expecting as a captain…I just knew that whatever it was, he was on the other end of the spectrum.
"Captain Xiaolang," Guin continued, oblivious to my surprise, "This is Magus Rhebengarthen, and Witch L-Chattamoinita Delheart."
" Ainlie." He extended a hand in greeting, so I accepted it, hand clasping his forearm.
Then I nearly dropped it in surprise.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and the grip he had on my arm tightened. "You know what I am."
That wasn't true. I had no idea what he was; I just knew that he wasn't completely normal. He wasn't magical, precisely, but I was feeling something in him that was different, something…something that felt like the warmth of a lantern's light. "Chatta," I pleaded in a strained voice, "please tell me what I'm sensing from him."
My best friend hissed in a shocked breath. "He's Q'atalian!"
He's what?! My Jaunten blood was pouring knowledge into my head, but all of it was telling me that no Q'atalian would ever voluntarily be a soldier. I was more than surprised now, I was dumbfounded. Judging from the expression on my king's face, so was he.
"This is amazing," Xiaolang stated in growing enthusiasm. "I have no real magic in me, but you both can detect it? Well, your king has not exaggerated your abilities, certainly."
Finally it hit me what I was sensing in him. All Q'atalians were empaths—his emphatic ability was close enough to magic that I could sense it. "No magic," I confirmed hoarsely. "But you're an empath."
"Indeed," he agreed with a brilliant smile. "And I can feel both of you very clearly. King Guin," he dropped my hand and turned to face Guin. "You have given me very good people to work with."
It took a second for Guin to get his mouth working again. "Two of my best," Guin acknowledged.
I blushed at hearing this, and when I took a peek at Chatta, I saw that she was just as embarrassed as I was.
Xiaolang was apparently amused at our reactions, but took pity and diverted the conversation away from the topic. "Let me introduce the rest of the Red Hand. This is Shield Garbracen, my first lieutenant."
Shield was a stocky man with shockingly light hair and dark skin, but his manner was easy enough, the smile he gave us genuine. " Ain ."
"Hazard Harewood, my Intelligence Officer," Xiaolang continued, indicating a bear of a man who was sprawled comfortably in a chair. Hazard only waved a hello and smiled, not offering a more verbal greeting, but something about him said that he was an easy person to get along with.
"Aletha Saboton, Infiltration Specialist and overall Queen of sneaky and underhanded tactics." Xiaolang flashed the woman a teasing smile.
"One day, Captain, we're going to have a little 'discussion' on the way you introduce me," Aletha promised direly.
"I look forward to it," Xiaolang promised with a mischievous wink.
She frowned at him, but smiled when she greeted us. " Ainlie ." It was almost odd to see a woman in uniform, especially one as darkly lovely as Aletha was, but she somehow fit into the group with ease. She certainly had no qualms about taking her captain to task.
"And last but never least, Eagle Sevar, who is our Language Specialist."
Eagle was tall, with bleached hair and golden brown eyes. In fluent Chahirese he turned to me and said, " De Evana ."
I blinked at hearing this from a Solian, but responded out of sheer reflex. " De Evana. Evana anata te dame ."
I could swear his ears perked slightly. "Are you from Tobadorage?"
My jaw dropped before I could catch it. "How did you know that?"
"Your accent," he explained enthusiastically. "Everyone from Tobadorage has a habit of stressing their a's. This is wonderful; you can coach us better on how to blend in than I can."
Xiaolang was nodding in agreement. "Very helpful indeed. Having a Chahiran along will be very beneficial."
I foresaw a lot of language and cultural lessons in my foreseeable future.
Guin cleared his throat slightly to catch our attention. "Garth, Chatta, I'm sure that I
"Captain Xiaolang," Guin continued, oblivious to my surprise, "This is Magus Rhebengarthen, and Witch L-Chattamoinita Delheart."
" Ainlie." He extended a hand in greeting, so I accepted it, hand clasping his forearm.
Then I nearly dropped it in surprise.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and the grip he had on my arm tightened. "You know what I am."
That wasn't true. I had no idea what he was; I just knew that he wasn't completely normal. He wasn't magical, precisely, but I was feeling something in him that was different, something…something that felt like the warmth of a lantern's light. "Chatta," I pleaded in a strained voice, "please tell me what I'm sensing from him."
My best friend hissed in a shocked breath. "He's Q'atalian!"
He's what?! My Jaunten blood was pouring knowledge into my head, but all of it was telling me that no Q'atalian would ever voluntarily be a soldier. I was more than surprised now, I was dumbfounded. Judging from the expression on my king's face, so was he.
"This is amazing," Xiaolang stated in growing enthusiasm. "I have no real magic in me, but you both can detect it? Well, your king has not exaggerated your abilities, certainly."
Finally it hit me what I was sensing in him. All Q'atalians were empaths—his emphatic ability was close enough to magic that I could sense it. "No magic," I confirmed hoarsely. "But you're an empath."
"Indeed," he agreed with a brilliant smile. "And I can feel both of you very clearly. King Guin," he dropped my hand and turned to face Guin. "You have given me very good people to work with."
It took a second for Guin to get his mouth working again. "Two of my best," Guin acknowledged.
I blushed at hearing this, and when I took a peek at Chatta, I saw that she was just as embarrassed as I was.
Xiaolang was apparently amused at our reactions, but took pity and diverted the conversation away from the topic. "Let me introduce the rest of the Red Hand. This is Shield Garbracen, my first lieutenant."
Shield was a stocky man with shockingly light hair and dark skin, but his manner was easy enough, the smile he gave us genuine. " Ain ."
"Hazard Harewood, my Intelligence Officer," Xiaolang continued, indicating a bear of a man who was sprawled comfortably in a chair. Hazard only waved a hello and smiled, not offering a more verbal greeting, but something about him said that he was an easy person to get along with.
"Aletha Saboton, Infiltration Specialist and overall Queen of sneaky and underhanded tactics." Xiaolang flashed the woman a teasing smile.
"One day, Captain, we're going to have a little 'discussion' on the way you introduce me," Aletha promised direly.
"I look forward to it," Xiaolang promised with a mischievous wink.
She frowned at him, but smiled when she greeted us. " Ainlie ." It was almost odd to see a woman in uniform, especially one as darkly lovely as Aletha was, but she somehow fit into the group with ease. She certainly had no qualms about taking her captain to task.
"And last but never least, Eagle Sevar, who is our Language Specialist."
Eagle was tall, with bleached hair and golden brown eyes. In fluent Chahirese he turned to me and said, " De Evana ."
I blinked at hearing this from a Solian, but responded out of sheer reflex. " De Evana. Evana anata te dame ."
I could swear his ears perked slightly. "Are you from Tobadorage?"
My jaw dropped before I could catch it. "How did you know that?"
"Your accent," he explained enthusiastically. "Everyone from Tobadorage has a habit of stressing their a's. This is wonderful; you can coach us better on how to blend in than I can."
Xiaolang was nodding in agreement. "Very helpful indeed. Having a Chahiran along will be very beneficial."
I foresaw a lot of language and cultural lessons in my foreseeable future.
Guin cleared his throat slightly to catch our attention. "Garth, Chatta, I'm sure that I
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