Status Quo
Chapter Seven: The Pursuit of Knowledge
by Kyence

Disclaimer: All Voltron characters are property of World Events Productions.

‘’ denotes character thoughts.
 

Lotor sat with his father, regarding the distant starts with mild scrutiny. He could hear the aliens about him conversing, but could not discern a word of it. He was breathing in a miasma of jargon, and it was making him anxious in his ignorance of its meaning. The words could be concerning him, and he was none the wiser for it. This inability to determine who his enemies were was novel to him, and a feature he did not want to fester inside him long. He was not sure how to overcome it alone, when even the ship protecting him from the vacuum of space was foreign to him. He was loath to directly ask for help, but knew that part of the reason he was here now was due to the same person capable of aiding him. Of course, he was not foolish enough to ask aloud.

He fixed his eyes toward towards his father. An odd sensation swept through his muscles. It was restraining, like an icy rope melting into his cells, freezing again as it split him in two. A part of him felt like it was isolated and lost.

'I sound like I am crazy, ' Lotor thought to himself. He shook his head to feel something, anything, besides that dreadful prison.

Zarkon raised an eyebrow, as he had been watching his son the entire time. "Is something bothering you, my son?"

Lotor ceased the action and met his father's stare. "Nothing I can not handle." 'I know better than to admit weakness, ' Lotor prided to himself. "Have you really been looking at me this whole time, father?"

Zarkon nodded. "I have, yes. I have been thinking of how to tell you the news."

"News? What news?" Lotor wondered. His back straightened with apprehension.

"Anybody on Dhm you haven't seen in a while, that you're related to…ring a bell?"

Lotor was slightly taken aback by the tone. ' I didn't deserve that derision. He could've just said the Triplets, and that would've been enough. What is his problem, anyway? Does he have to treat me like a worthless dreg?! ' As his mind began to cloud with anger, he felt the icy chill blow through him again and wholly calm his stormy temper into oblivion.

"They're alive? Ha ha, of course they are," Lotor said with a sincere smile as he clapped his hands together. "Those three pranksters could withstand an army of Voltrons!" He laughed for a moment, the happiness seeping to his very core, the emotion not from any spell. He stopped chuckling when he heard the same celebration from his father. It caught him off-guard. He could recall the usual caustic laugh of malevolence, but this light-hearted, paternal one ironically terrified him more. "How did you find out?"

Zarkon stopped the sound as he assumed a nonchalant pose of arrogance. "Shai relayed the news to me after an old friend of mine paid them a visit."

"You mean Hagar?" Lotor placed his chin on his hand, leaning in closer as the information became juicier to him with each new fact.

"Well, Hagar IS with them," Zarkon replied, "but that's not the old friend. Reyk's even before her time, Lotor."

"Reyk?" Lotor had a befuddled look as his mouth dropped in a pout. "Who is that? And how does Shai know all this?"

"Well, I had her contact Reyk to check up on them, and on Dhm…" Zarkon focused his eyes in the celestial direction of the Denubian Galaxy.

Lotor fell silent as his father pondered. Various personnel chattered amongst themselves and walked in sundry directions, diffusing their noise into the eerie vacuum between these two. Lotor rested his chin on his hand, his eyes dulling as he drifted into a reverie. There was someone waiting for him on Arus.

Allura.

'My precious, gorgeous, perfect Allura, ' he imagined the object of his affection in his mind. It had been months, yet he could still remember every lovely cell of her. The feminine scent of her hair that cascaded down her shoulders like sensual drops of honey and draped her perfect face reached his nostrils from the memory alone. He inhaled slowly as he thought of her sapphire gems for eyes, lips the hue of a rose in full bloom. He sighed dreamily as the image of the ethereal Princess of Arus danced for him.

"They're adults now," Zarkon broke the silence with the statement.

"Wha…who?" Lotor asked, momentarily stunned. His pale eyebrows lifted as he raised his head off its resting place.

Zarkon stared at his son harshly.

"The Triplets. We were talking about them? They've completed the pupal stage, and are completely matured." Zarkon's mouth curled into a sarcastic sneer. "But I doubt they were the ones you were daydreaming about."

Lotor's cheeks flushed a maroon shade.

Zarkon snickered. "I thought so. Well, if all goes well, you'll finally have Allura to do with as you wish," he decided with a softer tone.

Lotor swallowed hard, and nodded. His eyes then flickered with delayed comprehension. "Did you say the Triplets are grown up?!"

"Yes," Zarkon answered. He maintained his composure, despite the desire to slap the bewitched Lotor upside the head.

"Wow," Lotor whispered in awe. He ran his fingers through his long, white hair, pulling his roots back so that he felt the stretching of his skin. His eyelids were caricatured by the manipulation as he looked to the ceiling.

"But, but…they are not pure Dhmk…" he stammered.

"Guess that means Dhmk genes are dominant…huh, I bet the Drules would be thrilled to learn that," Zarkon snickered sardonically.

Lotor whistled. "Whew, I…I can't believe it. I mean, it's just…oh, geez, wow…they're adults now…they must've been terrified when they came out of their cocoons!" He tried to imagine the three youngsters as mature Dhmk. The intelligent Yudishthira, the odd yet playful Arjuna, and the cuddling Karna were so small and young the last time he saw them; how do they look, how do they act now? A million possibilities flooded his brain. He then wondered how his late sister would feel about her children being abandoned in such a morbid world.

'For Nti, I must find them, ' Lotor thought. He could recall his gentle, yet steadfast half-sister with lucidity. She had been born decades after him, yet grew to womanhood while he had still suffered through puberty. ' I can still remember how I used to sleep beside her cocoon so she wouldn't be lonely or frightened inside, ' he reminisced. ' In turn, she was always there to give me a comforting hug when I needed one. And now her children need solace. My nephews need protection. I will care for them, ' Lotor vowed, his heart beating faster in agreement with his mind, a rare incidence of common purpose. He physically nodded at his resolution.

Zarkon arched an eyebrow. "Yes?" he prodded.

"Hmm?" Lotor mumbled, jostled from his brooding.

"You nodded," Zarkon said as he pointed at his son for effect.

"I was just thinking about Nti, and how she would want the family back together."

"Ah, indeed," Zarkon agreed. His eyes cast a forlorn expression as he thought of his dead daughter.

Lotor could not bear the look; it bothered him to see his stoic father so glum. He averted his focus to the top of his father's head. The beige covering seemed an intuitive topic worth discussing.

"What's with that?" Lotor queried as he gestured to it. Zarkon followed with his eyes, which poked the tops of his lids.

"I always like to keep my head covered," Zarkon lied, not wanting to admit it was because he had hair again.

"It does get drafty up there, doesn't it?" Lotor joked heartily.

Zarkon closed his eyes and chuckled forcefully. ' I'll give the boy the benefit of the doubt this time and figure it is in fact a joke and not an insult. He is under Shai's spell, so the latter is impossible, right? ' he convinced his skeptical self.

Lotor continued to survey the new look. The Prince had been outfitted as well, but the flowing garments were cumbersome to him, so he had demanded his old clothes be returned to him, cleaned and mended. He had forsaken his royal uniform months ago to avoid conspicuous eyes, wearing a simple yet stylish black pants and shirt ensemble. The only material mementos he had to remind him of the past were his gloves and his laser sword. He was thankful that his father gave him back his sword after his nurse, which he now knew was named Jepaya, confiscated it. Naturally, he pretended to not be overjoyed. It would seem his father spared nothing from his previous incarnation as King of Dhm except for Lotor.

"You look very formidable," Lotor complimented his father. Upon realizing that he may anger Zarkon into thinking Lotor had seen him as an old curmudgeon in the past, he added, "I mean, you always did, but the new threads…" Lotor clicked his tongue as he gave thumbs up with a puckish wink, "…are very sharp."

"Why thank you," Zarkon accepted the input. ' How I've longed for such rapport! ' he noted. "Shai was kind enough to provide these garments for me," he explained.

The mention of Shai sent shivers down the Prince's spine. It chilled him with some unfathomable power. "Who is Shai? And what are they?" he ventured with a sweep of his hand.

"They are Apodians," Zarkon divulged. "They are a distant race, in a galaxy far from the Denubian. There are two subspecies within Apodians: the Sapientydos, which are these fellows, and the Arydicans. A perpetual civil war has been going on between these factions for quite a while now. But both can modify their bodies in ways that would make a geneticist drool," he quipped. "Arydicans are basically snakes with arms that can elongate and create more appendages at will, while Sapientydans can create complex biological compounds and organic weapons and armor."

Lotor was flabbergasted, and his stupefied appearance failed to conceal it. "So, that's how those guards could do that spike thing?" he alluded.

Zarkon nodded.

"But, wait, Shai doesn't look anything like them," Lotor countered. "She looks more like a catwoman than anything else."

"She's a hybrid, like me," Zarkon provided. "What do you think of her?" he asked honestly.

"Well…uh…" Lotor stuttered as he felt the coldness pierce him again. ' Something deep inside…it does not want me to like her. But…why? I feel a hold on me…strangling me…but what? What is it? ' he battled the conflict enraging his consciousness. ' But I must say something, ' he acknowledged. "If she is helping us, then I can not think poorly of her," he chose to say.

"How eloquent of you," Zarkon observed, not convinced. "But, no woman save Allura will ever excel in your eyes," he commented.

"Of course not! Allura is perfect!" Lotor proclaimed.

Zarkon sat back. "What is it about that girl that has you fawning time and time again?!" he demanded with exasperation. He raised his right palm to the sky, looking to the rhetorical heavens above for an answer.

Lotor himself tried to justify his feelings for her, but he could not find one word powerful nor worthy enough for the task. Thus, he simply shrugged his shoulders.

Zarkon rubbed his temples, determined to rectify this constant fluctuation of indecision and clarity within his only son. "Perhaps these recent months have clouded your mind. You should always be able to explain you actions, Lotor," he advised. "That way you can twist the words to confuse your enemies." He returned to his pensive state. "Have you noticed the gravity on this ship?" he began.

"It's stronger than I'm accustomed to," Lotor replied with another shrug. "But it's not inhibiting; I can still maneuver well."

"Those who lack dominant Apodian genes would be crushed," Zarkon revealed.

"So…I…you…," Lotor deduced.

Zarkon gestured to be quiet, placing a finger over his own lips. Lotor was perplexed, not understanding the need to hide a reaction, but he obliged anyway. 'If that's the case, then these Sapientydan lizards know, don't they? Maybe he doesn't want me to say anything once we reach the Denubian, ' Lotor tried to comprehend the significance of what he had learned.

"We have approximately a fortnight before we reach Dhm. I think this grants you a wonderful opportunity to train yourself. Don't you agree?" Zarkon proposed. He lowered his head so that his mouth was hidden behind his entwined fingers. With his arms propped up at the elbows, his semblance made the offer more enticing and interesting than the idea of training alone.

"If I can increase my speed and strengthen myself in this gravity, I will be even faster and stronger in the Denubian than I already am," Lotor said, visibly excited at the prospect of improving his prowess.

"I knew you would feel that way," Zarkon said, his sly grin hidden behind his hands.

"Lotor, please report to the armory," Shai's voice boomed in Standard English over the vocal system. The Sapientydans throughout the ship looked at each other, confused by the incoherent announcement.

"Come, I'll show you a shortcut," Zarkon ordered as he lifted himself from his seat. He had no trouble with the gravity now, standing up with ease. Lotor rose as well, allowing his father to lead the way. Some Sapientydans saw them leave, and surmised the announcement was for the duo. They wasted no time in discussing what possibly was said in the alien language to prompt Shai's Wayward and his son to leave the room.

"Are they in trouble?"

"Where are they going?"

"Why wasn't it said in our tongue?"

"Our leader is probably just accommodating them."

Zarkon kept his face plain as the various questions reached his ears. His mouth was a straight line, but inside he was laughing hysterically at their cluelessness.

Jepaya scrunched over the parchment, deep in thought. The muscles adorning her eyelids twitched sporadically as her eyes studied the scribbles with impenetrable focus. An archaic writing stick in her left hand tapped a rhythm on the desk as her gaze danced about the page before her. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and threw the pen in disgust. She massaged her temples as she turned away from the primer, resisting the urge to rip it apart.

'Patience, Jepaya, patience, ' she calmed herself. ' In order to beat him at his own game, you must know what he says. ' Her hand traveled from her temple to stroke her horn as she brooded. She faced the primer again, and unsure look on her face. She leaned her chin on the book, slumping her body in the exhausted manner of a student who had spent the night studying instead of sleeping. She looked at the print, written in HIS handwriting no less, which seemed less daunting with her in this position. She lifted her face with a curious desire in her eyes. She shrugged her shoulders as she licked her lips.

"Th…the do…dawoog baaks…l…laoodlee…" she recited again. She squeezed her eyes shut as she forced the difficult syllables out of her mouth. She opened her eyes with some surprise. ' Did I finally get it right? '

"This would be so much easier if I could hear how these are supposed to sound," she growled. "This crude language can not be expressed phonetically with the Sapientydan's sophisticated beauty and letters."

"Perhaps I may be of assistance then?" Shai made her presence known as she stepped away from the wall. Her body mimicked the wall patterns on her skin. It soon returned to its normal blue fur as she approached Jepaya.

"Gr…Great Meteriarch!" Jepaya addressed, clearly startled. She spun forward to stand straight in a pose of respect, knocking her lesson onto the floor. It fell quickly with a heavy thud. She cringed at the inevitability of her motive being discovered.

"Hmm," Shai mused as she used her powers to levitate the book and float it to her. It undulated in a seductive manner; teasing Jepaya with the anticipation of the humiliation it would cause her. It settled easily into Shai's waiting palms. She appeared to study the contents as her cerulean irises jiggled. She looked up at Jepaya, and smiled. She concluded, "Yes, Jepaya, 'the dog barks loudly.'" She stated the sentence in English.

"I…I did get it right, then?" Jepaya realized, consumed with awe and satisfaction.

"You never seemed interested in learning such an esoteric dialect before," Shai continued in Sapientydan. She sat in Jepaya's empty chair beside the desk and assumed an investigative pose. "It would not have anything to do with Zarkon being back now, would it?"

Jepaya closed her eyes, and nodded slightly.

"Why do you distrust him so?" Shai wondered. Her voice was soft, bereft of harsh tone or insinuation. The question rivaled a mother's gentle crooning in its genuine softness. "I would rather have you tell me than I tell you…" she hinted that a mind spell was imminent if Jepaya did not verbally discuss this.

Jepaya took a moment to organize her thoughts as they rattled within her brain, battling for dominance. She knew she could not escape this situation without looking like a coward and someone needing to hide something. That meant treason. Treason meant execution. Though she was sure Shai would never come to such a conclusion, the prospect of Zarkon's influencing her could change that. ' If I must condemn myself in order to save you, Great Meteriarch Shai, then I shall, ' Jepaya thought.

"After all this time, after he ran away like a traitor, after doing nothing for you, you help him the moment he crawls back and demands retribution for his own damaged ego...AGAIN..." she stressed as the words tumbled out in a frenzy, bathing its subject in rage.

"You two have never gotten along," Shai conceded. "I still remember that time he nearly electrocuted you," she added sadly as her eyelids drooped from the heavy reminiscence. "I had always thought the foundation of that was a form of sibling rivalry between you two."

Jepaya's stomach rumbled as she felt her bile rising in her gut. She placed her hand on her belly to calm it, baring her teeth as she stared at the floor. "Siblings?" she managed to utter.

"I took you both into my family, so to the Apodian world, you are both Sayenne," Shai crossed her arms as she waited for Jepaya's reaction.

"He...he is not one of us, Great Meteriarch. I know it. I...I feel it," she replied, her fists clenching at her sides. "I know you say he is, but...something about him...just isn't...right...And I'm not even commenting on the soulless, sociopathic, iconoclastic, revolting sides of his personality," her voice spat in a roar.

Shai looked neither moved nor offended. "I did not let him kill you. Does that not reveal your worth to me?" Shai asked plainly.

The guard's eyes softened.

"Besides, other than that one time, Zarkon has never done anything ill towards you. This is a rare thing for him to do, believe me. In fact, he toys with you because he has endeared you to him," Shai elaborated.

Jepaya looked at her beloved leader. "He toys with me because I am nothing more than an old woman in his society, and I have done nothing to prove otherwise."

"First off, you are not old. Elder than him, yes, but old? Decrepit? I think not, Jepaya," Shai admonished as she shook her index finger in time with her head. "However, it pains me that you have subjected yourself to such vengeful torture. Why?"

Jepaya was honest. "You spared me from a life worse than death," was her candid reply, complemented by her noble profile as she turned her visage to the side, "years before you discovered him." She closed her eyes as she continued with her reasoning. I am your warrior, your sentry. It is my duty to protect you from any harm. I will do nothing less for you until my body exhales its final breath. "

Shai's face held no expression. "You think Zarkon will harm me, is that it? You feel that somehow he has manipulated me into misplacing my judgment? That I am not in control of the situation at hand?" Her voice deepened as the accusations continued, rising angrily at the very end, though the body they emerged from was devoid of emotion.

"Forgive me, Great Meteriarch, " Jepaya said as she lowered her golden head. Her frilled skin beneath her neck deflated and folded down in a gesture of absolute supplication. Her horns flickered the rays of the room's light from their sharp points. "I mean no disrespect."

Shai rested her left cheek on her hand, as her demeanor did not change. Her eyes were expressive; her slit pupils dilated as the lids lowered themselves slightly. Her right eyebrow lifted at the terminus of its perfect arch as she thought to herself.

"Of course you don't, Jepaya. You have not acted on your violent desires yet." Shai crooked a small smile with her indigo lips. "In fact, it only further proves your loyalty and dedication to me."

Jepaya's face shot up, a look of surprise and bewildered sketched across it.

Shai lowered her hand, positioning herself straight in the chair. She could hear Jepaya's mind rattling in confusion and fear.

"Rest assured, you are not to be punished. Quite the contrary is in order, I believe..." she raised herself up from her seat, her shape rippling and shrinking. As her small size diminished further, her azure fur grew longer and smoother. Her horns seemed to retract into her skull, which was flattening on the top as a snout emerged from her visage. The feline eyes now belonged to a feline body, with the opposable thumbs of the ancient Felinis strain. Jepaya had seen this event countless times, and due to respect and routine, did not show any response nor think about it.

Shai slinked towards Jepaya, her strides graceful and predatory.

"As I stated before, Zarkon thinks more highly of you than his words or actions suggest. I will not bore you with the psychological implications. Nevertheless, Zarkon feels that his son should take some time to train before we reach our destination. He stressed that no mercy be taken." She walked about her Jepaya's legs, rubbing her fur against the scales. "He could not think of a better trainer, nor can I. Thus, this is what I shall assign you with until the battle begins. You can vent your anger at Zarkon in this vicarious, cathartic manner without reprisal."

Jepaya smiled, pleased that she was still in her Great Meteriarch's favor. "I do not deserve your generosity. As always, I am honored to do as you command."

Shai reverted to her halfling form. The transition was smooth, like soft clay on a lathe, sculpted with a god's precision.

"When shall I begin training the fi...son of Zarkon?" Jepaya asked, biting her tongue on the word 'fishmonkey.'

Shai placed her hands on her lips, a scowl twisting her sensual face as she detected the original word.

Jepaya sucked her breath in, preparing to shift her skin to a more defensive form.

Shai's lips twitched. She then closed her eyes. Her shoulders began to quiver as she threw her head back. Her laughter was low and voluptuous, growing into a roaring guffaw. Her arm moved forward to amicably slap Jepaya's shoulder.

It became a blue Sapientydan arm. Its claws did not pierce the guard's skin, but the pinch was certainly felt, as Jepaya winced at the connotation. She forced her eyes to meet Shai in the form of a pure Sapientydan. There was not a hint of fur, though the scales glinted a metallic sapphire. Shai's teeth were pure white fangs, which were bared.

"Y...yes, Great Me...meteriarch?" Jepaya thrust from her throat.

"If you can not beat the hubris out of someone, you can always scare it out of them," Shai promptly removed her arm from Jepaya's shoulder and turned around. "A lesson once learned is easier to teach. Let empathy be your weapon, not your fallacy."

Jepaya nodded. "Your words and actions are always wise, Great Meteriarch."

"Your assignment begins now. Enjoy it. Savor it as long as you wish. You have plenty of time to train the boy. Just make sure he's able to fight by the time we approach the Denubian."

"You will be safe?"

Shai turned her shoulders enough so that her profile could focus a single eye on the questioner.

"There is no one insipid enough to threaten my safety aboard this ship, Jepaya. Now go."

Jepaya bowed before leaving Shai's quarters. Once the doors slid behind her as she exited, and the guards thrust their spikes out again, her face sported an enthusiastic glow.

"I take it things went well," the spiked guard flanking the left of the doorway surmised.

"Hah, very well." Her tail swirled about her as she twisted to face her. She cracked her knuckles with audible snaps. "I've been given full permission to beat the liver out of that incorrigible fishmonkey...as long as I don't kill the simpleton."

"Sounds like fun. Once my shift ends, I would like to see it. It would put to rest all those...rumors about that bruise on your face."

Jepaya unconsciously stroked the discolored part of her jaw.

'Let empathy be your weapon, huh, ' she recalled. ' That male-child has humiliated me before my peers; by doing so in turn I will regain their respect and my dignity. In doing so, even Zarkon will feel the sting of my fist in his offspring's face. '

"I couldn't agree more," she concurred. "But, I am not a braggart. However, if word spreads by mouth of others, well...that's a different matter altogether, isn't it?"

The guard grinned in comprehension. Jepaya nodded, and headed straight for the armory. As she marched, she heard Shai's authoritative voice on the overhead vocal system. Jepaya nearly laughed out loud as she heard the son of Zarkon being commanded to report to the armory. It took all of her self-restraint to keep from whooping and hollering along the way.

"Feesh…munkee…" she snickered aloud, repeating it a couple of times before grunting in approval.

'I may only know four words the boy can register, but these two are sure to have the desired effect. ' A fleeting moment of disappointment slowed her gait as she recalled she was ordered to not mortally wound Lotor. It was transient, for her eyes lit up at what defeating him would do. ' There is nothing more fun to watch or do than forcing someone to live with humiliation and shame. Zarkon, you taught me this; now allow me to teach you with the aid of your son… '

"Jepaya, if you wanted to learn how to curse at me in English, you should've just asked."

Jepaya adeptly turned around to snarl at a sneering Zarkon. He tapped the primer on an imaginary barrier in the air as he winked at her. "Here's one: 'You are God.' Now you try," he joked as he offered an English phrase. She leered at him, gave a defeated sigh, and walked away.

"Give my Lotor a healthy does of humility, and I will gladly enlighten you on the Intergalactic language of Humans and Drules," Zarkon seriously proposed, his thick voice in its usual grating sound waves that seemed to collide in his throat before they escaped his corporeal dominion.

"Don't do me any favors," Jepaya retorted as she refused to let him deter her from the armory.

Zarkon's eyes flashed violet with anger as he scowled. He snickered to himself. "I do you no favors, Jepaya. And I know WHY you want to learn…heh, trying to learn without my knowing so you'd catch me announcing aloud some diabolical scheme…you think so little of me," he deduced with a disappointed shake of his head. "Still not turning around?" he observed. "Still think I will harm Shai?" His eyes widened in anticipation.

'That's right. Stop and turn around, ' he mused. Jepaya's actions were as he thought.

"Will you?" Jepaya asked warily, her arms akimbo.

Zarkon imitated the gesture and challenged her gaze. "No," was his simple, concise statement.

Jepaya recoiled slightly as the muscles in her brow pulled on her features to display her surprise. "I actually believe you there, Zarkon. The first thing you've ever said that sounds genuine."

Zarkon's eyes narrowed. "Tell anyone, and you're dead," he threatened. His tone was nasty and intimidating.

Jepaya's body became alert instantly. Before she could respond further, Zarkon relented with a small laugh and a slap on her shoulder. "You are too predictable, Big Ol' Sis. I can never discern which is your stronger character: your loyalty to Shai or your paranoia of me."

Jepaya growled and opened her mouth to speak as she raised a fist. Her temper unleashed, she relished the moment when she'd finally feel his nose smash against her knuckles. Zarkon deftly caught her appendage in his hand.

"As I said, you are too predictable," he confirmed. "Be thankful that I enjoy your uncouth company," he added as he began to squeeze her hand. She cringed at the force. He released her hand just before millions of quills emerged from its skin by her will. He smirked knowingly at her, much to her chagrin.

"When you are ready to accept my offer, you know where I am. Until then, have fun imagining my son is me," he finished the conversation as he turned and departed in the opposite direction of the armory. Jepaya grumbled as she watched him leave.

'Someday, Zarkon…someday...' she promised.

'Hagar. Hagar. '

Bodiless, she was surrounded by darkness. An eerie mist hung stationary in the air. She did not feel its thickness as she breathed; it tasted fresh. This was not particularly comforting to her; she preferred a dank, mildew-laced odor to this. This was not an ambiance by her design.

'It's me, Hagar. '

From out of the mists, Shai emerged gracefully. The dense fog parted to grant her entrance.

"Shai, is that you?" Hagar asked in disbelief.

Shai nodded. 'Yes, it is I, Hagar. I have come to tell you we are coming. We will be with you soon.'

"We?" Hagar began.

'Zarkon and Lotor are with me. We will meet again, at Castle Dhm in a fortnight, so fare well until then, my spell-sister.' Shai reversed into from where she had emerged.

"Wait!" Hagar pleaded, but the mist closed around her. "Wait!"

"Wait!" Hagar yelled in her sleep. Karna jostled her lightly to awake her. She bolted up, a cold sweat coating her from head to toe. She looked up at her concerned protégé, who had been roused from his sleep in the next room by her cries.

"Is everything all right?" he whispered as he caressed her forehead. He had never seen her in such a state before. Although she was decades his elder, her semblance was that of a child woken from a nightmare.

Hagar nodded, her breathing slowing down. Her body did not handle astral visits well in this cursed, decrepit state. She knew she must look horrified, judging by the look on Karna's face. Had it been anyone else, she would have shot them out of her room with a thunderbolt, but Karna was different. He was the closest thing she would ever have to a son, and with his inherent abilities, she could not let such promise decay in a world where blood curses and technology had decimated the power of magic. "I was visited by a fellow sorceress. Karna, your grandfather and uncle are alive and well. They are going to be here soon," she revealed to him.

His eyes lit up at the revelation. He opened his mouth to verbally respond, but he could not speak.

"So, yes, Karna, soon everything will be all right."

Continued

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