Chapter 3

Atlas

Grinding my teeth with aggravation, I forced myself to keep a neutral expression on my face as I observed Ajustus Agar grandstanding once again. As Chancellor of our homeworld's Capital City Japhyr, he pretty much ruled over our people. And did he ever love reminding everyone of his status. It boggled my mind that he kept getting reelected each time his mandate ended, considering how the majority of the citizens hated him.

Sadly, he always won fairly, making it impossible for us to depose him.

"After your previous egregious failure, I dare hope the Black Guard will do much better in protecting the Prism once he's returned to us. Allowing him to be kidnapped is nothing short of treason," Ajustus snarled, his yellow wings deployed to the maximum to make himself look bigger and more imposing.

By the Lights, how was any of that our fault? The Prism was taken in Thesia, another large city located a three-day flight from here. In theory, Thesia's Black Guards could be blamed for that failure. But in reality, their population had grown so complacent that no guards had been assigned to little Xarin. My tongue burned with the urge to point these facts out. By the looks on the faces of my unit, they also ached to set the record straight. As that would be pointless and only give Ajustus more motives to berate us in self-righteous indignation, I kept my peace. At least, my highly-trained warriors displayed their impeccable discipline and also remained stoic.

If he only knew how much my hands itched to tear off his antennae and shred his wings. However powerful his magic, he wouldn't stand a chance against me or any of my guards.

"Thankfully, and with my full collaboration, my high-ranking off-world contact's troops were able to find and rescue the Prism. Ambassador Linsea Voln will arrive any minute now to return our beloved Xarin. I expect you to keep the peace among the attendees and bring no further shame to your forces."

It took every shred of my willpower not to roll my eyes in disbelief. Of course, the pompous narcissist would try to take credit for the rescue of the young Prism. Before the off-worlder female named Linsea contacted him earlier today, the Chancellor had been just as panicked as the rest of us at the thought of what would befall our world should Xarin not be recovered in time, if ever.

"You will not find our performance lacking," I replied as diplomatically as I could.

"See that I don't, Razus Atlas," Ajustus said in that haughty tone that always got under my scales.

With this, the foul male turned around and headed out of the antechamber we were standing in and into the Great Hall. A good thing, too, because I doubted my warriors and I would manage to rein ourselves in much longer.

Although he wasn't actually our monarch, Ajustus strutted his way in, his chin high, chest puffed out to further display his lustrous golden fur, and his wings spread out to flaunt they're bright yellow color, orange gradients, and blue eyespots that marked him as a powerful polychromatic. Considering what a formidable fire mage those colors would have made him with proper training, it always surprised me he hadn't followed a Warrior or Hunter career. Then again, he wasn't selfless enough to put his life on the line in the defense of others.

Like in most governmental buildings and large social gathering places, the Great Hall would almost be deemed depressing by Promethean standards. While stunning in its design with four-meter-high vaulted ceilings, intricate carvings adorning the ceilings and walls, the dominance of white and gray everywhere clashed with the otherwise colorful pallets used elsewhere.

The Black Guard faced a lot of resistance when they demanded such changes a few generations ago. The Senate, Great Hall, courthouse and Grand Plaza all used to be awash with every possible color to meet the needs of the people. However, having such readily available sources to channel from enabled great tragedies when disgruntled criminals unleashed their lethal powers unto unsuspecting victims. As very few people could channel magic using white or gray, it significantly reduced the risk of unfortunate incidents.

With their usual discipline, my guards spread out in front of the colorful crowd that filled both sides of the rectangular hall. A single glance confirmed that, as usual, the vast majority of the nearly one hundred people allowed inside were Polychromatics, wealthy, or highly influential. Monochromatic Prometheans—or worse, Achromatic ones like my guards and I—were not deemed good enough for such an important event.

While we didn't expect any type of criminal activity, we needed to be ready to intervene at the first sign of trouble. We had no reason to expect any threat to the Prism. Our people quite literally worshiped him. But that same religious fervor sometimes prompted certain people to throw themselves at him. It only took one to get a mass movement of people rushing the Prism to receive his blessing or merely to touch him. In this instance, as he was still inside his chrysalis, a mob might damage the cocoon, forcing Xarin to expend energy to repel them that he should otherwise keep for his maturation.

Moments after we finished taking our positions, the foreign device Chancellor Ajustus had been given by the off-worlders started beeping.

"They're coming!" Ajustus exclaimed, his voice bubbling with excitement.

A hush descended over the crowd. Their palpable excitement reflected the one I felt. It wasn't just the fact that I would be in the presence of a Prism—which in itself was the blessing of a lifetime—but also the fact that we would see off-worlders again. They were the strangest beings we ever beheld.

The ripping sound of thunderclap resonated through the hall, and a giant dark portal opened in the wide space at the bottom of the elevated dais upon which Ajustus stood. To his left and right, six on each side, the members of the Senate looked on.

I stared in awe as a human first stepped out of the swirling dark circle that acted as a gateway between distant planets and ours. As powerful as Promethean magic was, none of us could perform something so incredible it defied logic.

I recognized the human male as Tedrik Wilson. He escorted the Shimli Survivors back home—our brethren who had previously been abducted by a feline-looking species to perform experiments on a hallucinogenic leaf. Seconds later, a bird-like female also came out of the portal. I had seen her as well that previous time. She acted as an ambassador for a coalition of planets. It still boggled my mind that those strangers had developed the technology to fly off their homeworld and visited each other so frequently they ended up forming an alliance. I couldn't even begin to fathom how they built something capable of such a feat.

Her appearance still threw me off. I struggled to come to terms with the fact that she was a bipedal, sentient, and talking bird. Granted, her body had much in common with ours, with two arms, two legs, and a pair of wings. But her face entirely belonged to a bird, including a beak. The three segments of her legs, complete with talons, further reinforced her avian appearance. And yet, there was no denying that she was a person, not an animal.

The most disturbing part though was the presence of a White Achromatic in our midst. Seeing her that first time sent the population into a panic. Whites were too dangerous to be allowed near populated areas. They weren't evil, far from it. But as they could channel every color, all it took was for them to lose control during an emotional peak to blast enough energy to raze a city to the ground. It was only once our Archmagus confirmed she didn't possess the ability to channel colors that people calmed down. And yet, their discomfort lingered as they watched her approach the dais.

"Greetings, Chancellor Ajustus," the female bird said in a melodic voice. I had forgotten just how pleasant and soothing it sounded. "Thank you for receiving us on such short notice."

"Ambassador Linsea, Officer Tedrick, it is a pleasure to see you again, especially under such circumstances. Of course, everything is secondary to seeing to the welfare of the Prism," he said in that pompous fashion he loved taking in public.

That the off-worlder addressed him by his given name further supported his claims of having a close relationship with them. Naturally, he addressed them the same way to make sure everyone knew of their special rapport.

By the Eternal Lights, how I despise that male.

To my shock, the large portal closed. The same confused—not to say worried—look settled on every face. Even Ajustus' boastful expression gave way to a frown.

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Ajustus asked, failing miserably to hide the suspicion seeping into his voice.

"He is coming," Linsea said in a reassuring tone. "He's currently with his chosen Prima, a lovely woman named Venus Bello. As she is unfamiliar with your people, and you with her, we thought it would be preferable for Tedrick and I to be here to receive her and the Prism. She might be lost and confused, and we wouldn't want any unfortunate diplomatic incident to occur while returning young Xarin to his people."

The Chancellor's shoulders slightly relaxed, as did the tension that had begun to take root among the attendees.

"That is a sound approach," Ajustus conceded.

"We want things to go smoothly," Linsea continued. "Venus is also looking forward to returning to her own life once she has discharged this important duty."

I repressed a smile. That female was growing on me. I never considered myself much of a diplomat, but I could appreciate it when someone defused a situation with tact while also putting people in their place. Indeed, the female Xarin claimed as his Prima had no reason to feel particularly blessed by what would likely be a burden for her. A non-Promethean would undoubtedly resent being shackled against their will to someone they understood nothing about.

"Of course," Ajustus replied, his smile a little strained this time. "We appreciate the sacrifice the Prima made on behalf of Xarin. We look forward to setting her free."

As if in response to that comment, another thunderclap resonated in the room followed by the appearance of a new portal. This time again, another male walked out first. While he also had a pale skin like Tedrick, his hair was a coppery reddish hue instead of black. I caught myself involuntarily nodding in approval. Between his white skin and reddish hair, he could invoke decent combat magic as well. But as Ambassador Voln said the Prima was a female, I stretched my neck to see who else would come out.

To my dismay, the female in question turned out to be a brown-colored Monochromatic. Despite sharing their shock, my guards and I quickly silenced the disbelieving murmur that rose from the attendees by glaring sternly at them.

Such a choice for a guardian defied logic. Granted, brown Monochromatics—especially those with her specific shade—could display powerful earth magic. Her skin tone was found abundantly in nature, from the rich soil to ancestral trees. But didn't her black hair cursed her with the same limited magic that Achromatic Prometheans like my guards and I possessed?

Or does it shield her like it shields us?

Only then did I notice the lovely shade of red on her plush lips and on her nails. Brown and red were a powerful combination. Had it been in her hair, she would have combined respectable earth and firepower, likely strong enough to hurl molten lava at an enemy. But was such a small amount of red on her enough to invoke that kind of magic?

On further inspection, it suddenly struck me that the red shading on her lips and nails wasn't integral to her, but aesthetic additions. Could she still use them to channel color magic? After all, Prometheans also wore accessories in the colors they could channel in case they were stuck in an environment where that color wasn't naturally present.

Despite the extensive amount of clothes covering her, Venus shared many of our female's traits. Her body was quite harmonious and perfectly drawn. Her nose, lips, and the oval shape of her face would be deemed very attractive among my people. But those strange eyes, too small and with irises and pupils like animals unsettled me. The absence of frontal scales, the lack of antennae, and especially the missing wings took away too much.

By the Lights, I had so many questions about that species. It saddened me that Venus Bello couldn't stay a little longer. I would love to pick her mind about her people and the worlds beyond.

As soon as the Prism came out of the portal, following the human on a cushioned floating platform, the entire crowd started clapping their wings, the soft humming hailing the return of our savior with the proper level of deference. My own wings joined in on the clapping with a will of their own. I felt humbled to be in his presence.

The human Prima seemed slightly taken aback by this greeting. The way her eyes, as dark as her hair, flicked this way and that, we probably looked just as strange to her as she did to us. However, I saw no fright or disgust on her surprisingly pleasant features. In truth, a hefty dose of awe superseded her understandable curiosity.

"My dear Venus, here you are," Linsea said in a warm tone as soon as the clapping stopped.

There was something incredibly welcoming and soothing in the way that female spoke. Even though the words had not been addressed to me, I instantly felt the desire to smile.

"Hello, again Linsea," Venus said.

Her polished, throaty voice felt like a warm summer breeze flowing over my skin at the moment of initiating a flight. Her accent made it even more enthralling. As I understood it, most off-worlders were implanted at a young age with a galactic translation device. While they also learned a common language called Universal, they used the device to be able to converse with species that either couldn't speak it due to anatomical limitations or struggled to master it because of too great a difference in thought or speech pattern.

In our case, we didn't speak Universal—although Chancellor Ajustus had hinted we would need to in the near future. Therefore, their leading organization called the UPO had included our language into their device. It then sent signals to their brains, allowing them to speak their thoughts in our tongue. As their muscles had not been trained to pronounce certain sounds—or maybe they lacked the ability to form them—it made for a delightful accent.

"Venus, this is Chancellor Ajustus Agar, leader of the Promethean Capital City Japhyr," Linsea said, waving at Ajustus. "Chancellor, this is Venus Bello, the Prism's temporary Prima and rescuer."

"Greetings, Chancellor Agar," Venus said.

I instantly loved the polite way she responded, with the proper level of deference due to his rank but without the obsequiousness people far too often gave him. I always hated it when people fell all over themselves merely for being in the presence of some high-ranking personality.

"Greetings to you, Venus Bello," Ajustus said.

Although his tone couldn't be found lacking, I knew the wretch enough to read contempt and superiority in his demeanor. While it surprised me that Xarin chose a Monochromatic Prima, Ajustus likely found it offensive that she received such a tremendous honor. My hatred for the male cranked up another notch.

"Thank you for finding and returning our Prism. We are in your debt," Ajustus continued in an appropriate tone. "I will be happy to take over his care."

As he spoke those words to her, his gaze shifted greedily towards Xarin's shimmering chrysalis. That didn't go unnoticed, and Venus narrowed her eyes at him in a subtle fashion. That piqued my curiosity. Although nothing in her behavior betrayed that sentiment, at a visceral level, I sensed she was an excellent judge of character and instantly disliked Ajustus.

That made me like her.

"Are you his father?" Venus asked.

Under different circumstances, I might have burst out laughing at the offended expression that settled on the Chancellor's face and in response to the hushed gasps that rose from the crowd. Ajustus essentially imposed himself as Xarin's new Primus. Many mumbled about it, but no one voiced their objection. Although the human had asked the question in a totally innocent tone, I didn't miss the underlying challenge, and neither had Ajustus.

"I am not Xarin's sire," he replied stiffly. "His parents are dead, murdered by the off-worlders who abducted him. An unfortunate turn of events. But their survival wouldn't have made much of a difference, anyway."

Venus visibly recoiled, while Linsea flinched.

"Excuse me?" Venus asked, outrage seeping into her voice.

"Parents rarely keep the guardianship of the Prism," Ajustus said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Therefore, even if they still lived today, the likelihood of Xarin remaining in their care would be slim. Each prismatic generation chooses the person best suited for such an honorific role until the Prism ascends."

He puffed out his chest as he spoke those last words, making it clear he was referring to himself. Although subtle, I didn't miss the way Venus's stare hardened. I shared her disgust. While his words were correct in that the birth parents rarely took on the Primus role, he didn't need to be so callous and dismissive of their deaths.

"I see," Venus replied in a noncommittal fashion.

"Well, thank you again for your service," Ajustus said, clearly impatient to put an end to this. "What compensation can we offer you for the inconvenience?"

This time, Venus made no effort to hide how contemptible she found his words. Even I bristled at such rudeness. If he wanted to reward her for her heroic actions, he should have merely presented her with the gift. By asking what compensation she required, he turned her act of altruism into a basic mercantile transaction if she listed anything.

"I require no compensation," Venus said in a clipped tone. "No one should be taken from their home without their consent. I'm glad I was able to make sure this innocent child—and one visibly important to your people—is now safely back where he belongs. But as I relinquish my duty, it is only natural that I should inquire who will now look after him."

"There is nothing for you to concern yourself about," Ajustus said in a haughty tone. "Your part is done. And we're grateful for it."

Venus pinched her lips. Although clearly displeased by this interaction, she kept her thoughts to herself. However, it was the troubled expression on Linsea's face that held my attention. She glanced in turn at Xarin then at Venus, a frown creasing her feathery brow.

"Goodbye then, Chancellor," Venus said in a polite voice devoid of any warmth before turning to the chrysalis. "And goodbye, little Xarin," she added in a much softer tone.

To our collective shock, she raised her palm as if to caress the cocoon only to catch herself at the last second. For a brief instant, I wondered if the Prism had stopped her, or if she reined herself in out of respect. But my antennae quivered as the haunting melody of the Prism's song soared in the room. A shiver ran down my spine, and I felt heated to my core, as if the heavenly Lights had wrapped around me in a warm embrace.

The song wasn't aimed at me or any of the other attendees, but at Venus. I knew beyond any doubt that the enticing melody prompted her to press her palm against the chrysalis after all. She gave it a couple of gentle caresses, and its surface shimmered like the dancing lights that sometimes lit up the northern skies.

A wistful smile stretched her lips before she pulled her hand away. The song ended, snapping her out of the trance-like state it had put her in. Stunned, she glanced at her palm as if expecting to see something in it. She blinked, finding it unchanged before peering inquisitively at Xarin. She shook her head as if something didn't make sense then started heading towards the portal.

To my surprise, Ambassador Linsea didn't follow Venus. Instead, she tilted her head in that strange way birds often did when they observed something. Seconds later, Venus's steps faltered, and her hand flew to her throat, as if she was struggling to breathe.

"Impossible!" Ajustus hissed.

Venus turned around, shock and confusion visible on her features. She backtracked towards the chrysalis, and instantly appeared to be able to breathe more easily.

"What's going on? You're home!" Venus said to the cocoon, with obvious confusion.

Despite my own wish to bear witness to what was happening, I forced myself to focus on the crowd that was becoming agitated at this unexpected turn of event.

Unexpected for everyone but the Ambassador.

Among all those present, Ambassador Linsea was the only one who didn't look shocked. It then dawned on me that, as an empath, she felt Xarin's reluctance at letting Venus go just yet. That likely explained her disturbed expression earlier.

"Prism, you no longer need the human," Ajustus said in an imperious tone while descending the three steps of the dais to come stand next to the hovering platform upon which the chrysalis rested. "You are among your people. I will watch over you and protect you until the time of your ascension comes."

He reached a hand towards the chrysalis to touch it in an appeasing fashion similar to what Venus previously did.

He never made contact.

The cocoon's mesmerizing shimmering colors turned into a toxic green while a series of spikes spread all over its surface. The Chancellor recoiled, yanking his hand back seconds before he would have touched one of the most virulent toxins on Sylvar. Although I doubted the Prism would have given him a lethal dose, the toxin would have had Ajustus writhing on the floor in agony for hours if not days until he purged it out of his system.

His golden scales darkened over his beige skin, making them stand out even more in this public humiliation. The crowd erupted in shouts and gasps, quickly followed by increasingly loud arguments that their leader and presumed official Primus should be so soundly rejected.

"Calm!" I shouted, raising my palms and spreading my black wings to draw the frantic crowd's attention. "Calm! Control yourselves!"

My guards also spread their wings and echoed my words. All of us prayed we wouldn't need to move to more coercive methods. Whenever the Black Guard had to discipline Polychromatics or the elite, the latter always made sure to retaliate in all manners of underhanded methods against every Monochromatics and Achromatics. They had the wealth and power to get away with it.

"Ajustus!" Senator Caius called in a booming voice that instantly claimed everyone's curiosity. "It appears the Prism still wants the human as his Prima."

I didn't miss the mockery in his voice as he spoke those words. His indigo wings testified to his gentler disposition as he was on the calm spectrum. But their yellow eyespots also hinted at the searing nature that lurked behind that stoicism. As a high-ranking member of the Senate, he could have easily claimed the role of Chancellor, especially since he never hid his disapproval of Ajustus in that role. And yet, not once in the past three elections had he presented himself as a candidate for the position.

"That is not possible or acceptable!" Ajustus exclaimed. "By law, only a Promethean can be a Primus to the Prism. She is an off-worlder who knows nothing of our ways, and who is eager to go back to her own life."

"True though this may be, the fact remains that Xarin has chosen her and refuses to let her go. So, she will just have to become a Promethean."