“It is a beautiful garden. I shall show you the way.”
Mina took his offered elbow after a small hesitation, and Voso’s heart was pierced again by a sharp pain, but it ebbed when she relaxed as they walked, her small body warm against his skin, her hands around his bicep trustingly.
* * *
“It’s… beautiful,” Mina breathed, as they entered the gardens. She released Voso’s arm and rushed to the stone balcony that overlooked the many acres of natural landscape and stone ruins enclosed in the memorial.
“Mozok created it,” Voso told her, after giving her a few moments to take in the initial view of the old stone pathways and bridges over little creeks, the mossy walls of centuries-old ruins, and the great, tasteful monument to the fallen Herstrakaa soldiers of the Great War. Beneath the canopy of glass and carved stone that served as an enormous atrium, the sight was breathtaking.
“Oh!” Mina said, stepping back until she was standing against Voso’s chest, where she stayed, as an enormous Herak soared through the air and sang to them before landing at the balcony.
Voso enclosed Mina with one arm to signal that she was safe and moved with her toward the bird. “It is a harmless bird,” he told her, extending his hand to the great animal. “It has a frightening appearance to Humans, but it is a… domesticated animal?” The Herak reached its beak out toward Voso’s hand and rubbed it affectionately before fixing its eyes on Mina and clucking with interest. It lifted its claw toward her.
Mina tensed for a moment but looked up at Voso before reaching out to the bird. It squeezed her finger and clucked, which made her laugh. The Herak bobbed its head and leaned toward Mina, who patted it affectionately and laughed again.
The bird ruffled its feathers and looked at each of them in turn, before cooing and taking off. In flight, it was a majestic creature, and Voso could feel the awe in Mina as she watched.
“It’s domesticated?” she asked, her voice filled with wonder. Voso released her and she stepped to the stone rail and watched the bird. “Like a cow? Does it work, or provide food, or what?” She turned to him, her face worried. “You don’t eat the eggs or something, do you?”
Voso found it was his turn to be amused. “Of course not,” he said. “It is for being a companion.”
“Oh,” Mina said, smiling. “That would be a pet.”
Voso was confused.
“Like, we have cats. For pets. They live in our houses, but they don’t really… they’re not for like, working, really. Or food. Just friends.”
“A cat,” Voso said. He had never heard the word. But he understood the idea, and it sounded right. “A pet?”
Mina laughed, which charmed him again and made his heart feel weak. “Yes,” she said.
“And a… pet… is not a domesticated animal?” he said, thinking aloud.
Mina shook her head. “Well… it is. But pets are ones that you just keep around for company.” At this, her face suddenly fell, and she turned quickly away. Voso sensed that something about the subject caused her sadness, but he could not be sure of what it was. Perhaps a companion-cat had died. He decided to change the subject.
“Mozok designed this structure,” he said, gesturing at the magnificent enclosure. “It is a… what is this word, for design of buildings? Architecture? It is the best of this architecture on the whole planet.”
“It’s incredible,” Mina breathed, looking over at him. She gazed at the gardens for a while, then pointed to the monument in the center. “That’s so beautiful. What is it?”
Voso gestured to her that they should walk. He was a soldier by nature, and preferred speaking while he moved. Mina took the cue and placed her arm back in his. They descended to a garden path and began to walk toward the monument.
“This all seems very ancient,” Mina commented. “Is it some kind of ancient ruin?”
She was walking slowly, gazing at the stone and vegetation around her. Voso’s heart swelled with affection. Usually, people looked skyward, at Mozok’s incredible architectural feat. It was a wonder of the system. But Mina seemed more interested in what was dear to his own heart: the ground that it protected.
“This is the site of the greatest battle on Astrogoda-9. The defeat of the Herstrakaa took place here. As did the signing of the peace treaty.”
Mina tensed and stopped walking to look up at him in amazement. “This is it?” she asked solemnly. “Did you fight here?”
Voso nodded, gently prodding her to continue down the path to the base of the monument. It depicted thousands of carefully carved sculptures of soldiers that appeared to be transforming into birds and taking flight.
Mina yelped. She had looked down into a vast moat, very deep, that surrounded the sculpture. It seemed like a bottomless pit.
Voso pulled her away from the drop. “There is a net of safety,” he told her.
Mina was breathing heavily. “That is scary,” she said. “Why is it there?”
“It is how the Herstrakaa… hmm. Dispose of the dead?”
