”
*****
Saraf leads Nero through the crowd at the base of the stadium until they reach a small guard stand. Saraf talks with the guard for a moment and the guard sends for a royal assistant.
After a few moments of waiting the royal assistant approaches Saraf and Nero. “Are you the human child Nero?”
“This is him,” Saraf says.
The royal assistant signals with his hand and turns towards the door. “Follow me.”
“Have fun Nero,” Saraf pats him on the back. “Try not to hit your head on anything hard and remember to take the steps one at a time.”
“You're not coming?” Nero asks.
“Who’d run the shop? You’ll have fun with Natina. Go.”
Nero reluctantly leaves Saraf and follows the assistant through a side entrance into the stadium. The assistant leads Nero up many flights of stairs, and past a few ticket checkpoints. They pass people of a variety of size and color, but all of them are finely dressed. They are adorned with a range of different types of Artifacts and jewelry. Using the trained eye Saraf gave him, and his unique sense of Aether, Nero quickly sums up each Artifact he sees. Some are nothing more than precious stones of incredible size while others shine with Aether as bright as some of Saraf’s finer items. The assistant finally brings Nero to a door where a large Borukin royal guard stands with his arms crossed. His head is shaved, his torso and shoulders are covered in red armor trimmed with gold, and his styk is strapped across his back.
“This is the boy Natina requested,” the assistant says.
The guard raises his eyebrow. “He’s a bit small isn’t he?”
“He’s a human, what do you expect? He’s also now your responsibility.” The assistant turns and leaves.
The guard looks Nero over one more time then knocks on the door he is guarding. “Natina, the human is here.”
The door opens and Natina's head pokes out. “Nero!”
Natina grabs Nero’s arm and pulls him into her private box, which looks out at the same arena Nero had seen yesterday. A small table to the side has an assortment of snacks and drinks.
“Where’s Grebson?” Nero asks.
“He doesn’t go to the games for some reason, so the other guy is watching me for the day.”
“I think I saw a statue of him yesterday at the Orinda Museum. Did he really compete in the Trial of Orinda?”
“Yeah I think so but no matter how hard I try, he never tells me anything about himself. It’s incredibly annoying.” Natina points to the table. “Help yourself to the food if you want and sit down. The opening ceremony is about to begin.”
A large Borukin with a shaved head walks to the center of the stadium and the crowd begins to cheer. Nero watches the big screen and his skin begins to crawl from the hardness of the king’s face. Yikes… Ivory tattoos run up his neck and wrap around his head like a crown and cover his chiseled arms that are exposed from his short-sleeved gold tunic.
Natina points, “that’s my dad!”
The king holds up his hands and the crowd settles. “Out of the ashes we arose into the second age with King Stone leading us. The world was scarred and our king was tired, but he would not rest until he saw us fit to survive. Knowing we must always be ready to meet any challenge that threatens our country, he came up with the games, which provides us with a means to hone our might! He created three special trials, which in the simplest way describes our greatness, three trials to test the strongest Borukins. Only the fiercest take part in Stone’s Trials and today the best will compete in this arena. First is the Trial of Odosa. A trial that defines the core of the Borukin’s defense.” The crowd cheers. “Second! Is the Trial of Borutaress. A trial to demonstrate our effectiveness in combat and why we are feared as warriors!” The crowd cheers even louder. “And Finally! It is the Trial of Orinda! A trial that is our honor and a taste of the hell we’ll summon when we are backed into a corner with next to no chance of victory.” The crowd roars. The king looks out at the stadium and raises both fists in the air. After turning about to face all the spectators he walks out of the arena.
“I can’t believe your dad’s the king,” Nero says.
“Yeah… He’s scary.”
Nero nods his head and a silence passes between them.
“So what do you think of these seats?” Natina asks.
Nero walks to the window. “We're so high. It’s awesome.”
“It is a great view but I wish we were closer. You can't hear or feel the excitement from way up here.”
“Why don't you go closer then?”
“This is my box, I don't have tickets for the lower area.”
“Aren't you a princess though? Can't you watch from wherever you want?”
“I guess... That's a good idea.”
“What?” Nero asks, suddenly a little nervous.
“We should go down and get a closer view.”
“But I thought you said we need tickets?”
“Yeah but you just said I'm a princess. I don't think they'd mind.”
“Are you sure? I don't want to get in trouble.”
“Yes I'm sure.”
Natina grabs Nero's arm and pulls him out of the room.
The guard turns to her in surprise. “Are we going somewhere princess?”
“Yes we are. We're going to get a better view of the competition.”
“But you’re supposed to watch from your private room.”
“It's too high and besides you can’t see. Wouldn't you like to get closer to the action?”
A flash of desire passes over his face but it quickly turns somber. “It’s not my job to tell you what I want.”
“I saw that!” Natina says while smiling and pointing. “Are you coming then?”
“I'm assigned to you my lady. I will follow you to the Tenebrous Miasma if that’s where you’re going.”
“Really?”
“Of course, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”
“Another time then. Let's go.” Natina turns and hurries off.
The guard looks at Nero and shakes his head then signals with his hand to go first. Natina hurries through the crowd, always descending when possible. At the bottom level she walks up to an usher in a red uniform checking tickets for the section right at the arena level. The usher's face is curious when Natina approaches, turns to annoyance when Nero stands next to her, and finally falls to worry when the guard hovers behind them.
“Excuse me sir,” Natina starts. “Do you mind if my friends and I sneak into this section to watch up close?”
The usher looks at the guard and then back at Natina. “Do you have tickets?”
“No that's the thing. My dad, the King,” she says with added emphasis, “got me a private booth up high, but I want to be close and with the people.”
“The king?”
“Yes my dad. I'm not sure what he was thinking. I asked if I could have a closer seat, but he must have been too busy.”
The usher swallows. “Uhhh. There are no open seats here. Would you like me to kick someone out?” He asks stammering.
“Oh no. I don't mind standing. We'll even try to stay out of the way if you think that's okay.”
The usher lets out a pent up breath and relaxes. “Yes I think that would be fine princess. Enjoy the game and let me know if you need anything.” He steps to the side.
“Thank you.” Natina and the other two hurry past.
Natina walks down the longs steps to the railings at the edge of the arena and stops at a place mostly out of the way of the spectators behind her. Nero hears the Borukins’ conversations halt and their whispers as she passes.
In the arena, the four contestants Nero saw yesterday are just wrapping up their warm up routine. Each one is wearing different colored headbands and they’re easily within a stone’s throw. At this distance, Nero can fully appreciate the size of the Aether canon that is several times taller than him. Holy moly that’s a big canon.
The guard rests his hands on the railing. “I've been to the games many times on duty, but this is the first time I'll actually get to see the finale of the Trial of Odosa. I must admit. I'm as excited as a little boy.”
“I know exactly how you feel,” Nero says mostly to himself, still in a state of awe.
Natina looks at Nero and her guard and smiles. “I'm glad we came down here then, for you boys.”
“Young human, you don't realize how lucky you are. Many Borukins would sacrifice much to be this close and with your company.”
Nero turns to Natina. “Thanks for inviting me Natina.”
“It was the only way I could think to make it up to you for all the times I slammed you in training.”
“How's your arm doing?” Nero asks.
“It's fine now, I just tweaked it,” she says moving it about. “Did you draw from my styk when you threw me?”
Nero nods.
“This little human got the best of you princess?” The guard asks.
“This little human is being called the wee Borukin. I watched him yesterday. He defended his friends from the attacks of several Borukins using Odo… I wish I had friends like that…”
I’m your friend.
The guard looks at Nero and nods. “Impressive. I’ve never heard of a human using Odo before.”
Nero's cheeks flush and he inspects the railing.
“Alright Ladies and Gentlemen,” a voice booms over the stadium speakers. The same announcer from yesterday is standing on the center platform for the trial. “The Trial of Odosa is about to begin! In green we have, Kandis Khan, making her first appearance in the finals. In red we have Prince Kamin Ramas Jr., the returning champion of the Trial of Borutaress and the Trial of Orinda and hoping to best his third place finish in this trial. In yellow, we have Jesler Coffman, runner up in this trial last time around, with his sights on the gold. Finally in blue, we have Madam Carason. The Overseer of the Schools, an Odo Grandmaster, holder of the current record for Odosa, and raining champion for the last three Trials of Odosa.” The competitors bow and the stadium erupts in applause.
“How do you think your brother will do Princess?” The guard asks.
“I'm not sure. I don't talk to him much but I heard he’s planning on wining this one.”
“Really? He thinks he can beat Madam Carason? If he wins the Trial of Odosa, Borutaress, and Orinda he may be the youngest to ever do so.”
An official meets the four participants on the platform with the announcer. He holds out a leather pouch and each of the competitors reaches in and retrieves a small clay chip. The official then looks at each of the chips and orders the competitors in a row facing the king's box.
“And so we have the order!” The announcer says. “Kandis in green is first, Jesler in yellow is second, Prince Kamin in red is third, and finally Madam Carason in blue. Minimum starting level is set for three on the Boltz scale.”
“Do they do the same thing as they did yesterday? Nero asks.
“Not at all,” the guard says.
“Today, each competitor takes a turn declaring the cast and the intensity of the attack,” Natina says. “If the competitor passes their challenge, then the others must try it as well. You’ll see.” She points towards the arena. “Watch.”
Kandis steps up to the official and talks with him. The official punches a few buttons into what looks like a giant calculator and then nods to her. The official says something into a small microphone on his color.
Kandis has made her choice,” the announcer says. “She’ll start the competition with Icor Aether at five hundred and fifty thousand joules and five hundred thousand watts which puts us at 3.13 on the Boltz scale.”
The woman in green steps up to the platform and the canon fires in a bright stream of energy. The judges check her over and she passes. The other three competitors follow in order and pass as well. The official then talks with the guy in yellow. He again punches some numbers into the calculator and nods.
“Alright now we’re starting to move up!” The announcer's voice echoes through the stadium. Jesler has picked Moltrik Aether at five hundred and fifty thousand joules at six hundred thousand watts which puts us at 3.20 on the Boltz scale.”
The crowd cheers and the man in yellow steps up to the platform. Again each one of the competitors passes successfully. The official then walks up to Kamin. Kamin says something but the official hesitates and looks at him in surprise. Kamin waves his hand with noticeable frustration and the official jumps to punch the numbers into his calculator. The official speaks into the microphone on his collar.
“This is quite the surprise.” The speakers crackle to life. “Prince Kamin isn't wasting any time moving things up. He has picked Pahzan Aether at two million joules and eight hundred thousand watts, which is 3.37 on the Boltz scale. If you don't remember, this already passes the winning level from the last competition. A brave move indeed.”
“Wow, he’s confident,” the guard says. “He must really be going for it.”
Kamin walks up to the platform and readies himself. The red flash consumes the entire center of the arena and a deep thud hits Nero in the chest. Streamers of fire trailing smoke arch from the center of the explosion, slowly falling to the ground
“Oh wow that was awesome!” Nero says. His eyes adjust to the evaporating haze to reveal Kamin standing in the center with steam rising from his clothes. “How did he survive that?” I’ll never be able to block something that big. He shifts his perspective and sees the whole arena filled with bright red Aether randomly jumping about.
“He’s a Borukin. That's what we do,” the guard says.
The judges circle around and hold up the success flag. The crowd cheers. Madam Carason eyes Kamin with a glare as she approaches the platform. She passes as well. The other two fail and Kandis is escorted out of the arena with an injured arm.
“It looks like we just have Madam Carason and Prince Kamin left. Let's see how the Madam plans to counter,” the announcer says.
Again the official seems to be surprised by her demand. After she urges him on, he punches the values into his calculator and then speaks to his microphone.
“Madam Carason is going for the record!” the announcer yells into the speakers. “She’s picked Moltrik Aether at eighteen million joules and six million watts for an 4.26 on the Boltz scale!” The crowd cheers excitedly.
“Princess. Thank you so much for taking me down here,” the guard says. “This is the most excitement this competition has had since Madam Carason broke the record over twenty years ago.”
After a decent length of waiting while the Borukins turn the giant cog to generate the Aether, Madam Carason finally approaches the platform. She settles herself into her ready position and nods towards the cannon operator. The crowd falls silent.
“You two might want to plug your ears,” the guard says out of the corner of his mouth while he moves to take his own advice.
Natina and Nero mimic the guard just as the cannon fires in a blinding flash of electricity. The shockwave of Aether and air knocks Nero off his feet.
“Woooweee!” The guard picks up Nero. “Can you believe that? You got leveled and we’re not even in the center! Are you okay human?”
Nero steadies himself and nods. “I think so.” His hair is standing on edge and when he grabs the railing, he gets shocked.
The guard laughs. “And princess, I assume you're okay.”
“Yes thank you,” Natina says.
The judges swarm around Madam Carason and inspect her white cotton robes. The head judge holds up the pass flag and the crowd goes wild. After another wait while the cannon is charged, Kamin approaches the platform. Nero loops his leg and arm around the pole and plugs his ears again. He shifts his perspective and sees Kamin’s sharp red glow assume a ready position. Another faint red shimmer of Aether is just in front of him.
What's that?
Kamin nods and the blue Moltrik Aether in the canon surges and releases a flash of energy. Just as the Moltrik Aether strikes Kamin the red shield about him flares and the platform is consumed with blue ,which obscures Nero’s view. The air rattles Nero again but his firm grip about the railing saves him from getting knocked down. When the haze clears, the judges run up to Kamin and throw up the pass flag. The crowd cheers wildly.
“Wow Natina,” the guard says. “I didn't think he was that good. I thought most of his skill was in combat.”
“I think he's been practicing a lot,” Natina says.
“He must be.”
“Are you allowed to use Aether when you block?” Nero asks.
“You can use whatever natural Aether you have. A Borukins Aetheratin is so low though it wouldn’t be useful in countering an attack compared to the effectiveness of our styks.”
“Are you allowed to use Artifacts?”
“No. Only the styk is permitted, as it is the purest form of Odo.”
“Do you think he could have used something he wasn't supposed to, like an Aether shield or something?” Nero asks. “Is that even possible?”
Natina looks at Nero fiercely. “My brother wouldn't cheat.”
“Careful boy,” the guard says. “If Natina doesn't beat you up for saying those kinds of things, then someone else will. Aether shields do exist in the form of Amulets or from someone with Pahzan Aether and enough Aetheratin to make it effective, but cheating has a very severe consequence so it hardly ever happens. Accusing the Royal family of it would not be good for your health.”
The official approaches Kamin and when the prince responds to his question, the official freezes. The king's son smacks the official out of his daze, making him stumble to the side. The official punches the number into his calculator and with shaking hands, he pulls the microphone on his collar up to his mouth and speaks.
There is a long pause before the announcer says anything. “Pardon us for the delay, we need to check a few rules and regulations for the next round.”
Murmurs float through the crowd and some questions are asked directly to Natina from the Borukins close by. She shrugs and shakes her head. “I don’t know what he’s doing.”
After another long pause the announcer finally begins. “Prince Kamin has chosen to attempt Pahzan Aether at one hundred million joules and sixteen million watts which puts us at a 4.75 on the Boltz scale.” The crowd gasps.
“Natina, what is your brother doing?” the guard asks.
“What do you mean? I don't understand,” Natina says. “I don’t know anything.”
“The whole point of the white cotton robes is to regulate the maximum level they attempt since the slightest singe will fail you. This is mostly for safety reasons so the risk of serious injury is minimized.”
Worry unfolds onto Natina's face. “I still don't get it.”
“Your brother has just requested a level that is so far beyond anything that has ever been attempted, it may kill him.”
“I have to stop him!” Natina moves to jump over the railing but the guard grabs her.
“He is a grown man and he's making his own decisions. It’s just surprising but if he’s made the challenge, he must have some hope of succeeding.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Would your brother throw away his life so easily?”
Natina relaxes a little. “No.”
“Well then there you have it. Let's hope your brother’s faith in his skill is well placed”
After a long wait to charge the Aether to the necessary level, Kamin finally approaches the platform and readies himself. The guard plugs his ears with some tissue, kneels down, and has Nero and Natina stand in front of him with their ears plugged, while he grabs on to the railing to make sure they won’t go anywhere. Nero shifts his perspective and can now see a stronger shimmering shield in front of Kamin and a faint trail of red Aether leads off to the nearby spectators, where there are three bright, swirling sources of Aether; two are red and one is a combination of red, blue, green, and yellow. The cannon fires with a flash that instantly drowns the world in red Aether. The heat wave slams into Nero, taking his breath away and prickling his skin. He opens his eyes and the arena is filled with streaking Aether that crackles with energy. Kamin’s form slowly resolves through the haze, several meters back from where he started.
“He made it!” Natina says.
The guard raises his hand. “Ah ha, he did. That's unbelievable. Is it possible he’ll actually pass?”
The judges quickly scurry up to Kamin and start to inspect his clothes. Each judge responsible for a section of his clothes waves the approval flag, except for one who is hesitating at Kamin's shoulder. Nero feels a strange surge of Aether and shifts his perspective to see a green wisp emerge from the strong sources of Aether in the crowd. The wisp weaves its way towards the judges and splits into many. Each wisp dives at them and in response, without their apparent notice, green walls of Aether flare up against the attack. The walls, however, provide minimal resistance to the incoming wisps, which break through and latch on to the judges’ heads. A slight moment of confusion passes before they begin to move about normally. They all review the area in question and after some deliberation, the head official raises a green flag and the crowd cheers.
That was Icor Aether, he's cheating! “Uhh, what would happen if he got caught cheating?”
“Why are you asking this? What do you think you saw?” Natina asks.
The guard turns to them. “This is not something to talk about, even for you Natina. For your own good, quit this line of thought.” Nero nods and looks down. “We need to worry about Madam Carason now anyways. I hope Stone is with her.”
“Can she just quit?” Natina asks.
“She could, but it’d destroy her reputation,” the guard says. “It would be better for her to lose than to step down.”
“Even if it could kill her?” Nero asks.
“Yes, but let's not think of that.”
When the Borukins have finished charging the Aether storage, Madam Carason steps up to the platform against the will of the people she came with. She shoots Kamin a look of disdain before she readies her styk. The guard, Natina, and Nero take their same positions and the cannon fires. In the blast, Nero feels the same flow of Aether, but then a strange pop. When the haze finally clears, there is a blackened heap off the end of the platform, on the arena floor. A medical team rushes to her with a stretcher and tends to her while the crowd is dead silent.
“This is a heart wrenching turn of events,” the announcer says. “But be assured, this is the best medical team in the city. Our prayers are with you Madam Carason.”
The medical team carefully moves her onto a stretcher and carries her out of the stadium.
“Your brother is just as ruthless as your dad!” Someone yells from the crowd.
Natina looks in the direction but the Borukins say no more. “Is she going to be okay?” Natina asks with tears in her eyes.
“I hope so,” the guard says. “Let’s take a walk while there’s a break.”
The three walk around the stadium a couple times, mingling with the glum spectators. The lines for the mini-games and the vendors are virtually nonexistent and circles of Borukins have their heads dipped in prayer. The music from the performances in the arena is the only thing combating the dreary energy of the crowd.
By the time they make it back to their spot at the edge of the arena, life is quickly flowing back into the stadium. When the last performance ends, the announcer takes the center.
“It is now time for the Trial of Borutaress! The competitors will be Talik Indair, a veteran warrior who has more medals than can be counted, against the returning champion, who needs no introduction, Prince Kamin Ramas Jr.! We all know the rules; first one to surrender or to be incapacitated loses.”
The two competitors approach each other from different sides.
“After the last competition, I'm not sure what to expect,” the guard says. “I don't think Talik will have much of a chance against Kamin.”
“Begin,” the announcer yells.
Two spheres of Aether appear above the ground each close to one of the competitors. The competitors jam their styks into the blobs and they wink out of existence. With incredible speed, Talik and Kamin close the distance and attack. Their styks sound like a drum roll as they crack against each other. They buzz through the air and release little pops of energy and light when they make contact. Kamin begins to step back from Talik’s flurry of attacks.
“Wow, it looks like Talik might have a chance after all,” the guard says.
The fight continues like this for several more minutes. Talik's swings are slowly speeding up, while Kamin’s swings are becoming more frantic, urging Talik to attack harder. A single blob of Aether appears across the arena four meters off the ground. Both competitors see it instantly and take off running. Kamin quickly begins to pull away.
“Look at that!” The guard points excitedly. “Kamin must have been saving his energy. Watch carefully now, this is a big moment in the battle. Talik will try to make a move to strike Kamin while he is exposed and going for the Aether.”
As they approach the Aether, Kamin glances back and begins to slow, allowing the gap between them to close. At the last moment, Kamin jumps high towards the energy. By the time he passes just over the ball of Aether, he swings his styk down like he is chopping wood, propelling the ball of Aether directly at Talik. Talik is too close to properly defend and the ball explodes against his chest, engulfing him in flames and sending him spinning backwards. He hits the ground and tumbles to a stop. Kamin finishes his areal maneuver with a graceful flip and lands on his feet.
The smoking and charred Talik attempts to rise but falls back to his chest. Kamin slides his styk into the holder across his back and walks out of the Arena in a stunned silence with sparse applause. Another medical team runs out to Talik and helps him out of the arena.
“That was faster than I expected,” Nero says.
The guard nods. “That might be some sort of record. I’ve heard that Talik is no pushover either which makes it all the more impressive. Alright princess, we need to get you up to the king's box; your mom requested you be present after the Trial of Borutaress.”
“Am I going?” Nero asks nervously.
“I suppose so,” the guard says.
After a short wait to let the crowd thin, the three climb up many levels through the hordes of people until they finally reach the king's box and are let inside by several guards. Natina quickly picks out her dad and approaches. He is among the largest Borukins in the box, similar in size to Grebson and Sosimo, but of all things that set him apart, his shaved head and the crown-like tattoos give him an unrivaled presence. He is talking with several older Borukins with long hair, a smaller person in a military uniform with light skin, and his son.
“Aether rifles, generators, and accelerators. They have their use but they are just toys.” The king says to his companion in a deep, booming voice. “What else can you offer?”
Natina stops behind him. “Excuse me your highness, where’s the Queen?”
The king turns to Natina with a curled lip. “Natina. How dare you interrupt me. Have you not been taught better?” Natina dips her head. “Stay close, I will deal with you when I'm finished.” The king turns his back on her.
Natina stands there for a moment until the guard finally puts a hand on her shoulder and moves her away. “Don't take it personally Natina. He’s a very busy man.”
Nero glances back at the king and catches the face of the smallest person in his company, an Erohsian. Bolts of panic race throughout his body. “Is that small person with your dad an Erohsian?” Nero asks Natina.
“He's an Erohsian General if I heard correctly,” the guard says.
Oh no. Nero turns his back to the king. “Hey Natina, do you think we can leave?”
“No not yet. I want you to meet my dad.” She grabs Nero's arm and spins him around. “He's done talking.”
The king and the Erohsian General walk over and Nero's heart jumps into his throat. Natina performs a small curtsy and in his panic, Nero does something similar.
The king raises one eyebrow. “This is your friend Natina, a human?”
“Yes your highness. His name is Nero.”
“Nero? An ironic name for someone so small.” The king signals to the General. “This is General Lark of the Erohsians. He is my guest at the games.”
The General moves his eyes from Nero and dips his head. “Pleasure to meet you my lady.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Natina says with another curtsy.
“Are you proud of your brother?” The General asks. “I hear he’s going to compete in the Trial of Orinda as well. Perhaps he'll be the youngest to win all three.”
“There is no doubt about that Richard,” King Kamin says roughly.
“Of course your highness. After his success so far today, I would expect nothing less.” The General looks at Nero one more time. “Excuse me Natina and your highness, I need a moment.” The General dips his head and moves away, pulling up his wrist computer as he does.
“Nero,” the king says. “Have you bonded with an essence? Can you use Aether?”
“Umm... Well kinda, sometimes.” Nero shifts uneasily, unable to take his eyes from the Erohsian as he consults his computer.
The king turns to Natina. “Your choice in human friends is disappointing. This one is nothing but a spineless child.”
“He's not just a child!”
The king's face turns cold. “Don’t you dare raise your voice to me.”
The Erohsian General pops back beside the king and holds up his wrist computer, points to something on the holographic screen, and whispers into his ear. The king's eyes fall on Nero and Nero holds his breath.
The king points to Natina's guard. “You, grab him.”
The guard hesitates for a fraction of a second but then firmly grasps Nero's arm.
The king walks up to Nero. “So boy, it seems you've been getting into some trouble with my friend here.”
“Your highness, if we move quickly, we may be able to question this one and capture the others as well,” the General says.
The king shakes his head. “You can have this one, but I'm not about to let you snatch up every human child in Kiats. That would cause me more trouble than it’s worth.”
“Dad you can't take him,” Natina yells.
The king flashes her a fiery look. “Enough.”
“These children may have some very important information,” the Erohsian says. “We would be in your debt.”
“You're already going to be in my debt if I give you this one. Besides, if they were so important, you shouldn't have let them escape in the first place. Borukins have a certain respect for humans and allowing children to disappear would just feed fuel to the unrest I’m dealing with. Would you rather I let this one go?”
The General shakes his head. “No your highness. I understand your concerns and appreciate your sacrifice.”
“Good.” The king looks at Natina's guard. “I will watch Natina for now. Lock the boy up.”
The guard dips his head. “Yes your honor.” He turns and pulls Nero through the crowd.
Nero stumbles after him, still trying to sift through the shock amidst the rapidly collapsing situation. Tears begin to build up in his eyes.
The guard looks down at him solemnly. “I'm sorry Nero. There's nothing I can do.”