“There is nothing you need to say. I felt I needed to explain who I am. Where I came from. How I came to be where I am today. Why the Norvalian Sect is so important to me. You see, Ella, I was arrogant. Proud. Foolish. And while I may have been justified in my actions to some ways of thinking, I could have achieved my ends without the loss of life. But being righteous was intoxicating, and I was glad to have an excuse to act as I did. But then, one day, I made a mistake. One that changed my life forever.”
“What happened?”
A sad smile creased his lips. “I defended myself. A friend of someone I had publicly embarrassed. Not even a violent encounter, but the man lost face and his reputation was sullied. His friend came to his defense to exact revenge, and when I defended myself, I got carried away. You have to understand, it was four against one, but while the other three would not be missed, it seemed the fourth I slayed that day was the son of a powerful magistrate.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Yes. I may have been justified, but that wouldn’t matter. Not to a man of his means and power.”
“What did you do? Did you run?”
“I couldn’t. There was no way I could make it to a spaceport before they caught up with me. So I did the one thing I could. The only thing. I ran to the Norvalians and asked for shelter. They took me in, as they would, and they protected me so long asI was within their walls. But I would always be a wanted man. I could never leave.”
“But you did. You’re here, right? You’re free.”
“Yes, though that was achieved the one way I actually could leave those grounds. As you know, I joined the Norvalian Sect. But, you see, it is not so easy as just swearing an oath. Words are not enough. One must pass through several trials of faith before being accepted. One cannot simply fake their way into our ranks. I learned this the hard way, firsthand, believe me.”
“You tried to fake your way in? How very un-priestly of you.”
“You could say that. But then the most wonderful thing happened. After spending nearly two years within those walls, living among the Norvalians, learning their ways and beliefs, I evolved. I became a changed man. I was reborn and renewed, and when I did finally pass the trials, it was as a true follower of the sect’s path. From then it was several years of travel, putting in the work, as they say, until I arrived here.”
“And now look at you.”
“Look at me indeed. I’ve found a home here. Brotherhood. A good life.”
“Seems that way,” she said, staring up at his strong features with a little flush of heat in her belly and a fluttering in her heart. “There’s more to you than meets the eye, Draikis. Those waters run deep.”
“So I’ve heard. But what of you? Traveling far from home, and at the hands of the Raxxians, no less. And despite all you have suffered, here you are, thriving. You’re quite a fighter, Ella. But in all this time, you’ve spoken so little of your world. I did not wish to press, but I truly would like to learn more of where you are from.”
“What do you want to know? We’re not anywhere near as advanced as you guys. We probably seem like a bunch of primitives by comparison.”
“Nonsense! We have all manner of races under the Dotharians, and all are just as much a part of the conglomerate as the others.”
“I don’t know about that,” she said, a bit shy but also warm with the joy of the look in his eyes. Draikis wasn’t just paying lip service to the pretty woman. He showed genuine interest. He waslistening, and unlike so many, he was not waiting for the opportunity to add his own input.
And yet another green flag,she mused.
“Well?” he asked, his eyes bright and expectant.
“Well… I guess the first thing is that my world is mostly water. I mean, it has a lot of land, but the first people in space called it a blue marble, and the nickname kind of stuck.”
“Blue Marble. That has a rather poetic ring to it.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” she mused. “I guess I don’t really think about it from an outsider’s perspective.”
“We often fail to perceive another’s view. Our daily existence sometimes lulls us into complacency and the exceptional can be forgotten. Or, if not forgotten, perhaps overlooked. And there is much beauty to appreciate, often closer than we allow ourselves to realize.”
Ella’s lips curled into a little grin, her hand tightly intertwined with his.
“And what else? Vast, blue oceans, which sound marvelous. But what of the land? What of your home? What’s it like where you are from? Your life? How do you begin your days?”
“Curious one, aren’t you?”
“You know about me, Ella. It is only natural that I want to know about you. Is that really so strange?” He squeezed her hand, their arms swinging in perfect time, their steps in unison as easy as breathing.
They walked and walked, any of the ball of stress that may have been lingering in her belly dissipating with every step, replaced by a feeling of absolute joy. Of comfort. Of home.
Eventually they turned back for the compound, their hands separating as the walls of his home came into sight but still grazing as they walked side-by-side, arms and shoulders bumping like giddy teenagers on a first date.
