Copyright 2024 – Daemon D. Hart
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The Human Bearer
Who could better understand what it meant to be different in a society with such rigid rules than Lewis's husbands? Riordan held Junior's hand tightly in his, as if he were afraid someone would try to snatch his son from him. It had to be the lingering effect of Cario's anxiety. Cario was strong in many ways, but he was also sensitive, and he had transmitted some of his traits to little Dario, as well. How such a thing could go under the Xenos' radar was beyond him. Most likely, they must have thought the human race to be just like many others they have encountered over the course of centuries or maybe even more.
"You haven't met Lewis's Xenolites," Riordan told Junior as they marched down the corridor. "It's time for you to make some new friends, what do you say?"
"Dario is my best friend," Junior replied. "I don't like others."
"You might like these guys," Riordan said with a small smile.
"Dario is so pretty," Junior said. "Just like his mommy. When I grow up, can Dario be my bearer?"
Oh, boy, wasn't it a bit too early for this sort of conversation? Despite the heaviness that had been stayed with him from the day's start, Junior's innocence made it all better. On the other hand, Junior was asking a valid question in the sense that they would need bearers, all of them, once they reached adulthood. Was it possible for Xeno ships to travel from Tanez to Earth and bring home more human bearers? Seeing how long their trip took already, it didn't sound like something easy to achieve. As before, he couldn't help thinking that the Xeno race would just depend on conquering other planets and enslave their population for breeding.
"Dada," Junior said and squeezed his hand. "Can Dario be my bearer?"
"He's a Xeno, like you," Riordan explained, once he was dragged out of the whirlpool of thoughts fighting for real estate in his head. "Your bearer, and his bearer, will be others. Others who aren't Xenos."
"No," Junior said and shook his head vehemently. "I don't want anyone else."
He'd grow out of it. For now, Riordan knew that he didn't want to lie to Junior or insist on explanations unlikely to be accepted by the boy's young mind. "Let's see Lewis and his guys. And girl."
"One of them is a girl?" Junior asked cautiously. "Like my sister who is in your belly."
"Yes. What do you say?"
"Yes, I want to see the girl," Junior said with determination this time. "What's her name?"
"I don't know it yet. Sorry," Riordan said and shook his head at himself. With everything that had happened, they hadn't had the time for normal things, such as getting to know a friend's kids. They were all living pretty interesting times, and Riordan wouldn't mind a change and experience less excitement for a while.
The scene in front of his eyes was domestic for lack of a better word. Maybe his definition of domestic had changed for him, but seeing Lewis and Lakni close to each other, while their whole attention was on the small Xenolite sleeping in Lewis's lap, curled up like a puppy, did things to Riordan's heart. A snakeman and a human. Having a Xenolite together. This was the yardstick for normality now. The main difference was that Lewis didn't look like the usual bearer, and his husband was also part of a pack of Xenos that had been deemed different by their society, and therefore, unwanted.
"How come you two are by yourselves?" Riordan asked after the usual greetings.
"The others are training with their boys," Lewis explained and pulled the small Xenolite in his lap close to his chest for a moments.
Lakni moved away from his beloved to welcome Riordan. He leaned forward, offering his arm, a way of greeting between Xenos and Xenolites, it seemed, because Junior quickly left Riordan's hand so that he could climb on the Xeno's arm until reaching his shoulder. Once there, he looked pretty pleased with himself, and Riordan pulled a little at his hand. "I will talk to Lewis for a bit." Then, he turned to face Lakni. "Is it alright for Junior to meet your girl? Since it looks like she's the only one here."
"Yes, it is," Lewis replied instead his husband, "only that she's a sleepyhead."
Lakni appeared uncomfortable for a moment, and then it seemed as if he just remembered that their visitor was Riordan, not some stranger. "She's growing at a different pace is all."
"I see. Like a human child."
Lakni's lips pursed for a moment but then relaxed into a smile. "My beloved keeps telling me it's normal for your children to sleep all the time when they're this small."
"I have two younger brothers and one younger sister," Lewis said. "And I was on diaper changing duty and all that for a while."
"How old were you when that happened?" Riordan asked.
"Twelve," Lewis replied. "I mean from twelve to fifteen, that was pretty much my life."
"No wonder you decided to become a soldier," Riordan joked. "I don't figure it was easy for you."
"No, but I miss those little punks," Lewis said, and a bit of sadness changed his face for a moment. He looked at the female Xenolite in his arms, and it was all gone. "Leja is perfect," he added.
That simple statement appeared to take a weight off Lakni's shoulders, because his features relaxed. Other couples, other problems, Riordan mused as he took a seat by Lewis's side on the huge bed in the room. "Leja, what a pretty name."
"Leja Vidar," Lakni said with pride. "She's going to be a warrior."
Lewis chuckled. "Or maybe a princess."
"A warrior princess," Lakni said with a small nod. "Little Xeus here made us all proud, Riordan. I hope my daughter can train with him."
"Why is she sleeping?" Junior asked with the curiosity characteristic to his age. "Can't she sleep in the tank? We all grow faster there."
"That's what he learned from his grandpa," Riordan explained. He thought for a moment about how to bring Cario's topic to the conversation. There was no better way than a direct approach. What was he? A politician, now? No way. "Of all Xenos on this ship, you and your crew, Lakni, must know what it's like to grow up different."
Lakni shrugged. "A bit shitty."
Junior snickered. "Shitty," he repeated like it was a great word to learn.
"Lakni," Lewis warned.
"What? You're the one who educated me," Lakni protested. "Fine," he said, holding his hands up, "I will keep that in mind. No words like `shitty' in front of Xenolites. But it's hard, just so you know."
"What's the matter, Riordan?" Lewis asked. "Who else is different?"
"It's not exactly an open secret, so I'll have to ask you to keep this to yourselves for now. And the rest of your family. Thing is, Cario's son, Dario, is an empath."
Stunned silence followed. Not so much from Lewis, who seemed to turn the idea in his head, but from Lakni.
"Humans are empaths on occasion," the Xeno commented. "I haven't ever heard of a Xeno empath. It would be too much."
"Too much how?" Riordan asked, curious about Lakni's choice of words.
After meeting the older Xeno in the room, Junior seemed quite taken with meeting the girl Xenolite. He slithered on the floor until he reached the bed, and then climbed on it. He stared at the sleeping Leja with a focused expression on his face. It appeared to him that the female Xenolite was a puzzle, and he couldn't figure it out.
Lewis took it upon himself to explain. "Leja is very much like a human child. She sleeps a lot, but she's healthy and growing."
Junior stared openly at Lewis. "Will she have legs? Has she ever had legs?"
"That's an important topic for him," Riordan intervened.
"No, she doesn't have legs and hasn't so far," Lewis said with patience. "Do you want to hold her hand? If she likes you, she'll squeeze yours. Even if she's asleep."
Junior took the smaller hand in his carefully. Leja appeared to resemble her daddy to a tee, with her beautiful blond hair cascading in waves over Lewis's legs. She was like a sleeping princess, with her eyes closed and only the steady rise and fall of her chest letting them know she was alive. Although, just like human babies, there were few physical characteristics to set the boys apart from girls, Riordan noticed the overall daintiness of her features, and the more delicate wrist when Junior wrapped one hand around it.
Leja's fingers twitched at the touch and then she turned in her sleep. Her small hand immediately found Junior's and linked it with his.
"She likes me," Junior said proudly. "Did you see, dada?"
"Yes, I see it very well. I'm not surprised."
"A Xeno empath can be a game changer," Lakni said, making both Riordan and Lewis look at him.
"How so?" Riordan asked right away. "So far, it seemed like Dario's dad doesn't think so, and His Royal Chancellor is skeptical that Dario is an actual empath."
Lakni snorted. "Those geezers."
"Geezers," Junior repeated, although his attention was on examining Leja's small hand and fingers by measuring them up against his.
"Give me more, man, and hopefully, before my boy here enriches his vocabulary further in this manner," Riordan joked.
"Empaths are powerful creatures," Lakni explained. "They go beyond our common Xeno capacity of understanding what others are thinking."
"Okay," Riordan said slowly. "Like when I discovered that Gamni was coming, because Florent could feel it."
"Yes," Lakni said with an interested look in his eyes. "The high commander is keeping the empath all to himself. I wonder why."
"Florent is his choice of bearer," Riordan said slowly, while taking in Lakni's expression. "That's why he's keeping him to himself."
"It's more than that, I'm sure," Lakni said with a wave of a hand. "You see, Riordan, and if His Royal Chancellor asks, you didn't hear it from me, with proper training... how should I say this? Oh, well, the easy human way. Empaths can become top notch manipulative bastards."
"Bastards," Junior repeated with joy.
Riordan rubbed his forehead. "Okay, and how's that different from what you Xenos can do?"
Lakni crossed his arms and looked pretty full of himself. "It's a lot different. It's superior. Why do you think His Royal Chancellor kept from spacing that poor fu... That poor guy?" He threw a short look at Junior, who looked back at him like he was expecting something else.
"Enlighten me more, professor," Riordan said. Both he and Lewis stared at Lakni.
"Xenos can influence other species, read their minds as you guys keep saying. But empaths," he said as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, "they can read and manipulate Xenos."
"The fu--" Riordan swallowed his shocked whisper at the last moment. "Are you telling me... they're like a super weapon or something?"
"Hey, we can't know for sure. I said `with proper training', but no one actually knows what that is. Well, no one I know, at least," Lakni concluded. "Florent Kasido is one thing. He's a human, therefore weaker. Having his bond with his former owner severed, he almost kicked the bucket."
Riordan blinked and took a look at Lewis, who sighed and shrugged. "Yes, I know, he's learned it all from me. Guilty as charged."
"However, a Xeno empath," Lakni continued, "is a different kettle of fish. Drato Menor's son can be more powerful than a dozen Xenos combined. Nah, like a hundred or more. I don't know. There's not enough evidence."
"Okay, but I suppose that Drato and Marn know at least as much as you," Riordan said.
"Beats me," Lakni replied. "I've learned of all this on my own, and those were some pretty obscure research studies, I'm telling you."
Riordan didn't want to rain on the guy's parade and suggest that at least His Royal Chancellor with his big brain had to be aware of such information. And it wasn't essential, either, to know that for sure, not right now.
"But if there's this knowledge that empaths can be so strong--"
"If," Lakni interrupted him. "Without it, a Xeno empath can be considered a liability. Some susceptible of being contacted by enemies and turned against his own people."
"Oh, damn, I think my brain is starting to hurt," Riordan said and pressed his forefingers against his temples. "Is this what his father worries about? That Dario might just become a tool for the enemy?"
"That's a reasonable explanation. Besides the obvious."
"What's that?"
Lakni threw a curt look at his own daughter. "Weakness is not seen with good eyes on Xeno."
"Good thing we're not on Xeno anymore then," Riordan said, hoping his irony would go through.
That was a bit too much to ask, even from a younger Xeno like Lakni, who knew Earthian cuss words and seemed as open-minded as they came.
"You know what I mean. And yeah, to answer what you came to ask, I and the others know a boatload about what being different among Xenos feels like. It sucks."
"I don't doubt that for a moment," Riordan replied. "So, what would be a good course of action here? How do we convince the others that different doesn't mean bad?"
"I guess there is a solution to prevent the boy from getting treated badly by the others," Lakni said. "But it can't work. Not now, at least."
"What is it?" Riordan asked.
"Florent Kasido became the property of Gamni Gafilos and thus not a problem. Until that was a problem, obviously. Fortunately, that was a problem for the general, not us. An empath can be controlled through a bond. His high commander works hard at that bond, I'm sure." Lakni threw Riordan a look full of meaning.
"Don't tell me that boy has to become someone's property," Lewis intervened, obviously scandalized by that implication.
Lakni shrugged. "He's too young, anyway. And he's a Xeno. Who could be good enough to bond with him?"
"You make a fine point," Riordan murmured. "Still, he's a child, and until he grows up, he's protected by his parents, right? I doubt anyone can just hijack his mind or whatever," he added.
Lakni's smile turned tense. "And while you were growing up, you always did what your parents told you, Riordan?"
"I didn't have any of those," Riordan replied. "But, damn, I think you make a good point, and I hate it. You're practically telling me that admitting publicly that Dario is an empath, we're just turning him into a hot potato."
"Yes, that's right," Lakni said unfazed. And then, quickly, to Lewis, "My love, what's a hot potato?"
"I'll explain it to you later since I know your smart brain already got the gist of it. Okay, this is a matter that needs very careful consideration," Lewis said. "I believe that Dario being an empath needs to remain a secret until he grows older. There's no way of telling how the others on the ship will react to this information."
"Yeah, I think you're right," Riordan agreed.
"On Earth, Xeno, or a ship in space, it looks like people everywhere don't deal well with things they don't know." Lewis shook his head. "But what do I know? I'm just a grunt."
"And yet, you told it like it is," Riordan hurried to assure him. "At the moment, I have at least Marn's word that no one would bully Dario openly. Not without getting punished. But you're right about keeping it a secret."
Lakni turned his head slightly and Junior raised his. Riordan observed how there was a short exchange of thoughts between the two, but it happened too quickly for him to tap into their conversation. It was over before it began.
"What happened just now?" he asked. "What did you tell my son?"
"I explained it to him faster than you could why keeping this secret is important."
"Hey, I know a bit about communicating like you do," Riordan protested.
"And with all due respect, you don't have almost twenty years of using it on you, not like I do."
"Well, fair point," Riordan said, slightly vexed by the whole thing. It reminded him of how Junior was different from him, after all, and how, on different accounts, as an Earthian, he was still an outsider.
"Dada," Junior began, after they left Lewis's and Lakni's quarters, "is Dario more like his mommy and you than a Xeno?"
"I can't really tell you. He's special."
Junior appeared to ponder over it for a while, without saying anything. "I think he is. I think he's going to get his legs before me."
Riordan shook his head. With so many things to worry about at the moment, Junior's obsession with having legs just had to wait. "Let me see where daddy is."
He still had no idea whether his thoughts would reach the one he wanted or not when he started, but he liked to believe that he was getting the hang of it. First, he needed to focus for a bit, but just as the shape of the thought he wanted to transmit was forming, he felt the need to stop in the middle of the hallway.
What was going on now? He wondered as he looked around. All the others walking down the same corridor stopped, as well. The human bearers only appeared to take after their masters, while their bots were as impassible as ever, following, most likely, direct instructions.
Riordan tried to focus, to understand what sort of message the Xenos were receiving that moment since that was his suspicion.
Junior squeezed his hand. "Dada, what does brumation mean?"
"Um, I don't think I know this word," Riordan replied.
"But it's the closest to what humans know of it," Junior insisted.
Riordan hated to let his son be the one to tell him bad news, but he had to ask, since it was obvious that Junior understood more of what was going on compared to him. "What do the grownups say, baby?"
Junior's eyebrows knitted into a frown. "His Royal Chancellor went into brumation," he said slowly, as if he was translating to his parent from a foreign language. "The council must choose a new leader." Once he finished, he looked up at Riordan with his big eyes.
"Oh, shit," Riordan mumbled.
"Dada, that's a bad word," Junior warned him.
"Sometimes, baby, using one just can't be helped."
tbc
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