Reborn From the Cosmos

Miniarc-Ambitious Aberrant 08

“I guess we should start with introductions…though that feels wrong.”

Little Water thought back to their first meeting, to how she had handled her human back when they knew nothing of each other besides the stories fed to them by their elders. He was a cautious creature at heart. He had no appetite for conflict despite being raised in it and had latched onto the chance to talk to his supposed enemies with startling enthusiasm.

Keeping in mind his skittish nature, she forsook her first thought of sitting beside him. Instead, she pulled the lounge chair closer to the couch, sitting in it sideways and draping her tail over one of the arms.

“What do you remember?”

“Enough that I can guess who you are. What you are to me. But whenever I try to focus on specific memories…” He grimaced. “It’s like there’s a blizzard raging in my mind, obscuring everything. Sometimes, I can see something through the snow but it’s only flashes and fuzzy outlines. I can’t even find your name.”

“Little Water.”

“Should be Tall Water.”

I wouldn’t call you little. Maybe Tall Water.

She smiled as she recalled the memory of their first true conversation. Her sister might have hollowed him, but he was still her human. “I’m not that tall. You’re short.”

His lips turned up in a smirk before he frowned with confusion. “I usually hate it when people say that.”

“Because you are average.”

“Ha! That’s right. Average just means short for men.”

“I told you I liked your size. It was easy for you to move through the warren.”

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“Yes…I was there. I remember being shocked, amazed, terrified…but I don’t know by what.”

“I showed you our way of life. How we thrived in the harsh cold without slaughtering other creatures or each other. You wished the same for your people. You wondered what they could be if unchained from the burden of a pointless war. We used to lie on the cold floor of my room, huddled for warmth as we discussed it.”

Khan dropped his head, avoiding her stare. “Something in me knows that’s right. I feel things. I just can’t connect those feelings to memories. To you.” He looked up, features twisted in distaste. “I agreed to this?”

“You did, but you didn’t have much choice. Neither of us did.”

“That feels right too. But I wanted to do it…didn’t I?”

“You did. You wanted to show the brood that humans could sacrifice for the good of the world. The good thing is that you made progress there. None of my sisters are ready to support an alliance with humanity but a few were interested in you. They see you as an exception.”

“All it takes for the exception to become the rule is time and dedication. Victorians weren’t always insane.”

“You said that before too.”

They lapsed into comfortable silence, ignoring the awkward edges of it. Things were different now and it was doubtful that they’d ever be the same. However, they were the same people. They still wanted the same thing. The path they walked might have had an unexpected bend, but they still walked it together. For now, that was good enough.

“What do we do?” he asked. His wistful tone said he didn’t expect an answer, but Little Water was already contemplating the same question.

“You once again surrender your mind to those who would poke around in it.”

“It’ll be hard to work up the same enthusiasm, now that I know what it feels like. Not that it matters. I don’t really have a choice this time either.”

“The woes of the weak.”

“That feels familiar.”

Her tail lashed her seat. “We both know what it feels like to be overshadowed by greater talent.”

“Ah. So, what will you do?”

Her tail lashed faster. “I…don’t know.”

Khan raised his head and stared at her blankly. “You don’t know?”

“I didn’t plan very far ahead.” One thought had motivated her journey. In the brood, she had no power. Her every action needed sanctioning by those who thought little of her and less of her ideas. Leaving the north was risky, but at least she would have autonomy, the freedom to exert what little influence she had on the important people connected to her dream. “The odds were against me making it this far.”

Or maybe not. Unlike her, her father did have a plan and there was a good chance she was a part of it.

Khan laughed ruefully. “What a pair we make.”

“Do you have doubts?”

He shook his head. “No. Our chance of success is so small it might as well be nonexistent, but that’s still better than the hundred percent chance that Victory will fall if it continues as is. They’ll march too far, they’ll lose too many, or a James will fail to live up to their fanatical standards. Blood and delusions hold the fort together and neither of them are infinite.”

“Then there’s no choice but to move forward.” She stilled her tail, doing her best to project an air of confidence. “I have some idea of what needs to be done.”

“Oh?”

“Mm. There are two things we need to do.” She laced her fingers to keep her claws from digging into the furniture. “The first is to ingratiate ourselves to Lou. Her words decide your reputation in the north. She is your warden. She holds both of our lives in her hands and has the strength to do with them as she pleases.”

“Not to mention my father likes her.”

“He does? You told me he doesn’t like anyone.”

“He doesn’t, or so I thought. At the very least he respects her. Letting me leave Victory was a risk, very close to breaking the iron-clad ideology of the James family. He wouldn’t trust just anyone to carry that responsibility.”

“That just gives more weight to the second thing we need to accomplish; we must convince Lou to support the estrazi-human alliance.” Little Water’s biggest concern was convincing Great Mother. The humans were stubborn, but they were weak. If necessary, the brood could enforce peace unto them until they realized its benefits and grew accustomed to its comforts.

The only beings that could force anything on the matriarch of the estrazi were the majesties. It would take something similar to even catch her attention. If there was one thing that could do it, it was the presence of a second agent. The Outsider was one of the greatest threats to the world. For good or ill, when the brood became aware of Lou, she would have their undivided attention.

The brood didn’t need an alliance with the humans, but they’d certainly be interested in subverting Lou. If Little Water could convince one of the Outsider’s agents to work against its influence, to be a force for order rather than chaos…

Well, she wouldn’t be Little Water anymore. They’d probably have to invent a new title for her. Great Diplomat. Great Thinker. Or perhaps she would become an Eye if the brood took her scheming to be a lesser act of her father’s fate reading.

“How do you plan to do that?” Khan asked, rousing her from her musings. “That’s a lot of trouble for anyone.”

“I just have to make sure there are ample rewards.” Whether they could do it was without doubt. The brood had more than enough to tempt even the most steadfast soul. The true challenge was convincing her sisters to part with their treasures.