"A badly timed one, evidently," Adryel said. "But yeah."
"That will take some adjusting," Stron said. "Do you know the answer? Beyond your defenses?"
Adryel smiled. "I know that Kantenan was the first of two other stops the Galactic Alliance was going to be making on this particular run through the galaxy. Not sure where the other worlds were, but I knew that anyone who was not chosen here would be able to try again and attempt to find a mate."
"Does that bother you? Parading for other humanoids to decide to select you?" Stron asked.
Adryel shrugged. "We are here by agreement, so we know what is expected. And there are rules, which is helpful. We have to do certain things, like study the cultures we are going to."
"Is that taxing?" Khalzin asked. "Studying the different cultures and worlds?"
"Taxing, no. It just gives those of us who did actually study the worlds a bit more information about what we were going to see." Adryel glanced at Janae before she spoke again. "Like, I know that tower over there is Rue Ve-Max, in honor of old Kantenan culture."
"Well, you're not wrong," Stron said. "But you're not quite accurate."
Janae looked out the window.
"I didn't say I learned everything. Just an overview, really," Adryel said.
Khalzin chuckled. "It is one of our oldest and most important structures. Our Coalition meets there. Our laws are created in that building. It is an important location for our people."
"Like I said. Important. And I knew what the name of it was." She glanced at Janae. "Unlike other people."
Janae laughed. "Well, when you don't expect to get selected or even looked at, you don't do much studying."
"So, where are we headed?" Stron asked.
"I thought we'd start with an overview, and then maybe go to Terra North?"
Stron nodded. "I think they'll like that."
14
"It is quite beautiful," Janae said as they walked across the observation platform on Terra North. And it indeed was.
They flew all over the light side of the world. Some cities and continents adapted to the natural landscape of the world. She had not realized how much the Kantenans lived in harmony with the world around them.
She remembered that their world was valuable to them and that they worked to maintain it, but she had not considered what that meant. Not very much, anyway.
Many of their structures worked with the natural landscape of mountains.
Terra North had a fantastic view that showed both the natural beauty and the strength of their technology. Spire buildings wrapped around trees that looked to try and touch the skies. Buildings made of stone and metal meshed in harmony.
It truly was a beautiful world. Khalzin said it was a popular place for Kantenans to come and see their world better. The way he'd described it before, she would have thought there would have been others on the platform, but there wasn't. They were alone.
Perhaps he had arranged for that? To allow her and Adryel to be there without interruption or distraction.
"And the lower levels? Where the greenery is?" Adryel began as she looked out. "Is that all undeveloped? Like natural terrain?"
"In some areas," Stron said. "What you see here, it is a mix. There are colonies below. Some materials are only able to be found lower to the ground, so, like many worlds, we have layers of lifestyles."
"The higher, the wealthier," Janae said.
Though she wasn't asking.
She knew.
She'd lived on the lower levels.
