14. Chapter 14

A surprise awaited us when we returned to Aecor. A space transporter was hovering just above the waterline at one of the piers. The outer walls were decorated with the Vissigroth of the Iceland's colors and symbols.

"Darryck!" I shouted as the boat drew nearer and I made out his form on the pier. Next to him stood Vissy Thalia, his wife.

I remembered a time when all of us vissigroths had been more or less at odds with one another. A time before Myccael became our susserayn. The rebellion that took place right before the dragon Grandyr chose Myccael as our new susserayn had brought us vissigroths closer together.

Never in my life would I have called one of my fellow vissigroths a friend, but that's what we had become over the past several years.

"Myles," Darryck waved when he caught sight of us.

I didn't wait until the boat was properly docked, but jumped from it to the pier to embrace my new brother and his wife. "It's good to see you."

"You still look like a rogue." Thalia chided, knowing me and my ways well enough .

Her eyes moved to Niara and a flicker of hope sparked, "And who is that?"

"My hostage, Niara, the sister of the Baron of Horn," I explained, watching amused as Thalia's spark of hope that another human seffy had been added to the group of vissies died and turned into something more like outrage, "Hostage?"

Darryck put an arm around her. "Easy. I'm sure Myles has his reasons." He soothed.

"Niara, may I present the Vissigroth of the Icelands, Darryck and his wife, Vissy Thalia," I formerly introduced before I gave in to the temptation to poke Thalia's temper any further.

By all accounts Thalia had been a meek seffy when she met Darryck, but since I had never witnessed a meek moment with her, I doubted the validity of this claim and I didn't want to provoke her. I liked us being friends much better.

"Please come, be my guests," I invited.

I heard Thalia asking Niara, "Is he treating you right?" before I tuned her and Niara out to talk to Darryck.

"Did Myccael sent you?"

"Zyn, my fleet is orbiting one of your moons, they won't be detected by any Chrymphten scouts. The humans gave us a new form of cloaking technology that should keep us hidden from sight." Darryck explained. "Myccael said you have intel that the Chrymphten will attack Oceanus?"

I led my guests to one of the elevators that would take us up this time. I would have liked to show my other quarters off to Niara in a more intimate setting, but the underwater dome was meant for my private affairs, whereas the penthouse on top of the largest tower was the official seat of my power, my official living quarters, where I received high born guests to impress them with all of Oceanus's splendor.

Niara had changed back into her pants and blouse on the ship, but her bathing suit underneath was still wet and I was glad that I had at least made some arrangements beforehand to have one of the spare closets stocked. A surprise for her. I sighed, a surprise too that wouldn't quite go the way I had planned, but I surrendered myself to the fact that there were more important things at play here right now than to impress a seffy who had so far not shown much interest in me as a male.

Since this was Thalia's first visit here, she and Niara looked equally impressed as the glass elevator took us up higher and higher and the ocean below us together with the boats and piers became smaller and smaller.

"This is amazing," Thalia stated. "Much taller even than your tower," she turned to Darryck.

Darryck cleared his throat and I suppressed a chuckle. Neither of which didn't escape Thalia who rolled her eyes. "Incorrigible males."

The doors opened and we entered my official, private living quarters.

"Will you be staying here or shuttle back and forward to your spaceship?" I asked Darryck.

"It might be more prudent to stay here and have the Syphyre hidden with the rest of the fleet. "

"Very wise," I agreed. "I’ll have quarters for you readied, who else will be joining us?"

"Myccael will lead a fleet to keep a steady patrol of the rest of Leandar system, as well as Vissigroth Mallack and Garwayn, the others will be arriving within the next few days." Darryck filled me in.

"Good, your brother," I tuned to Niara, "should be meeting with the Chrymphten tomorrow and give them the false map of our defenses." I looked back to Darryck, "after that I don't know how long it will take the Chrymphten to attack."

"It's strange they picked Oceanus," Darryck mused.

"Which is probably the reason they did." I replied having had the same thoughts and discussion with Myccael.

"Or opportunity," Niara interjected, turning our attention to her. "It was my brother's stupidity that opened this door for them."

"A valid point." I agreed and filled Darryck and Thalia in on what had transpired between the humans and the Chrymphten.

"Do you think they'll let my brother… return?" Niara asked teary eyed.

"I don't have any reason to believe otherwise," I tried to reassure her, but she was smart enough to pick up on my choice of words and the lack of a promise. She nodded bravely and pulled her lips in.

Servants arrived with drinks and food to lay them out on several of the narrow buffet style tables arranged against one wall for just this purpose .

Before they left, I ordered rooms readied for Darryck, Thalia and Niara as well as the other vissigroths who would soon arrive.

Darryck's left eyebrow arched in a silent question at me and I shrugged it off. His curiosity however was piqued in regards to Niara's and my relationship.

"How are the twins?" I asked Thalia, to distract her and Darryck from asking questions.

"Growing like weeds," Thalia laughed. "They will have a sibling soon," she caressed her rounded belly.

"A sibling?" I teased. "What happened to your supersperm?" I mocked Darryck.

After he had fathered twins he had been insufferable, boasting of his supersperm every chance he got.

"We don't know for sure yet," Darryck pulled his wife into his arms, kissing her forehead gently, "Gods' willing—"

"It’ll be only one." Thalia finished his sentence, boxing him in the side.

"Let's leave the males to their male talk, come, show me around," Thalia pivoted out of Darryck's arm and walked over to Niara.

"I… I don't know. I haven't been here before," Niara admitted.

"Oh, that's fine, let's explore together," Thalia laughed, threading her arm between Niara's and pulling her toward the balcony doors.

“Don’t go too far,” Darryck urged, concern giving his tone a deep edge. He shook his head when he turned to me. His fingers brushed through his hair to keep them busy, I supposed, “The gods only know why I allowed her to come. She can have the baby anytime.”

“Because you love me and don’t want to be without me,” Thalia yelled over her shoulder, eliciting a chuckle from me and another head shake from Darryck.

I had always admired and liked Thalia, but never more than right now. It also didn't escape me, how similar the two seffies were and the thought of Niara as a vissy pleased me with a sudden surge.