Dust of a Star

I waited. Leatho was inside and I wasn't allowed in. The wooden doors stood in the way. Upon that wood was carved a single picture of the rays of enlightenment. It was one of their myths, I believe. Also the doors. They believed it had to be wooden doors leading to the council, another myth or legend, I believe.

I sat on a bench outside. But I could only sit for so long. I stood up and paced most of the time. It was an hour already and Leatho was still in there. Hol'ræ was in there as well. She was called as a láktan. What I could figure, that meant witness or a person of interest. Something of that sort.

But now I wanted to just know my fate. It was rattling me to the core. I did not like my fate out of my hands. And I didn't like waiting. I hated waiting. Especially about this. It just put me on edge. I might have been fine with it yesterday, but this was now. I did not like it now.

The time spun on and I was still waiting an hour later. They had been in there for two hours now. And I swear I have worn a hole in the solid floor. Or at least worn a path into the shiny gray floor.

There was nothing to do out here!

I sighed before sitting down, tired of pacing and waiting. It was just my luck that I finally sat down that they were done. The doors opened and out stepped Leatho and Hol'ræ. They didn't show anything on their faces. Both were nearly expressionless. Hol'ræ had more expression than Leatho, but not much.

“Well?” They didn't say anything to me and started to walk down the corridor. I followed them quickly, nearly running to keep up. They were moving with a purpose. “What happened?” I asked. I wanted to know what my future held. But they weren't telling me. Was it that bad? Was I getting sent back to the slums? Was that it?

Leatho turned as we reached his door. “I need a moment with my ol'am.” Hol'ræ nodded and turned to me with a soft, reassuring smile. Or what should have been one. It just looked solemn. She walked away, leaving me and Leatho alone.

“Tüvo?” I was scared now. He gestured for us to enter his quarters. I followed the tall male. His back never looked more broad then it did now. I felt so small behind him. Was the verdict that bad? “What happened?”

The Eltherâk sat on the couch, sighing. He never sighed before. That probably meant something bad happened in the council room. “You are leaving.”

“What?” slipped out before I even knew it.

Leatho sat up and clasped his hands. “I couldn't convince the council.” My heart stopped. I knew there was more to it. I knew it was not just he lost. “You are going to live with Tüvo Ga'li.” If my heart didn't stop before, it stuttered and stopped again. I couldn't live with her. She...

“I...really?”

“Yes. She will be coming by in two gæs.” I sat down. I felt so small and helpless. I had no control. Everything was being pulled from beneath my feet. The male before me turned and looked at me. “Ol'am,” I looked up at him, nearly crying. “You will be fine.” I wanted to believe him. I really did. But I couldn't. I couldn't believe that everything would be fine. I wasn't going to be fine.

“No,” I whispered. “It won't be fine.” I pushed myself up and walked out. I knew I had to pack everything I had and I couldn't take much more of Leatho promising things he couldn't keep. Or what he had no say in.

The door to my room opened as I pressed the button on the side. I walked inside, shutting the door behind me and locking it. I sat down on my bed, shocked that everything I feared, and more was happening. I wasn't staying with Hol'ræ or staying with Leatho. I was going with Tüvo Ga'li. Out of all the Tüvos, she was the one that I did not want to go with. Didn't Leatho try to let someone else take me in? Didn't he promise that I would stay with him or Hol'ræ? I knew he wouldn't come through. I knew I should only trust myself.

Wiping away my tears, I went about packing. It wasn't hard seeing as my closet folded up into something smaller with a few presses of several buttons on the holographic screen to the right of it. It took a few minutes before it was finished. Then I sat back on my bed, case before me. I felt hopeless now. My fate was in the hands of a female that seemed to want me dead. I probably wouldn't last the day with her and her bodyguard. And all of this was Leatho's fault. He was the one that got me into the situation and now the one that didn't follow his own laws. I was taken along for the ride and then that ride would end in death; my death.

Leatho called through my door, “Ol'am.” I scoffed, angry at him, but I knew I had to answer. “Tüvo Ga'li is here.” That made my day. Goodbye life. And hello death.

I opened the door and picked up the large case I had. The closet was still there, but the inside looked bare now. “Right.” He glanced me over, deciding if he should say anything or not. I just glared straight ahead, not caring to meet his gaze. I stepped around him and glanced at Tüvo Ga'li. She was sitting on the couch, looking proper and very comfortable. “Tüvo,” I ducked my head, knowing that rule now. It was a sign of respect among the Eltherâk people. It wasn't a way to show you were lower than them, or at least it wasn't. It seemed to have become that.

“Ol'am,” she greeted, standing up and nodding at my bow. “Gülvana.”

“Gülvana, Tüvo.” She gave me a gentle smile. It seemed she was trying to be friendly with me, but I didn't know why. Why was she trying to be friendly when she was going to have me killed?

Anyway, I decided to forget about that and worry about how this was going to work. What would I be doing in Tüvo Ga'li's care? Would I just be another doll on the shelf? Or would she actually teach me something? For those answers, I needed to go with Tüvo Ga'li. “I see you are prepared. Kalbah will take your case.” I hadn't even realized he was there, standing towards the door, lurking in the entrance. He nodded and picked up my case, giving me a blank stare with his black eyes. His face, slightly scrunched, was cover with a thin layer of hair. He definitely was not Eltherâk. He blinked as he moved back, not looking at me again. “Tüvo Huvól, until our next meeting.” Ga'li stood and lead the way as I followed, not even looking at Leatho. I smiled solemnly at Hol'ræ as I walked pass her. She nodded as I stepped out of Leatho's housing unit and into the hallway.

Ga'li waited only a moment before walking away. She strode confidently, taking each step with a purpose. She walked swiftly for a short female. I kept up with her for most of the way, but I was tired, not from walking, but over-all. I just wanted to get back to some semblance of normalcy. And help her father.

The female turned and entered the elevator. I and Kalbah walked after her. She took the front and we took the back. She seemed to want to show her authority by being in front, on top, and possibly ruler. Hunsal.

I held back a sigh, figuring she would reprimand me about any extra noise I would make. Kalbah was silent, still carrying my stuff. I wanted to just take it from him and his large hands, but I didn't think I could. He would just smack me down so easily. At least that was what it looked like with his muscled arms.

The male grunted as he noticed me looking at him. I quickly looked away, embarrassed by being caught. I just never seen his kind before. There were many races on Era, but he wasn't one of them. Maybe his kind was on Era, but not as wide spread as some others. “He is Kalbah of the Inkral. They are native to Rulvo's twin, Enva,” Tüvo Ga'li explained. Apparently I wasn't as sneaky as I thought I was. “He owes me a life debt and serves me because of it.” I nodded, figuring there was something more to that story, but I didn't push it. I didn't want to overstep my boundaries, especially with someone I knew less than Leatho and Hol'ræ.

Kalbah grunted again before shifting my bag. Ga'li gave him a look and he ducked his head. Clearly there was some unspoken thing between them. I wanted to ask, but I didn't. What could I ask anyway? Nothing. Everything would be too personal. I was not going there with Tüvo Ga'li. I did not want to be personal with her at all.

“Ye be goin', K'affer.” The voice was gruff and sounded almost gargled, like it rumbled from the back of the throat. I looked at Kalbah, realizing that was his voice and that I was still in the elevator while they had moved out. I ducked my head and walked out.

Ga'li didn't say anything. She just turned and walked. People seemed to part around her. They even stopped and watched. I looked around, amazed she seemed to have that much power. Kalbah walked a few steps forward before glancing back at me. Apparently I hadn't moved. Ducking my head, I started after Ga'li. He waited until I passed before following. I kept my eyes on the ground, uncomfortable. It seemed like a parade rather than just someone walking by. I didn't know Ga'li was that well known. And definitely not that well respected. Or maybe she isn't.

Our small group made it to Ga'li's quarters. There were two guards at the entrance and then there was a long corridor. It made me think that she had even higher position within the High Council than Leatho. That was all I could come up with. Or she had someone's favor.

Kalbah shuffled along the hallway and through the doorway. Ga'li was next. It seemed Kalbah was the one to prepare everything in the quarters. I came last, hesitant as I reached the entrance. It was larger than Leatho's quarters. Leatho had the necessities, but it appeared Ga'li liked luxury. She had couches around the large room and a spring in the middle. It burbled as the water reached up and then came back down. There were lights in the water, changing slowly. It went from green to yellow. And that was just the living room. It was the only room I could see at this moment. Ga'li sat on the long couch with only a back and one arm. She slipped her shoes off, letting them fall to the floor, before swinging them up onto the couch. Her dress slipped, showing her small legs. They only seemed to have muscle. A thing about Eltherâks; they had very little fat. I heard that they had storage of energy for the times they couldn't get food. Almost like a camel, but not as pronounced. But I would have to look that up.

“Ol'am,” I flinched. “We have some terms—rules to discuss.” I didn't like where this was going. “Kalbah, set her things in the second guest room.” Second?

“Vekna,” Kalbah said before walking away with my stuff. I almost followed him, but Ga'li stopped me.

She raised her hand. “You will have lessons in the morning starting tomorrow. It will be after morning meal.” That was acceptable. It was nothing new. It was how Leatho did it. “It will end at Mid-meal. After that you will have two gæs of freedom to do what you want, but you are not allowed to see Tüvo Leatho.” My heart sank. I wanted to see Leatho and Hol'ræ. Wait! She didn't say anything about Hol'ræ. “Then after that Kalbah will lead you back here and then you will join me at the evening meal with the other Tüvô.”

“Tüvô?” I didn't know that word. It sounded like Tüvo, but with a 'yo' where the 'o' was.

Ga'li gave me a look. It was something between surprise and exasperation. I shrank a bit under that look. She was someone I did not want to anger. And I was still trying to figure her out. She was an enigma to me. “You did not learn this yet?” I shook my head. My lessons in Eltherôn were short and only to teach me basic phrases to get through the event. “Tüvô is the plural form of Tüvo.” I nodded. “You will learn Eltherôn during your lessons. I will make sure of that.”

“You are very kind, Tüvo.” I bowed. She turned her gaze back to the large window, staring out into space. It was interesting to see that Ga'li had no image of Rulvo or didn't get rid of windows altogether. Instead, she had large windows gazing out into the vast expanse of space. I wondered if she was one of those people that rose to challenge everything. She did not take things lying down.

“Of course. Ol'am, I also expect you to follow not only my rules, but also the ones of our government and religion.” I have wondered how one religion ruled in there race. It was something that baffled my mind. Era had many religions, but most of us just did our own thing, not caring about the next person's faith.

Kalbah came back, ducking his head and even kneeling to Ga'li. I was shocked. It appeared he was showing his servitude to her. “It appears your room is ready. Kalbah, show her to her room.” Kalbah rose, not looking at Ga'li before turning to me. His dark gaze locked onto me. It looked like he was daring me to do something. I didn't know what, but something.

“Vekna.” He jerked his head back, trying to show me to follow him. He took a step, and I followed him. He led me back and down a corridor. It curled around to a single door. He put in the number code and the door slid open. It bing-ed. He stepped back, allowing me to go inside. The door slid shut behind me. Then it clicked. He locked it. I turned quickly, not liking being a locked room. Even if it had everything I needed. It was frightening. I didn't like being in a place that was essentially a prison.

My fists banged against the door. “Hey!” No one answered. “Let me out!” I screamed, banging. I kept at it, waiting. I wanted out. I couldn't stay in here. I couldn't stay in a cage again. A prison. I couldn't stay here.