Chapter 17 - Lenora Kendy I

Rai Jin Hall

"Why exactly is it that every time we come to the Hall, we end up sharing a room?" Lenora was not in the best of moods.

"This is ridiculous. What if I wanted company?"

"Company?" Alanna, ever sarcastic and snide with her sister when no one else was around. "Are you looking for Aya to come knocking?"

Lenora felt her face heat up as her cheeks turned a unique shade of mahogany. "Ayamon is in Seras! How would I bring him over!?"

"I noticed you didn't deny you wanted him here." Alanna said with a coy smile.

"Leave me be!" Lenora often found her twin sister more frustrating than any other being on Caust. Sharing a room with her seemed a torture the other members of the Council found amusing.

"It isn't like we wont be returning to Hubang in a few days." Alanna teased her. Each day they remained in Argot seemed to drag by more slowly than the last. Each bit of news they'd received only stressed the need for the Council to remain there longer.

"A few days!?" Lenora became distraught at the idea of spending this night with her sister, let alone two or three more. "No. No, no, no, no, no. I'm going to talk to Kamarion. There is no way every room in the Hall is occupied!"

Lenora stormed off, making sure to dramatically slam the room door on her way out. Her sister's laughter, her most annoying feature to Lenora eyes, resounded through the hall as she angrily walked towards the Master of the High Council's quarters. A few Rai Jin passed her along her way, but after taking a short look at her face they lowered their heads and avoided her.

Fortunately, the room she shared with Alanna was not far from Kamarion's own. The master of the Rai Jin High Council's Faction relocated himself and the Marrisian Rai Jin Branch to Argot before the country was destroyed. Ayamon had been gracious enough to give him his own designated quarters and office. 'I prefer to work from the street' he said when Kamarion tried to deny to offer.

-knock- -knock- Lenora hit her knuckles on Kamarion's wooden door, folded her arms and waited for him to answer. When no reply came, she knocked again, still there was no reply.

"Where would he be at this time of night?" The moon had already risen high above their heads. No more than two or three hours had passed in the day. Frustrated, she furrowed her brows as Lenora gave up on the notion of sleeping soundly. She spun on her heel and returned from the direction she came.

She however, did not return to the room she and Alanna were made to share. Instead, she walked past it, down the hall, a flight of stairs and went out the great double doors that lead outside the cathedral turned headquarters for the High Council's Faction. As if it were her first time tasting fresh air Lenora inhaled deeply and took in her surroundings.

She began to aimlessly walk among the streets of Argot District Three, furiously mumbling about Alanna and the discomfort her sister persistently inflicted on her. Her sister's comment on Ayamon had gotten under her skin and made her highly irritable. Walking was the easiest way she knew to calm her nerves. As she continued to roam the maze that was a simple block of Argot her fury slowly dwindled, until she was left with only a small headache.

She instinctually reached for her carrying bag, an item she made herself and normally kept on her person at all times, to find a balm created by a close friend, only to be disappointed when she realized she had stormed away from Rai Jin Hall without it.

"Damnit," she sighed. The thought of returning to her room filled her with a certain sense of dread. "Hopefully she's asleep." The possibility was the only thing that made her feel she was capable of returning to their shared room. Reluctantly, Lenora turned once again and begin her return journey.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Lenora had not realized just how far she had traveled. Fortunately, Rai Jin Hall was visible for quite some distance around Argot. And, though to the human eye, it seemed little more than the ancient ruins of a historic cathedral, any Rai Jin would look upon it and see it for what it was.

Even from the distance she stood, Lenora marveled at the colossal stained glass windows, the golden clock inlaid with diamonds and rubies. It was the most beautiful landmark she'd ever seen, and despite having seen it dozens of times, she continued to wonder in awe, how did the Kings of the Golden Age make something so wonderful?

Using the clock tower as a guide, Lenora walked, passing narrow alleys and large brick buildings. She came upon a bridge that she had not crossed on the former half of her walk. Towards the middle of the arch stood a man with dark skin, a clean shaven head, and what appeared to be a surly, stern expression.

After closer inspection, Lenora could see that the man's face was structured in a way that made any expression that might cross it seem angry or negative. His long black coat, and the four golden rings that garnished the fingers on his visible right hand, made it clear to Lenora whom it was staring out at the water on the stone banister of the bridge.

"Davion." Lenora greeted her fellow Council member.

"Master Kendy." Davion responded. His formal use of her last name gave her cause for suspicion.

"You don't know which one I am, do you?" This was not the first time Lenora had been subjected to such treatment. "I know you weren't trying to be rude," Lenora said when Davion bashfully lowered his head, "but you could just ask. Alanna and I are twins. Its easy to lose track of who's who."

Davion grinned, though because of the face he was born with, it looked more like an evil scowl.

"I once asked your sister which one she was," Davion said. "She called me a rude prick, then slapped me so hard, her ability seeped through and I spent a week feeling like dirt."

Lenora did not mean to, but she found herself laughing at Davion's story.

"I'm so sorry!" Lenora snorted. "I've been through that myself. It's an awful thing to endure."

"Well I learned that that Alanna's abilities only work through physical contact." Davion responded slyly. "I've endured far worse to learn about another Rai Jin's abilities."

"Really now?" an opportunity for her to satiate a curiosity that had loomed above her head for some years. "What exactly is your ability Davion? Its never been explicitly said aloud, at least not in my presence."

Though Davion was appointed to the Council over fifty years prior, he was still the newest member to join them. In the time she had known him, Lenora had never once seen him do battle, in or out of the many annual tournaments held by Rai Jin.

"I'm considered a Natural Rai Jin. I can use a higher percentage of my brain than the average human man." Davion said simply. From his tone, he clearly did not think much of his power. Lenora understood that feeling.

Most Rai Jin live their lives disappointed that they wound up with little more than Natural Rai Jin Gifts. Slightly enhanced physical strength or intelligence. When confronted with the likes of herself or their leader, Kamarion, their power seemed far less impressive.

"Somehow you made it to a seat on the High Council with a Natural Gift." Lenora felt compelled to console the man. Though they hadn't spoken much in the years they had known of each other, Lenora had seen for herself that Davion had earned his place among their ranks. "Personally, I've always been more impressed with how Rai Jin use their abilities than what their abilities are. You should be proud that you are using your gift to benefit our people."

Davion chuckled. "It seems you don't need your sister's power to affect emotions."

Lenora smiled, and sighed in relief, as her words had the desired effect on her ally in arms.

"Lenora," Davion began. "Since you're here, I'd like to ask for your advice."

"What do you want to know?" Lenora found herself happy to help the newly appointed Master if the Argotian Branch. Anything to stay out of that room.

"Well for starters, I have yet to-" Davion stopped short of finishing his inquiry. Behind him suddenly appeared a small girl, kneeling down, facing Davion. It was a few moments before anyone spoke once they had acknowledged her presence. Lenora did not know the girl, but Davion seemed relaxed, so Lenora assumed the girl was not hostile towards them.

"You are Kamarion's second in command." Davion said aloud. The girl nodded her confirmation. Lenora had never before this moment seen Kamarion's second in command for herself as she rarely ever accompanied him to Council meetings. When Kamarion was asked why his second never attended, he told them she called the meetings 'boring'.

Despite her age and the circumstances under which she was made Rai Jin, she had proven herself powerful, at least as far as Lenora had been told. Seeing her for herself, Lenora was not sure what this girl could possibly do to harm anyone. She was in appearance little more than thirteen years of age, dressed in sandals and a corset drawn dress embroidered with flowers. In her light brown hair were three flowers, red, white, and yellow.

She seemed as harmless as any child would. Still, Kamarion wouldn't instate just anyone into his circle. There were even rumors that was constantly sent out alone to deal with Rogue Rai Jin on her own, never once failing to retrieve one. The extent of the girl's abilities were largely unknown to even the highest and most influential of Rai Jin.

"Kamarion has called for the Council to convene at Rai Jin Hall."

Lenora and Davion shared a concerned look.

"Why would he send his second to find us?"

"I was sent to find everyone. You two are the last to receive the summons." Kamarion's second responded.

Such a low level task in her position? Lenora found this, which might seem small to another, to be strange. Out of character, even, for the Master of the High Council's Faction.

"I was also told to stress that this meeting is of urgent importance." The girl continued, stopping Lenora mid thought.

"Thank you, Terra." Davion said. Lenora knew that this was her Rai Jin name upon hearing it aloud. Still, she knew it was not enough to dictate her abilities.

Though if I had to guess, I'd say she was an elementalist.

Terra nodded her head, than as quickly and quietly as she had appeared, she disappeared before their eyes, showing no directional movement whatsoever.

"A teleporter named Terra?" Lenora was truly puzzled. Both she and Davion had forgotten about the advice he had asked her for. Together they began to walk towards Rai Jin Hall to attend Kamarion's urgent meeting.

"No, Terra is…" Davion paused as he searched for a way to explain her abilities. Coming up short, he simply finished. "More among the likes of Ayamon and Kamarion than even you."

"That little girl? Did she take the trial? Or was she reborn from a nest?" Lenora asked with some excitement.

"She was reborn from a Nest," Davion answered. "The same one you and Benjamin were reborn from actually. Kamarion found her in Marris after the rest of her family were rejected by the Gift."

"That was over eighty years ago!" Lenora shouted. By this time they were nearly at their destination. "How old was she?"

"She was an infant. Kamarion raised her as his own. She ages slower than the average Rai Jin without the Gift of Life. She'll probably live to see five or six hundred years."

"I see." Lenora's face cracked into a smile. Before long she was suddenly doubled over with laughter.

"Did I miss the joke?" Davion asked her, not privy to her thoughts.

Lenora stood straight and wiped a stray tear from her eye. She fought her laughter and after catching her breath asked Davion, "Can you actually imagine that clumsy idiot handling a child without laughing?

Davion's head tilted to the sky as Lenora's words sent the image into his brain. As sudden as her own outburst, Davion was crying with laughter.

"How did she survive!?" Davion joked.

"Her very existence is a miracle." Lenora cackled back.

As they came to the great doors of Rai Jin Hall, they fought to catch their breath as the image of their leader, who in normal circumstances was a joy to watch, raising a child dematerialized into thoughts of what would news would come next once the entered.

"After you," Davion opened the door for Lenora, and gestured her inside.

Lenora and Davion followed the flame lit path as the door shut behind them to council room. All members save Ayamon were present. Each of them had their seconds and district leaders with them as well. Next to Lenora's seat, Alanna sat, slouched and clearly unhappy that she had been awoken from her sleep for this gathering. Behind her were the district leaders of Hubang.

"Ah, good." Kamarion spoke from the head of the table, opposite the door. "Everyone is here."

"Great," an irritated voice rang out. "Now, why exactly couldn't this wait until daybreak?"

The voive belonged to Solomun, The Stone. Lenora rarely heard him speak or contribute to Council meetings, but she knew he was an ill-tempered man.

"If you would rather sleep, perhaps someone who might be a bit more diligent should be appointed to take your place as master of your Branch." Alanna, always the instigator of trouble, retorted to him. Her face said she'd rather be in bed as well, but Lenora knew she would never use fatigue as means to excuse herself from an urgent meeting called by Kamarion.

"Why don't you fuck off?" Erik, Master of the Independent Branch, Eagle's Eye, defended Solomun. "Your snide comments aren't needed every time someone speaks."

"You think anyone here gives a shit what you think, asshole?" Alanna jumped from her seat. Erik quickly followed suit. Erik was, as Lenora remembered, a Natural Rai Jin. Upon his rebirth his hand-eye coordination was exponentially increased while his physical strength increased only slightly. Still, he had turned these simple abilities into a deadly weapon after he threw his first knife.

When Erik reached behind his back for his blade, Alanna prepared herself. Lenora prepared, in response to her twin sister, to step in. Erik was deadly, sure, but Lenora knew what Alanna was capable of in a one on one battle. She trained with her, taught her and learned from her. Even with her non-physical ability, she was truly a terrifying entity in a fight.

Before either of them could make their move, there was a loud bang and the room was suddenly bright and hot as a midsummer day. Kamarion was literally blazing with fury. A burning inferno wrapped around his shoulders down to his fists, which were balled up and burning a deep scorch mark into the wooden table. His short jet black hair now looked like flame had made its nest on his head, and around the room, the flames that usually kept the room dimly lit whilst he was there, burned so high they occasionally licked the ceiling.

"Both of you," he said. His voice was leveled, seemingly calm. This scared Lenora more than it might've had he decided to shout. "Sit. Down."

Erik and Alanna took their seats, both aware that Kamarion was not one to anger past a certain point. The flames surrounding the room and Kamarion slowly dissipated, as Kamarion calmed himself. Once the fires were completely gone, and the flames above their heads keeping the room lit returned to their usual size, Kamarion sat down and calmly addressed the room.

"To answer Solomun's question," he began, "There is a matter of precedence that needs attending. And, it needs to be attended immediately."

"What is it?" Davion asked him.

"The situation overseas has escalated to a point where we can no longer sit idly by and wait for The Emperor or Nova to make their decisions." Kamarion answered him.

From behind him stepped forward a young man, appearing to be in his twenties, a bearded face, and a tailored suit, with cropped black hair.

"This is the Second in Command of the Maiden Branch, Liam." Kamarion introduced the man.

"Master Grace, regrets that she could not be here herself. The situation within the Ku Yong Empire has grown out of her control, and she is doing everything in her power to contain it."

"Well? Get on with it." Solomun grumbled impatiently.

"Over the course of the last week, the Ku Yong empire has either imprisoned or enslaved nearly four thousand New Generation Rai Jin." Liam started, seemingly rattled. "And they appear to have access to a large supply of Superium."

The first half of what the man said was news to no one present. The Council had been deliberating their course of action for so long that Lenora had begun to think a tedious process that would never end. The remainder of his words however, sent a collective gasp for breath across the room.

"How large?"

"Where did they find it?"

"They know what Superium does?"

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit."

The room erupted into hysterics.

The metal that doesn't shine.. Lenora thought, rather than say anything aloud.

"QUIET!" Kamarion was in no mood for the usual style in which the Council would discuss issues of this magnitude.

"Liam has more to say. We will speak once he is finished."

Nervously reclaiming the floor, Liam continued. "Thank you, Master Kamarion. From what we have gathered, the Ku Yongi had made a pact with Boralis."

His words were met with hums of understanding.

"The Boralisian," he continued, "Have a Superium mine, one they found during the Territory Dispute, that to this day has remained active. The Ku Yongi are forging weapons, armor, and prison cells with the Superium they're getting from Boralis, and giving them a share of the products."

No one spoke for some time. Every breath and movement could be heard. There were many ways to interpret the information given to them. Lenora watched the thoughts race across each face in the room, until finally, they drew to their conclusions.

Everyone here is thinking the same thing. I know it.

"It almost sounds like they're preparing for war." Ervey confirmed what she believed.

"The combined force of Ku Yong and Boralis with weaponized Superium." Sauna concerned words weighed heavy upon the room, feeling almost tangible.

"Would they be foolish enough to come to our doorstep in search of conflict?" Erik was not as convinced as the remainder of the Council. "I'm sure Emperor Wales and The Five know that a war between our races would have apocalyptic consequences."

"Perhaps," Davion said. "But records of the extent of our abilities were erased with the memory of our people. Its likely that though the governments of these nations know we exist, they do not know exactly what we are capable of. They have probably written stories like Emzy and Itos off as exaggeration or fiction."

"You're saying they think our power is limited to their own concepts of power." Kaiya chimed her way into the conversation.

"Yes. I believe it so." A short wave of silence passed over the room as Davion's theory was considered. Lenora thought about its implications.

It would make sense. At the level of science man has achieved, it's easy to see why they might not believe that Rai Jin in the higher classes are real. I would probably think they were just ordinary people, using knowledge to fool the masses. Even my ability is a bit unbelievable.

"If they believe our abilities fictitious," Solomun growled, "that is no one's fault but their own."

"So, what then?" Alanna started again with Solomun. "We fight a war against man?"

Her question was obviously rhetorical. Even with Superium weapons the Council in its entirety was under the same impression. Man would stand no chance in war. The power gap between Rai Jin and man was enormous, and any battle between the two races would result in genocide.

Still, Solomun was not swayed in his opinion.

"Would you rather we continue to allow man to imprison and enslave our kind?" Solomun retorted angrily.

"You're an idiot if you believe there isn't a diplomatic solution available to us." Alanna was quick in her response.

"Yeah?" Erik again jumped to Solomun's aid. "What is this 'diplomatic solution' you believe we have?"

Every eye in the room turned towards Lenora's twin sister, and all were surprised when, for the first time in decades, she had run out of words. Alanna stumbled as she was put into the spotlight and came up short of a proper response.

"Nothing smart to say?" Erik gloated. The satisfied grin on his face told Lenora he felt some sort of accomplishment in embarrassing her sister.

"Actually, Erik," Alanna annoyed her, but she was Lenora's sister. She wouldn't just sit there and let Erik, who she always thought was an asshole anyway, continue to approach her sister the way he had been. "If you'll shut the hell up for thirty seconds," she continued, "you might notice everyone here has been patiently waiting for you to finish confirming for us all that you are still an immature boy who's upset that my sister broke his little heart."

Erik choked up at the mention of the short relationship Alanna once had with him.

"The rest of us here are more concerned with the present state of Caust and the Society we've built as a people."

Erik opened his mouth as if he wanted to argue, but took a look around the room and noticed the many smirks and stifled laughs, and silently took his seat. Dramatically crossing his arms.

"Well then." Kamarion said, fighting to hide the smile that even he grew while Lenora spoke. "I believe Lenora is right. We do not want war. The world would suffer for it."

"You want to send someone else to prison?" Solomun harshly suggested.

"I wont be sending anyone anywhere." Kamarion responded calmly.

"Are you asking for a volunteer?" Kaiya asked, her tone measured.

"No. I will be going to meet with the leaders of Ku Yong and Boralis myself." Kamarion said. His words were greeted with a storm of confusion.

"You can't!!"

"What?!"

"You're not serious!?"

Kamarion stood and the room instantly became quiet.

"I will not be going alone. Terra will accompany me, along with two Council members and their seconds." Kamarion dictated. "If the situation should turn hostile, we will respond as such."

"I would like to volunteer as your escort." Lenora said. There were an abundance of reasons for her to want to volunteer herself. Besides her desire to get away from her twin, protecting Kamarion was in her mind of the utmost importance.

If they really have weaponized Superium, Kamarion will need powerful Rai Jin at his side should they decide to fight.

"I would gladly have you, Lenora." Kamarion accepted her.

"It may be hard to believe," Ervey spoke up, "But, my small Branch and I would be perfect for this kind of assignment."

Ervey's Branch was extremely small, with a total of eight members, four of which were present at the meeting. Each present member of Midnight Star seemed ecstatic that their leader had prompted to follow Kamarion.

"If you'll have us, that is." Every finished.

"Of course." Kamarion nodded. "The rest of you. Return to your cities and duties. There are still many new generation Rai Jin who need a home, and a place to understand what they have become."

The High Council stood together.

"Our only mission is to protect and preserve the lives of our people." Kamarion's dismissal was not his usual. "This is not a normal Nesting. We can not act as if it were. This is a crisis. There is no time left for deliberations. Let us act."

"Yes, sir." The unanimous response rang out through the air. Still Lenora could help but not feel some were halfhearted.