
The world fell under an orange glow, and heat so intense that it had been nearly impossible to breath. Morrigan looked around, her eyes scanning her bleary surroundings as flecks of black fell around her like a dark blizzard.
She fell to her knees with a pained groan as her skin blistered, a wave of heat rolling over her. In confusion, she noticed her clothes did not burn, the clothes she knew she slept in were covered in a layer of ash as the black winter rained down upon her.
All around her was nothing but wasteland, anything that would have been; already burning to cinders. Vague silhouettes of distant buildings covered the horizon as scorched ground measured the expanse before her and looking up, the sky was set ablaze.
She called to her power to will her wings into existence however, her energy didn’t respond. She tried to call out as she pushed off the searing ground, stumbling as the wind scorched her healing flesh once more. No sound escaped her though, not that she could hear over the howling winds and roar of the flames from above.
Shelter was needed and with staggered steps, she moved along the wasteland as the winds threatened to boil the flesh from her bones. She called out once again hoping that someone, anyone, would be able to help her but each time she tried the violent world would drown her words in rage and fire.
What seemed like hours of wandering was abruptly halted by the sight of a door; the confusion of a random door in the middle of a wasteland, and glint of hope that would have been was buried underneath a mountain of agony as she stumbled towards it. Her fists landed hard against the reinforced metal as she fell into it, her pleading voice barely audible as she tried to find some way to open what she thought was a bomb shelter. There was no handle, no lock and what little hope she felt began to burn away.
There was a resounding shudder and the world fell silent, the roiling fire of the sky above and the blistering heat remaining as a persistent reminder of her agony as the door thrust into her nearly knocking her off her feet. She backed up, torn between caution and the desperate need to seek safety at the unrealistic events unfolding around her.
She watched as the door opened slowly, creaking on baked hinges to reveal a doorway into stark blackness. After a moment of waiting, she caught movement within the darkness, her eyes widened as something shambled and just beyond the threshold, something moved closer.
A figure of horror came into view. Shriveled, slewing skin that threatened to drip from bone like the wax of a candle stepped forward. Then another, and another…
They were people, she realized as she took a step back. The moment one of them stepped beyond the open door their skin ignited in fury, fire rolling over their skin like a flame to kindle. In that moment, the world burst into droning wails of pure agony, as if the world itself had felt the pain of scorched nerve endings and grew so loud that Morrigan fell to her knees.
She knew what it was as she covered her ears. It was the cry of a dying world. The pain in her skull threatened to outweigh her seared skin as she looked up to see the melting skin of those that began to surround her and knew there was nothing she could do.
As if upon that realization, the mass of charred hands and melted flesh reached for her.
◇◇◇
Morrigan’s eyes snapped open as she woke with a sharp breath. Sitting up, the cold air of her room turned to ice as the sweat that drenched her body was exposed. She rubbed her face with a long quiet sigh; nightmares of guilt haunted her sleep and made her question why she ever bothered. She didn’t need to sleep, the energy that surrounded her could easily sustain her and revitalize her body indefinitely, yet the soft snore that came from the other side of the bed quickly reminded her why.
She looked and a soft smile spread across her lips as Nora and Mo’Emori lay tightly wrapped within each other’s arms. She may not need sleep, but it was important to her marriage and relationship to share the bed with her wife and lover enough to keep them happy.
They were aware of her nightmares though, and her lack of need for sleep, so in the end she sacrificed two nights a week for them and if she were honest she enjoyed the warmth and love they shared during the night. If it wasn't for the persistent reminder of what she had done, she would still sleep regularly.
Another one, huh? Apollyon whispered in her head, as if it’s voice could be heard by those who were still asleep.
Morrigan let out another long sigh before reaching for her data-slate that sat on her end table. Turning the screen on, she lowered the brightness and began sorting through the myriad of messages she had.
“Yeah… I’m sure you saw it,” she finally replied in her head to ensure she didn’t disturb anyone.
Well, of course. I know we had this conversation a thousand times but you really need to let it go, you did what you had to do, Apollyon said. The deity’s tone was a mix of concern and annoyance though being unable to decipher which was the greater emotion, Morrigan rolled her eyes.
“I don't think that'll… oh, what's this…” she paused her thought as she eyed the responses from the families she had reached out to.
She smiled at seeing the first three sets of parents had accepted her offer to visit their home for the sake of her daughter, however she frowned when the last family declined citing they were too busy to participate.
“Well that’s bullshit,” she thought when she saw that the message, as cordial as it was, held a snide tone as if they didn’t believe her or resented the idea.
She let out another sigh, “Three out of the four should do…” she thought, worried that Naestra would still be upset about it.
She’ll be fine. What you’re doing is more than enough to show you care, Apollyon noted thoughtfully.
Morrigan shrugged in reluctance, knowing there wasn’t much else she could do that was within the confines of being polite, and hoped it would be enough, and got out of bed.
She stalked through the quiet mansion, her bare feet softly padding towards the stairs only to stop as she spotted Xol sitting on a extravagant bench nestled between her daughters’ rooms. Their guard sat with his arms crossed and his head tucked into his chest as if he were sleeping, his breathing slow and rhythmic enough to fool anyone that had intentions to sneak by, but Morrigan knew better.
As she reached the stairs, she watched as one of his eyes snap open in the direction of her subtle sound, his yellow eye focusing with a predatory gaze until he registered who it was that stood there. Inclining his head, he nodded to her respectfully before sitting upright with full attention.
Morrigan gave him a soft smile that was one part knowing, one part amusement and one part nostalgia. Ever since her daughters birth, Xol’s attention had shifted and since then, Morrigan had been free of her protective shadow. At first, she didn’t know how she felt about it, nor what to do with herself once she had free reign of her mobility but over time, she grew to miss his presence.
She shook her head with a smirk and descended down the stairs. Her girls may have stolen her guardian but she still had Skoll, and no matter how much the majestic beast loved Naestra and Arahan, Skoll was forever hers.
After she made coffee she moved down to her office and sat at her desk with a sigh. There had been papers and books scattered across her desk, missives, schematics, and multi-species legislation in disarray with her work-slate sitting on top of it all like a flat, electronic bow.
She sighed, “No rest for the wicked.”
Too right, Apollyon agreed with sinister amusement.
She took a sip of coffee before setting the mug down and switched her data-slate on. The first message she saw was a video recording sent by her aunt Jen; what played was of a party, a very Terran style birthday party with her niece, Emery, the focus of the recording. She listened as everyone who attended sang to her while Torvil tried to keep their newest child from attacking the cake.
Morrigan frowned. Jen and Torvil had a son, Tanith, and grew to the age of five but what was worse, Emery was no longer “Baby Emery”, but a teenager by Terran standards. Granted, at age 15 she still processed the world around her at a rate of an 11 year old, but that was neither her nor there. What upset her was that she had forgotten Emery’s birthday, and missed the chance to send a family recording for her to watch.
The video ended with everyone saying they missed “Auntie Mori” and wishing her well, and her heart stung as she set the device down. She took in the sight of her desk and frowned again. The mess was a physical representation of the weight on her shoulders, the responsibility to three species and a galaxy which sprang into prosperity.
If she were bold enough to admit it, she hated it. It wasn’t that she hated the peace she had brought, she was thankful her effort paid off but hated not having the freedom she once had as Lord Inquisitor. She roamed the stars, met new civilizations and the only thing that held a leash on her was a war she perpetrated. Now she was chained to a desk and most of her time was spent hammering out the rules for worlds she had never even seen before.
For a brief moment, she thought of Taylor and Stephanie. They may have seen those worlds and perhaps more. Disgusted with her, Taylor had made good on her promise of freedom. They waited for the birth of his daughters at Stephanie’s insistence, Nora’s silent sister equally excited at the idea of becoming an aunt and refusing to leave until she burned the image of the newborn girls in her mind. After that though, they left, offering to become explorers and survey reaches of the galaxy that had yet to be revealed. Their departure was bitter by most but Morrigan couldn’t decline. She knew Taylor didn’t want to leave his daughters but his resentment for her, for what she had done to Earth, was something he couldn’t overcome. Even his parents were disappointed with him but she couldn’t fault him; it had taken several years for her to come to terms with her decisions, almost. She sighed again with envy and sadness, thankful that neither girl ever questioned their father’s absence.
Her eyes settled on her work again; she wasn’t as busy as she used to be in the beginning and she knew her empire could run on its own, her hand having crafted the grounds for a near utopian galaxy with guidelines most could follow, but in the end the precedent had been established that she was the final decision; her word was law, and her station held her at the pinnacle of the balance that she couldn’t escape.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, Apollyon mused thoughtfully.
In that moment she felt the weight of exhaustion, her eyes heavy with the monotony of her life. She could stop and force her people to run with the way of life she created, but she knew she wouldn’t. Instead she nodded and let go of her selfish feelings.
She picked the device up once more and prepared to send the recording to Jen. She opened the personal channels she used for interplanetary communications and to her surprise the Eskarii Queen appeared to be awake. She paused and did the mental math to determine it had still been early on Escostia but not nearly as much as on the Void Star, and considered checking in with Myshkali first.
After a moments hesitation, she called the queen and was surprised with how fast she answered. Queen Myshkali’s image appeared on the screen and she was a radiant as she had always been. It was rare that anyone, let alone a foreign dignitary, to see her dressed in anything but her formal royal clothes yet on screen the queen wore nothing more than a simple, elegant gown and her hair braided loosely in a long pony tail that wrapped over her shoulder. Despite her appearance the woman still commanded attention that befitted her position and Morrigan found herself attempting to stand to bow in respect.
She stopped though, recalling that by all rights she stood above the Eskarii Queen, and that it wasn’t a formal call.
Myshkali caught the conflict within her and smiled disarmingly, “Leave it to you to forget your place, daughter.”
Morrigan blushed and pursed her lips as if caught before giving in to the chuckle that grew in her chest. “I’m sorry, it’s hard to remember!”
She watched her mother in law shake her head with a smile, “Its been over a decade,” she said before waving the conversation away, “How are you?”
With a smile, Morrigan told Myshkali the recent events that had moved through their lives, including Naestra’s play date.
“Those girls are growing so fast… it won’t be long,” Myshkali said with a hint of knowing pain. Morrigan caught the tone of her voice and furrowed her brow.
“What do you mean?” she asked and she watched the queen’s eyes widen for a moment before shivering.
With a soft breath she explained, “Soon those two will be ready to ascend to the throne… well, one of them at least, while the other supports her sister.”
Morrigan snorted at that. Morrigan would keep her daughters from the responsibility of the throne for as long as she lived, and she intended to live for a long time. At the same time, she knew it would happen one day and planned for Arahan to take her place; her compassion and analytical mind better suited to run the Imperium than Naestra’s fiery temper. No, she planned on elevating her spitfire child into a more militant role when the time came, though she hoped she would never be needed.
“Not for many years,” Morrigan stated firmly, “They will have a chance at their own lives for as long as I can give it to them. One day, sure, but not until I’m dead.”
Myshkali gave her a sad smile, “I know,” she said softly, her eyes not hiding the disbelief.
Morrigan sank in her chair with a heavy breath before lifting her hand, her eyes tracing the elegant lines that had etched her hand, something that had grown more elaborate to encompass most of her body over the years; a by product of Apollyon’s power made manifest.
“The weight of leadership is too much for them…” she stated tiredly, her own voice weary with exhaustion. “How can I prepare them? I don't even know how to deal with it myself… how do you deal with it?”
That caused the Eskarii Queen to chuckle in amusement and said, “Heavy is the crown,” making a show of removing the crown that sat on her head before adding, “Don’t you remember what I told you so many years ago?”
Morrigan gave her a weak smile as she placed her temple on her knuckles, her arm resting on her chair to support her head, “But I don’t have a crown,” she noted as she used her free hand to gesture towards her head.
“The principle still applies, you need to find time for yourself,” Myshkali said with an understanding smile.
A moment of silence passed before Morrigan finally asked, “Is Emery upset?”
“She understands that you are a busy woman. I think anything, at any time would mean just as much to her as a message on her birthday… though you are sorely missed,” Myshkali replied.
Part of the stress that held Morrigan down waned at the idea. Between the idea of taking time for herself, as well as knowing her niece would forgive her delay helped and knew that her mother in law’s underhanded request was two fold. With a knowing smirk she nodded, “I’ll find the time.”
Myshkali nodded in response, “Good, otherwise I’ll send my son to kidnap you.”
The amount of humor in the queen’s words made Morrigan laugh, and the idea of Torvil attempting to kidnap her even more so. She was fairly certain the man would rather fight another war than attempt that her kidnapping.
“Alright, well, I suppose it’s time for me to get back to work… thanks, for talking to me,” Morrigan said longingly, the desire to see the rest of her family rising painfully through her body.
Myshkali bowed gracefully, “Of course, never forget that you are a daughter first, and an Empress second.”
The sentiment caused an even deeper pain through Morrigan that nearly made her eyes well up with tears. Her life was so far different than what she expected, and the toll it took had been staggering. Knowing that she still had her family and loved ones, regardless of her position, helped more than anyone knew.
The call had been ended and Morrigan leaned back in her chair once more. For a moment she absorbed the conversation she had with her distant family and reflected upon her life. After another moment she sighed and went back to work, “Maybe Naestra isn’t the only one that needs to feel normal for a change.”
◇◇◇
The children screamed and played in the massive courtyard while Morrigan, Mo’Emori and the parents of the visiting children sat underneath a large gazebo. For once, Morrigan refrained from working on her data-slate as she divided her attention between her daughter and the parents’ conversation with her wife.
Morrigan could sense the near tangible nervousness that exuded from the families and chose to sit in the back seat of the conversation while Mo’Emori helmed the dialogue.
The parents seemed shocked at the casual manner Morrigan displayed, her clothes as comfortable as possible as she lounged in the ornate lawn chair while they themselves sat rigid and wore the finest clothes they could muster.
“Jeffery not so rough!” one of the mothers cried out as she watched her son tackle the royal daughter and attempt the wrestle the ball she cradled against her chest.
Morrigan chuckled at the disruption and looked at the woman, “Don’t worry Miriam, it’d take a lot more than that to hurt her.”
The woman paled at the idea that Naestra could be hurt and glanced behind her to see Xol standing sentinel at the edge of the gazebo, his vigilant gaze narrowing at the children. Morrigan sighed and glared at the Kêzi’kân, “Xol-Clarke!”
His formal name caused him to briefly snap his head in her direction for her to say in his language, “You need to stand down, this is not what she wants.”
Xol sneered with revealed fangs. Morrigan knew the coming argument and groaned, “And you’re making our guests uncomfortable!” she said as she gestured to the parents. Before anyone could comment she added with a growl, “And I’m still your chieftain, Arahan is inside with Skoll, take your duties inside.”
She watched the war wage inside the Kêzi’kân as both of his ideals clashed. On one hand, he had to obey his chieftain, but on the other he had to protect his wards. After a moment Xol grunted, “Fine!” he hissed before added, “Skoll comes out,” as if there wasn’t a choice in the matter.
Morrigan rolled her eyes, “That’s fine, I’m sure he’d enjoy the attention.” Without another word, Xol stormed angrily towards the mansion and the parents released the breath they held at the otherworldly conflict between Xol and Morrigan.
One of the fathers nervously chuckled before making the comment, “He sure takes his job seriously.”
Morrigan snickered. Once the children were set to play outside, Mo’Emori gave a small tour of the mansion and made the proper introductions so everyone knew who Xol and Skoll were. Granted, both creatures were legendary in the history of the Imperium however, there was a difference between stories and standing in front of those very legends.
“You have no idea,” Morrigan commented offhandedly, “I can’t decide if he hovers over them more or less than he did me.”
“Yeah but why does he seem so obstinate towards you?” another father asked.
Mo’Emori giggled at the question which drew everyone’s attention. Once all eyes were on her, Morrigan gestured for her to answer. “Xol is a little different than most Marmuro’k. They believe in strength and honor often tied to the chieftains of their clans however, though that is quite the case for Xol, he also has his own belief when it comes to what his duty is. Unlike most Marmuro’k who are delegated tasks and duties that they follow without question, Xol has always…” she paused and realized she wasn’t entirely sure how to explain Xol.
Morrigan saw the soft scrunch of her wife’s features and continued for her, “Xol had decided when he realized how strong I was that he would be my guardian. Back then, he had been without a chieftain for a long time and I was the closest thing to one until I eventually became a Marmuro’k chieftain. Since then though he had held a self appointed position and once the girls had been born, well, he knew he never had to protect me but them?”
Morrigan glanced towards the field just in time to hear Naestra call to Skoll. With a quick shift of her gaze, she saw the giant canine bolt from the mansion door and attempt to dart past the gazebo.
“Skoll!” Morrigan snapped, her tone traveling unnaturally far despite how low her tone was and the beast froze mid-sprint and came to a near comical stop. His head hung low and ears lying flat as he looked in her direction before she spoke. “Remember to be gentle,” she said sweetly to show that he hadn’t been in trouble.
Skoll lifted his snout and let out a small stream of woofs as if admonishing her for questioning his intentions which made her smile. She waved her hand and sent him on his way before she returned her attention to the families.
“Is that safe?” two parents asked simultaneously and Mo’Emori nodded vigorously.
“Oh yes! Skoll watched over our niece Emery when she was born!” Mo’Emori said factually as if it explained it all. Morrigan stifled a giggle as the old hysteric energy Mo’Emori had began to surface. Getting older, despite only being by nearly a decade and a half, had been enough for Mo’Emori to come into her emotions and gained control of them however, on occasion she still let the more sensitive emotions slip from her grasp.
“My aunt and her brother had a daughter, Emery, and when we visited them for the first time Skoll had taken the baby into his protective custody. Despite his size, he’s quite gentle,” Morrigan explained further.
Some of them relaxed at the explanation and turned to see their children riding on Skoll’s back, the giant Danthïr being led by Naestra as she held onto one of his tendrils that snaked from the side of his cheek. Everyone smiled as they watched the giant beast preen and prance where Naestra led him while their children laughed and giggled.
“So, we’ve been informed there were some issues in the under-hive?” Mo’Emori interjected, her administrative personality swinging into full throttle since things were settled down.
The question seemed to throw their guests off in surprise until one of the father’s recovered quickly and nodded, “Well yes, I mean…” he paused and glanced at Morrigan. She smiled and nodded, letting the man know it was okay to speak his mind.
Clearing his throat, he continued, “Well, I work for power substation K and well, our home, our district, has been without air-conditioning for nearly five months… I’ve put in the requests to have it looked into by the maintenance department but…”
His explanation petered out as he saw the look of wide eyed shock on Mo’Emori’s face, “Five months!” she growled as Morrigan felt her wife’s anger began to rise.
The man looked to the others with worried eyes, not understanding just how caring Mo’Emori was, and how infuriated she could be when people weren’t taken care of. However, before Morrigan could try soothing her angered spouse Mo’Emori pulled her data-slate out and began typing furiously.
Everyone watched as the Eskarii woman began muttering incoherently to herself. Morrigan knew with all the utilities that were generated and ran through the under-hive that it reached hotter ambient temperatures than the top side of the hive world. Even Morrigan was concerned at the safety, let alone comfort, in the implication his claim held.
“I’m sending you my personal contact information, if this isn’t resolved in three days let me know,” Mo’Emori spat furiously as she sent her information to each device the families had on them, “I’ll be having strong words with the general foreman this evening over this.”
The parents didn’t know how to take the news that the Empress’s wife would personally see to the issue and before anyone could raise the question, Mo’Emori looked from the screen and stated, “We can’t solve everything…”
Her tone came out harsher than she wanted and her ears fell in consternation, “I’m sorry. We care about our people but because our attention is spread across the galaxy we don’t know everything that goes on, and more so we can’t fix everything ourselves, but if you have more grievances we can at least try… for what it’s worth at least.”
There was a stunned moment of silence as the parents processed what she said. Morrigan watched carefully as emotions shifted anxiously within each of them knowing that the under-hive held a relatively wide spread belief that the rest of the world ignored their plight and more so, had an untrue arrogance and ignorance.
It was much the reason why one of the families rejected their offer but when faced with the truth, Mo’Emori, nor Morrigan for that matter, would stand by and let their people believe they didn’t care.
“While she does that, I’ll speak to other districts’ leadership and see what is going on throughout the rest of the world. There is no excuse for this idleness and if it is happening in your homes, I fear where else it may be,” Morrigan added. Truthfully, Morrigan didn’t want an additional task thrown on her plate but it was necessary and needed.
One of the women shook her head out of her stupor and smiled in gratitude, “We truly appreciate it, your majesties.”
Morrigan nodded and someone else began to explain another issue they had with Mo’Emori. However, Morrigan didn’t pay attention as a black armored figure strode purposefully down the long pathway that led from the outer wall of the courtyard.
Clare moved closer, waving to the children and Skoll with a bright joyful smile as she shifted towards the gazebo.
“Excuse me,” Morrigan said before she got up and moved to meet the Lord Inquisitor. Once they were close enough she asked, “What’s going on, Clare?”
The cheerful façade on the Lord Inquisitor’s face fell to a grim expression. She gestured to the data-slate in her hand and said, “There’s something I need to show you…” Morrigan quirked an eyebrow at the statement and expression turned to surprise after she said, “I think we need your help.”