Chapter One

“Gods of creation, I love wings.” Via whispered as she swooped down from the peaks, south of Vey-den. The wind was crisp and chill, dryer than that of Aethere. Her blood was from Aethere, the sole child of her mother. She didn't know her father, but what was the point? He'd left them before she was even born, and her mother never married. But her parents were the cause of her wings, regardless of presence.

Via landed some time later, in front of the house of Aeran. It was owned by Korv’r Akasa, son of Vre'k Akasa, lord of Aeran. She knocked, harder than women usually did. Via figured Korv’r would think it would be a man, thus causing him to blush when he saw her. Men were strange, but she loved them anyway, well, one. Korv’r.

She hadn't seen the man in four years, having gone off to Aethere, working whatever jobs would pay. Via wiped a drop of blood from her face, and the back of her hand, onto her skirt. Said skirt went down to her knees, made of denim, a product of Ravena, popular on Xav, where she bought it the year before. Via heard footsteps from inside, due to the other advantage she held due to her blood. Enhanced hearing compared to normal people.

“Hello?” Korv’r asked, looking just above her head, where he presumed a man’s face would be located. He looked down slightly, their height a difference of four inches, and his face paled, then turned red. “Via?” He asked excited, then pulled her into a hug. Korv’r tried to pull away, but Via wrapped her arms behind his head.

“I missed you.” She said simply, pecked his cheek, and let him go. He caught her hands on the way down, then pushed the door back open with his hip.

“I missed you too. Origins, it has been a long time.” He smiled, and let go of one hand, leading Via into the main foyer.

The house was quite large, the house of a lord. Korv’r’s father was away, he was always away, in the capital of Vey-den, in the central city, Kwadra, and had given the house over to Korv’r. The house was a good mile outside the capital of Aeran, Ris, thus the area around was rather empty.

Korv’r sat down on an ottoman, and Via took the seat across. She let go of Korv’r’s hand, and brushed her hair out from her face. “Thank you for the letters.” He said, fidgeting in his seat a bit.

“Of course. I wish I could have sent one more recent. I was saving for enough Adamant to return here.” Via said, Korv’r nodded.

“I tried to visit you, but we just have so little Adamantium. And the stuff from Xav is so expensive.” Korv’r was right, it was the last supply of Adamantium, at least near the Matsvae system. The rest would likely be on Earth or somewhere in the Oran system. Via had never been to either. “Was Fenk, your doing?”

Fenk Vekal was the ambassador from Vey-den to Ravena. A slimy man who did his best to worsen the relationship between Vey-den and Ravena. Ravena used to be a part of the Vey-den nation, a state, some would say, before the splinter war. The other four nations, Aeran, Aecara, Verdana, and Vikron, remained as one. “I was. Bastard needed to go.”

“Good.” Korv’r nodded, then looked back to Via. “Tea?”

“Yes, please.”

He stood, smiling, and headed to the kitchen. He used to have a proper staff, but relieved them after a year, when they found other arrangements. Korv’r didn't want to leave them out to dry, though he detested having people in his home.

“Are you still with the Redwings?” Korv’r asked, returning a short time later with tea. It smelled of mint, Via’s favorite. Mint was rare on Terradine, but was much more common in the world of her ancestors, Aethere.

“In the last 6 months I've arranged it to where they offer jobs, I do not have to accept. I don't trust them or like them.”

“Same here. It scares me you even got involved.”

Via shrugged, “It was a good opportunity. I am to be paid in the coming weeks, when they can smuggle in money and adamantium.” Korv’r perked up at that. She hadn't told him over letter the actual type of payment.

“I hope you aren't kidding,” He said, grasping her free hand.

“Not with you. I dont know how much but alot in value. At least 30 thousand Vere.”

“Gods of creation, what did you do?”

“Nothing I really regret. Mostly assassinations, but also smuggling of a bunch of things.”

“They must value your services.”

“Best of my age, and unassuming.” Via smiled.

Korv’r’s eyes locked on the hand he held, he turned it slightly, revealing the mountain rose. Via snickered, and stood, letting go of his hand, and she pulled off her jacket, revealing her sleeveless shirt. It was more skin than was normal to show on Terradine, except in Yakai or South Oryndal for some reason.

His eyes traced the roses up her arm, and across, near her neck. She turned and showed him the back. “They stop there. I got it done on Xav when I was there briefly.”

“Tattoos? Those haven't been done on Terradine for a century.” His face was bright red, and he looked away as she sat down.

“The neck isn't that low, Kor. But yeah, I havent found them done anywhere, at least as cheaply as on Xav.”

“They look nice on you.” Korv’r smiled, no longer averting his eyes from her. He did avoid looking down, instead focusing on her face. Good man

“Thank you.”

“Are you going to stay a while?”

“Planning on it. Spare room?”

“Much to my dismay, there are dozens I don’t need. You can have the whole west wing for all I care.” Korv’r stood, straightened his shirt, gesturing for her to follow.

She did such, taking her tea with her. The walls were covered mostly in pictures of his family, made with newer devices, from Xav, rather than old paintings. There were a great deal of paintings as well, of past members of his family.

He opened the door, and she walked in. “I'll leave you to rest.” He almost shut the door, but Via wedged a boot in it.

“Mind finding me some proper jeans? I am tired of these stupid skirts.”

“Sure, I’ll be back in a few hours.”

---

Korv’r shut the door as Via was taking her shirt off. She had her back turned, so he only got a glimpse of her, rose tattoos making their way down her shoulder to her mid back. Korv’r’s face felt incredibly hot as he left his residence.

Gods of creation, I love that woman. He had no idea if she felt the same, with the way she bantered, anything was possible. There was so much to catch up on, she’d been 17 when they last met, he had been 18. She left for education in Yakai, but found herself in so many different places over the few years. Korv’r himself had done some schooling, learning the language of Aethere, as well as the odd manufactured mess that was Xavi.

He walked to Verdansk Market, having dismissed his own people months before. It wasn’t a long walk, he lived close to the city, but still a good third of an hour.

“Korv’r, it has been a while.” His buddy Evyel commented, shaking Korv’r’s hand. He was from North Oryndal, having left there as a child, seeking better fortune in the east.

“Hey Ev. It’s good to see you. Are you well?”

“I am. Still busy as always.”

“That’s good to hear.” Korv’r said, walking into his friend's store. “Via is back, seeking jeans.”

Evyel laughed, “That girl was always odd.” He walked to the back of the store, and gestured for Korv’r to follow. As they walked through aisles of clothes and fabric, Korv’r couldn't help but think of Via before she left. Always bubbly and odd, words flowing better than they should, in her second tongue of Vey-den. Her first language, Aethere, was a much more poetic language, flowing like a river through a serene forest. Vey-den was a much sharper tongue, more like a knive cutting rock.

“Here we go.” Evyel said, pulling a smallish cardboard box off the shelf. “I’ve had these for years, I think a shop in Verdana would sell women’s pants better.”

“You’re probably right. They have been more popular but not what you’d need.”

“It may just be publicity. It’s easier to get this stuff here rather than go south.”

“Agreed,” Korv’r nodded, taking the jeans from Evyel. “What do I owe you?”

“Oh don’t worry about it man.”

“You sure?”

“Of course. You’ve been very good to me.” Korv’r nodded, shifting the jeans to his other arm, and shaking Evyel’s hand. “Anything else you need?”

“I’m going to buy some more tea for Via, maybe some breads as well.”

Evyel chuckled, smiling. “Her affinity for Ravena is so strong.”

“I mean she’s been off planet for like 3 years, I can’t really blame her.”

“That’s fair I suppose. Let me know if there is any way I can help you out.” Evyel said, walking Korv’r out to the front of the store.

“Will do.” Korv’r saluted, or well, the Oryndal equivalent, crossing two fingers on each hand, over each other in an X.

The Ravena Bakery was across the street. The ground was cut stone, rather than dirt or grass, like Korv’r's short trek. The smell was wonderful, herbs and salt, fresh baked bread. The Ravena people, and those they influenced, had a love for bread. The Vey-den usually made cakes and other sweeter treats.

“Ekar.” Korv’r nodded, leaning on the granite counter.

“What are you getting today?” Ekar asked, leaning in similar form to Korv’r.

“Well, a good old friend of mine is back from offworld, what’s your best, like home style.”

Ekar nodded, considering. “Well, I can get you a regular loaf, with herbs in a classic Ravena style.”

“Let's do two, and a dozen pretzels.”

“Sure thing,” Ekar said, grabbing some wax paper, and pulling out a sheet tray. He boxed the pretzels in a large cardboard box, and the two loaves in paper bags.

Korv’r got some mint tea from the shop next door, as well as a newer variety of tea, from Xav, modeled after Earth. They called it Lemon tea. As far as Korv’r was aware, its only use was for fish, and maybe some sort of baking. Maybe it will be good, who knows. It sounded worth trying at the least. Korv’r nodded to the woman at the counter, one he had not yet met. She had an interesting look to her, skin more of a tan color. Oran. Korv’r rarely saw them, but there weren't many to be seen.

The Oran system was reclusive as of the last couple centuries, refusing transport off world, probably hoarding Adamantium, and every Umbrir that went there went missing. The rest had no idea why. There were three Oran planets, Lethka, Konra, Vana, all reclusive. There was a newer planet, Kraia, recently colonized by Orani refugees, but it was as secretive as the Oran system proper.

Korv’r re-entered his home, to find Via splayed across the couch. She wore a button down shirt, with clearly missing sleeves.

“What the hell did you do?” Korv’r laughed, sitting the groceries down on a table a few feet from the ottoman.

“I stole a shirt of yours, didn't look like it had been touched in years. I did remove the sleeves, though.” In addition to her oddball nature, and her wings, her blood brought with it her red hair and strangely colored eyes. Most people on Terradine had either Brown or Amber eyes, but Aethere people had mostly blues and greens. Via’s were blue. Korv’r himself had black hair and amber eyes. She sat up, then stalked over to the table where Korv’r was.

“Jeans, hopefully your size, breads and Tea.”

“You, dear Kor, are a miracle worker.”

Korv’r smiled, “I certainly can be when I want to.”