Loudon's pace was sedate as he led them toward the hulking fortress in the distance, his hands clasped behind him like he was out for a Sunday stroll. Finn was several feet behind them, his gaze moving constantly as he assessed the area for threats.
"So," Raider started, breaking the silence that had descended. "Herald? Is that kind of like a priest?"
There was no hiding Raider's skepticism. Kira closed her eyes and shook her head. She'd forgotten how much he hated anything dealing with religion.
Most religions had survived humanity's spread through the stars. The distance between planets only serving to make it easier to practice an individual's faith.
In a few cases, particularly for those religions that had felt persecuted, they'd pooled their money to colonize their own planet, allowing only their beliefs to flourish on its surface.
Raider had grown up on one such planet. They'd been hardcore fundamentalists, his family the worst of the bunch. They believed you could only reach God if you were pure. Their faith came in the form of a stick and a rod, and they held no reservations about using them, especially on children.
Because of the planet's remoteness and his home's isolation—even from other fundamentalists—they'd gotten away with behavior that might have been considered criminal if it had happened anywhere else.
In the early days of space flight, Earth had come up with a codex of laws, one of which was that you couldn't interfere in another planet's recognized religion, no matter how abhorrent the spiritual practices were.
Then the war came—and not even his people's tightly held faith had saved them. Raider took advantage and used the opportunity for a new beginning.
He didn't often speak of his childhood, but from what little Kira had gathered, it had been harsh.
Loudon's expression was thoughtful as he considered Raider's question. "You could loosely interpret it that way."
Raider's lip curled slightly, but he held his opinions inside.
Nonetheless, Kira was careful to keep an eye on him. While she might have understood Raider's deep-seated suspicion of all things religious, she also knew he tended to sabotage himself.
The last thing he or Blue needed was to alienate their hosts. They had no idea how deeply ingrained religion was to the Tuann's daily life. On some planets, bad mouthing the faith could get you executed. On others, they'd take it in stride. Kira didn’t know which category Ta Sa’Riel fell under.
Loudon glanced at the three of them. "It would be more accurate to say I am a guide for the Tuann's sense of identity."
Blue's face scrunched up as her attention focused on him. "What do you mean?"
Kira found herself interested as well.
Loudon's head tilted. "We don't believe in gods in the same way humans do."
Something in Raider relaxed. He listened rather than assumed.
"Kiis the building block that connects everything in the universe," Loudon said. "I interpret theki’swill. Provide counsel when needed and act as the keeper of our history."
Kira didn't get it, but she didn't need to. There was a serenity in Loudon as he spoke. It was enough to know he believed wholeheartedly. It wasn't her place to question or poke holes.
By then they'd reached the foot of the fortress, a tall curtain wall surrounding its exterior.
"Woah," Blue said softly, echoing Kira's sentiments as her head tilted so she could take in the imposing structure.
The perimeter wall stood impossibly tall; the towers of the fortress barely visible over its top. The surface was flat and seamless, with no evidence pointing to stones being stacked one on top of each other to create its structure. Unrelenting black stretched unbroken in either direction.
The only evidence of imperfection was regularly spaced, shadowy holes that Kira couldn't figure out.
"Where's the door?" Raider asked, breaking into her observations.
Loudon stepped forward and raised a palm. He touched his hand to the wall and spoke a word. An invisible force thrummed, stroking Kira's senses. A door appeared, revealing a courtyard on the other side.
Loudon stepped to the side, clasping his hands behind his back. "No matter how heavily guarded, a door will always be a point of weakness. We've found eliminating them to be the most expedient solution."
A squeak of glee escaped Blue as she moved toward the wall, her hand uplifted, and her expression blazing with fervid curiosity.
"Touching is not advised," Loudon informed her.
