53 (DSV Nautica) Shame
The Sun Clan was a relaxed group of several hundred permanent residents, all living a primitive life of meditation and teaching. Most young adults left the clan after age 80, to assist up inside Elysium. Those that chose to stay opted for the quiet life.
"Flare...?" Flare heard a voice, turning to the source. Aa'zac stuck close because the youngers were giving him funny looks and pointing.
"Flare!" An elderly Ayr'een leaning on a staff limped toward her, a smile lit his face up. He wore a kind of animal hide kilt with a scarf draped over his shoulders. His left leg seemed to be made of the same metallic alloy that Lyn was given when she lost her forearm.
"Ja'sh'ee'r" Flare held up her right hand as he held up his left. They joined palms, bowing their heads to each other and gently touching foreheads. "I greet you."
"And I to you, as well." He spoke, voice cheery. "And who is your friend?"
"Aa'za'cre'ya, of the Moon clan. They joined palms like he had done with Flare, but did not carry out the touch of their foreheads.
"I greet you, young one. Are you a friend of our dear Flares? Or possibly more?"
"I would like to think more." He said with an amused tone. Flare nodded, smiling brightly.
"Ah, well then! So she finally calmed her hotheaded ways down then, did she?"
They both noticed Flare turning a little flushed with embarrassment. Or was she flustered?
"I sure hope so...she can still be a little-" Flare pushed him slightly, cutting off his words. He nodded his head toward her. "See?"
"Oh, gracious, you have calmed! When last I saw you, you would have broken his arm!" Ja'sh exclaimed. Aa'zac wasn't sure if he should be happy or worried. Flare bowed her head in shame.
"I may have been a little crazy when I was younger."
"But quite the fighter! It's no mystery as to why she was accepted into the academy as a young one. Right out of our settlement, they day it came her time, she said goodbye, and hurried straight over there. Come. Let us have some soup."
They both followed Ja'sh into the tent he had initially emerged from. Arranged around a small raised table were a number of places for what looked like dining, as well as jugs of crystal clear water. The inside of the tent was lit by candles on the perimeter and a small glowing orb up near the pinnacle of the center. It was a soft glow that still provided plenty of light. The two of them sat down while Ja'sh hurried over to a small flap, that revealed to be a kind of tent extension, wherein lie a kind of kitchen.
"I didn't expect you at all, Flare! How long are you staying?"
"A couple of days. We wanted to take it off, cool out. A few recent assignments have left us...in need of rest."
"Such is the way of the universe. Its gears keep turning, never stopping for any of us. Time ever marches on." He chuckled as he shuffled around, preparing an herbal broth for them all to share.
"Nor do the inhabitants of the universe stop for us." Aa'zac added in as a hint.
"Oh! Oh my, so you had dealings with dragons, have you? I would say then, that you better stay here more than a few days!"
A sound reminiscent of a fire having gas poured on it sounded from the room, and a delicious smell wafted into the room. He returned with a small steaming kettle. Tipping it forward, he poured some of the contents into three small bowls, which were passed out to their places. Ja'sh took a seat opposite the two. All together, they raised their bowls in perfect sync, and took a sip, moving fluidly and setting the bowls back down.
"A good blend, thank you." Aa'zac bowed his head. Ja'sh smiled and bowed his head in return.
"I suppose I should explain who I am. I am Flares adoptive father. Due to some circumstances that will not be discussed at this time-" Flare noticeably flinched. "-I shall simply let you know that, Flare did not have parents growing up, so I took her in and raised her as best I could."
Aa'zac nodded, following. He would find out what this was, for better or worse, but his gut feeling told him he really shouldn't press the matter.
"I understand."
"Now then...how exactly did my daughter come to meet you?"
Aa'zac smiled and recounted the tale of the beginning, being stranded on the planet, naturally growing closer together through time, as if some kind of chemistry between them had formed.
"It was almost...magnetic. We just grew closer as the days went on." Aa'zac said out loud, speaking to no one in particular.
"That's how a lot of lifelong mates are found..." Ja'sh stated, giving them each a small smile. Flare turned a little pink.
"So you are a member of one of the science teams?"
"Yes indeed. It's always been my calling. I figured it out in an odd way too...I would always try and find out things. Anything. If I thought someone was keeping a secret, I would do anything I could to figure out what they were hiding."
"oho...not a troublemaker I hope?"
Aa'zac turned a deep shade of red, the blood rushing to his face. "Well...innocent troublemaker I guess. I sometimes got into things and places that I really should not have. I figured out later in my life what a little busybody I was."
Flare sighed and placed her hands in her face. Ja'sh chuckled. "So you are the curious type, wanting to know everything? A good fit for a science researcher. Also quite the unusual choice for our Flare here...perhaps you are curious how aggressive females work?"
Flare glared at Ja'sh, who just smiled back. Flare opened her mouth to say something, but Ja'sh moved the topic elsewhere before she got a chance.
"So, will you two be making the taiyomeisou, to the obelisk?"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh! For you, it must be the tsukimeisou."
Aa'zac looked at Flare, whom nodded.
"We shall make the trip, of course." Flare responded. "We will be here a few days, after all, perhaps closer to a week." She shot him a look that said 'We ARE going...and you are in trouble.'
What the hell had he done?
"Splendid! But such a short time does not do the pleasure of your company justice."
"Indeed, but there are greater plans that move quickly, and they require us to be a part of them."
Ja'sh smiled and nodded. "Very well. I do indeed home that you two shall enjoy your stay with us. I have yet to have the pleasure of staying with the Moon Clan, but if your clan is anything like you, then they must be a fine people."
Aa'zac felt a little elated at the comment.
"Well...it has it's odd ones, but for the most part they have treated me very much like I have been treated here...except for the youngers."
"Ah. Do not mind them. It's not often that they see one of us with a drastically different color than the rest. It's nothing they haven't seen before, they just think it's 'cool'."
The sun flashed in Aa'zacs eye, causing him to blink, looking away and shifting slightly. The ray of sun had just moved into his field of vision through the gaps in the tent wall. It was getting late. Ja'sh noticed and stood up, prompting the other two to do so as well.
"Well then, you two are welcome to my tent for the evening....though I suspect you may wish to have your own." He bowed to them both. "I must be heading off. I shall see you again before you leave, no doubt."
"Of course. Good night." Aa'zac nodded, stepping outisde into the evening air. It was noticeably quieter, as the youngers were ushered inside by their parents, not wanting them outside in the dark. They were retreating for a final meditation session, and then sleep. He began to look around for a tent, and before long, he came to what looked like the center of camp. It looked just as primitive as the rest; leather tents held up by logs and tripods. Wood splitting blocks, a roaring bonfire in the center of everything. He guessed that ten or so Ayr'een were around, working on various projects. He spotted what looked like a bunch of logs with a leather sheet bound with rope.
"Excuse me...are these the tents?" he asked a young passerby. She nodded and looked him from head to toe. She looked fascinated by him.
"Go ahead! Just put it back when you are done!" She had a cheery voice, like Ja'sh. Were all Sun Clan members like that?
"Thank you."
She bowed, running off to wherever she might be headed.
He felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Flare, looking upset at something.
"Flare...wha-" she shook her head.
"When we get the tent up."
He nodded and carried it over his shoulder to the edge of the encampment. It took some time to find a suitable spot that was flat, but he eventually did. He unwrapped the bundle and set the logs up in a tripod, using his will to stabilize them and bind them in place. After they were standing tall, he took a deep breath and pushed off the ground, leaping into the air. He hovered at the apex of his jump, slowly working himself higher. Silvery transparent wings coalesced and shimmered from his shoulders, mere apparitions. Males tended to conjure wings for themselves to emulate flying with them, as the females did. On boards in space, and while out on a survey was a different story. They had to work to conceal them, and remain hidden. Giant glowing wings were not hard to miss.He begun to wrap the cover around the tent, just as Flare showed up with heavy blankets and a ground cloth. She proceeded inside and laid it out, using her will to clean off all the dirt and detritus when done. Aa'zac landed and ducked inside. Sure enough, it was warm, clean, and almost completely sealed off from the outside. He shut the flap behind him as Flare conjured a golden orb, which hovered some 6 meters up, near the top of the tent. They both removed their synthetic suits they rode down on. They had left their boards at the entrance. No one would mess with them in the meantime.
Both of them silently got under the covers. Flare made her way over to Aa'zac and embraced him. She had been silent for a bit, and had a kind of upset air about her.
"Aa'zac...He told me to tell you."
"Flare, wha-"
"My name is Fl'ar'ne'er."
Aa'zac felt a little dizzy from the revelation. It changed nothing about how he felt toward her, but it was a surprise to him, to say the least.
"I've...known for a while. That's why I go by my moniker rather than my name. There is too much shame attached to my family." She pressed her head against his neck.
"It doesn't change how I feel about you.." He replied, moving to look at her. Her body posture spelled out shame, but it shone strongest in her eyes. They were full of a lifetime of regret, though she was very young yet.
"Flare...I don't care about that." He kissed her, pulling her against him and caressing her back. She relaxed against him, relieved that he was accepting. Others had been suspicious of her. Not Aa'zac. Or any of the Elites aboard the Erebus.
Maybe in time she could purge the ill feelings toward her family name. Maybe.