Once It Gets Dar

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Hi everybody :)

I put the list of German and Veril words in my profile for everybody who wants to refresh their memory and brush up on their vocabulary.

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CHAPTER 13

Smoke rose in the distance as our convoy entered the dark tree framed road of the Volkspark.

Thanks to my strange new night vision I saw the clouds clearly against the night blue sky and they seemed to be coming from the clearing.

"I think something is burning," I said to him, nervous about my few and irreplaceable possessions.

He was sitting at my side relaxed for once, leaning back his muscular thigh pushing against mine and his left arm resting lightly on the back of my seat. When he turned to me he was smiling and despite the dense darkness all around us I felt like the inside of our car was suddenly filled with warm light.

"It is only the bonfires," he said while his fingers were caressing my uniform covered shoulder. "Tonight we celebrate tutilitin the little night -- summer solstice, as you might call it." He placed his hand on my belly. "I think it is a fortunate coincidence since you and I have occasion to celebrate as well."

I tried to ignore the chorus of

I'm not ready, I'm not ready, I'm not ready,

that started screaming in my mind at the thought of having a child -- the child of General Tsul -- and inhaled. So tonight was a holiday! After composing myself for a moment I felt a slight tingle of excitement. He was right -- it was a good night to celebrate and I was more than ready to leave my fears and doubts behind for a while and just enjoy some fun and leisure at the side of the breathtakingly handsome General. I would still have more than enough opportunities to freak out in the nights that were to come.

"And how do we celebrate?" I placed my leg on top of his and beamed back at him thrilled to see real Veril traditions for once.

"Allow yourself to be surprised, mishtz'in," he said in a low voice while we pulled up to the wide open space and I gasped.

Fires had been lit everywhere between the tents and trees. One big bonfire was burning in the middle of the clearing bathing everything in flickering light. It was an impressive effect -- wild, exhilarating, and almost frightening. A part of me screamed

danger

at the sight of the flames blazing high into the sky while another part wanted to laugh in excitement at the untamed beauty of the element. The soldiers of the Kirtim Shenk were walking around the camp less busy than usual. As mere shadows against the light they looked more than ever like a horde of demons straight out of hell.

Vo'ren looked at his hands and rubbed at a dried blood stain, then peered out of the window at the firmament and remarked, "It is almost midnight. You and I should go and wash before the festivities begin."

I sighed in relief as I rubbed the last sticky remnants of the gel from the ultrasound off my skin with a damp cloth. Apparently there was no time to visit my usual bathing spot -- the lake -- so the good old bucket in the tent had to do. It had the distinct advantage that the water was warmed by Veril magic, while the pond had been getting a bit chilly since the temperatures had dropped lately. It was still bearable but I was starting to miss my shower and bathtub.

I tried to fight the thoughts of home away there was no use in dwelling on them if I wanted to be serious about giving this new life, this

new home

, a chance. I felt my stomach twist at the enormity of what this really meant and was thankful to be pulled out of my musings by Vo'ren stepping into the tent behind me. I hadn't really heard him coming but I felt his presence a warmth at my back and a strange kind of alertness running through my mark and my whole body.

I turned around and for a second I was stunned. He was wearing what I guessed to be some type of formal dress uniform made out of a deep black cotton-like material. The shirt resembled a tunic with just the thinnest golden thread running in an intricate almost imperceivable pattern along the edges and the hems that connected the shoulder parts to the sleeves. It left his muscular lower arms uncovered, revealing the glowing lines and geometrical shapes of the markings that indicated his rank and innumerable decorations. A light wool cloak -- also black -- was draped loosely around his shoulders pinned in place by a simple golden brooch. Peace Bringer was strapped to his side but he was not wearing the rest of his usual arsenal of weapons. His hair was still a bit wet and unruly from washing. It was the first time I had seen him in something other than his usual combat uniforms and I had to admit that he looked stunning.

The darkness of our tent was only illuminated by the fires outside, sending flickering light through the opening. His eyes lingered on my naked body and for some ridiculous reason I felt self-conscious about my nudity. I bent down picked my clothes up and held them in front of my body to cover myself. He took his time letting his gaze run over my form until it finally met my eyes. He smirked.

"On tutilitin it is customary to wear black but now I am debating whether I should make an exception and have you go naked instead."

I grimaced at him, "Thank you for the kind offer, Vo'ren, but I do prefer the uniform."

I dropped the bundle of clothes on the floor and felt myself blush all over my body under his scrutiny while I bent down again struggling somewhat inelegantly to step into my black daylight pants. I tried to be quick since I was not entirely sure if his remark about making me go naked had been a joke or not.

He chuckled and I started wondering whether the satisfaction of giving him the middle finger would be worth the risk of pissing the mighty General off but he interrupted my thoughts just on time.

"I was thinking that you might prefer this even more."

I looked up. He was gesturing towards the furs in the sleeping area behind me and as I turned around I saw a dress draped over them. Surprised I picked it up and let it run through my fingers. The black fabric seemed to be made from a similar plant based fiber as the uniforms, but it was woven in such a delicate way that it felt much lighter and more flowy, almost weightless and unlike any material I had ever touched before. Its neckline was adorned with a thin and elegant gold-stitched embroidery that matched the one on his uniform.

I examined the garment skeptically. It felt like woven air. I raised an eyebrow at Vo'ren not sure if I liked the idea of him dressing me up in flimsy outfits.

He gave me an exhausted look in response. "It is a present mishtz'in -- you are not obliged to wear it. I simply believed you might like to put on something nicer than our uniform for tonight's celebration and quite frankly, it would also give my poor eyes a reprieve from your constant disrespect of the dress code."

He gave the crumpled uniform that I had dropped to my feet a sharp look and I couldn't help but smirk a bit. So over the last few weeks, Vo'ren had been secretly boiling inside every time I was creative with the military attire he had provided -- so much so that he had ordered a dress to be made specifically for me. For some reason the thought gave me an enormous amount of satisfaction.

I turned around and slipped the dress over my head. It felt soft and pleasant like a light caress on my skin and to my surprise it was not as revealing as I had expected flowing loosely down to my ankles. The cut was simple -- a straight piece of fabric sown together to form straps that left my shoulders uncovered. With its square adorned neckline it reminded me a bit of the styles of ancient Rome or Greece were it not for the black color and the distinctively Veril pattern of the embroidery. I picked up my belt with my silver dagger strapped to it and wound it around my waist.

It was almost as if the dress had a life of its own. It was so light that it flowed smoothly almost like smoke with every movement I made. It was hard to tell without a mirror but from what I could see of myself I thought I looked pretty good with the belt giving me an almost hourglass like figure despite my small breasts.

I crouched down, fished the brush out of my backpack and ran it through my hair a couple of times trying to get my long and still wet dark brown tresses somewhat under control.

When I stood up again Vo'ren's irises flickered black for a second before they snapped back to their usual golden color. He stepped right in front of me and my breath hitched at his nearness. He was so tall, so beautiful, so dangerous like a demon prince out of an ancient legend. He hooked a finger under my belt and pulled me flush against his solid body. I felt his chest rumbling in a low growl as he leaned down to kiss me, and for a tiny second, when he closed my lips with his and I tasted his breath on my tongue, my heart jumped with pure and carefree happiness.

"I might have to promote my tailor for this. It matches your shadow magic," he remarked in a husky voice after he pulled away.

I felt a smile spread over my face at that and I put my hands on his broad shoulders trying to keep him from stepping back just yet. "Is this a traditional type of dress for the celebrations?"

He gave me a shrug and grinned. "Quite frankly I have no idea what would be the traditional attire for a young woman at tutilitin but this is definitely not what our mothers and grandmothers wore." His smile turned into a smirk. "I think the tailor might have gotten the idea from when you were walking around in my bedsheet."

He laughed, and I felt my face heat up a bit -- had the whole camp seen me like that? But then I smiled -- it was probably not a creatively exciting job for a tailor to be making uniforms all night. At least I had been an inspiration to him -- a muse, some might call it. I chuckled, got up on the tips of my toes and gave Vo'ren a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, mishtz'in," I whispered brushing my lips just so slightly against his pointy ear.

He shivered in reaction and dug his strong fingers longingly into my damp hair. For a moment he looked at me but then he pulled me into a long kiss filled with need and unspoken desire.

"We have to attend the festivities," he said begrudgingly still holding me against him. My lips were burning and my knees were shaking. "This will have to wait for later."

When he stepped back I swallowed wishing we had more time for just the two of us -- time to sink into each other's bodies and let our passion strengthen the fragile new bond that had started to form between us when we saw the first image of our child.

He closed his eyes and inhaled and when he placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me out of the tent I felt he might be thinking the same thing.

The cool air smelled of burning wood and strange spices and I moved just a tiny bit closer to him when I saw the size of the crowd that had gathered in the clearing, leaving a wide open circle that encompassed our tent and the big bonfire in the middle.

As always the soldiers turned towards him as one and saluted, alerted of their General's presence through their mark. The sound of their fists hitting their chests in unison echoed through the otherwise silent park and I felt a strange connection with the grim warriors of the Kirtim Shenk whose bodies and souls were bound forever to the man at my side -- just like mine.

Like Vo'ren had told me, everybody was wearing black -- some were in their daylight uniforms, some in tunics that resembled their General's and others were wearing simpler cuts that I thought looked pretty similar to t-shirts. A gust of wind got caught in the skirt of my dress making it waft dramatically around me.

Vo'ren stood still for a moment overlooking his soldiers and giving them time to properly greet him before he slightly increased the pressure on my back, indicating I should start moving. Everyone's eyes were on us as we walked towards the middle of the clearing and I forced myself to hold my head up straight and resist the urge to look at my feet. I felt awkward and clumsy next to his graceful and fluid movements and I hoped I wouldn't stumble over some branch or stone on the damp earth underneath my naked soles. I was not exactly a shy person. When it came to presentations at school or university I usually had no problem with talking in front of people but this crowd full of deadly Veril was something entirely different and I admired Vo'ren for the ease with which he accepted -- or better: expected -- his warrior's deference.

We stopped in front of the big bonfire. Vo'ren gave a curt almost imperceivable nod and his soldiers assumed a more relaxed posture -- some broke formation and walked around. A dark figure dispersed from the crowd: Vik Ichel stepping to his place as second at the General's right side. When he caught my gaze he gave me a quick wink. I had to fight down a nervous laugh and quickly waved him.

I was a bit stunned at how handsome and imposing the Colonel was in his black tunic. His long black braid was less messy tonight and his golden earrings were gleaming in the light of the bonfire. He was holding something in his hand that I couldn't really make out from my current position and I was already feeling the slight burn in my wrist -- Vo'ren's reminder to behave myself and stay put. I wondered if he was doing the same with Ichel's mark or if he felt that only I needed to be disciplined.

I thought I already knew the answer but still didn't dare leave my place at the General's left.

Then there was a movement at my back and when I looked over my shoulder I almost squealed in delight. Paul! Apparently he hadn't had time to get changed since he was still in the same daylight uniform he had been wearing at the hospital. He had lifted the headpiece so that it left his face uncovered and sat on his head like a type of turban. Here was the final confirmation that it was really him and I felt my whole face light up with a relieved smile.

I am so glad to see you!

I formed the words with my mouth pressing my hand to my heart trying my best to convey my happiness to him without alerting Vo'ren or causing a scene but Paul shook his head. His eyes were directed somewhere in the distance away from me and even though his features were objectively unchanged I thought that he seemed older, as if his face had lost some of its juvenile naiveté. I swallowed and turned towards the fire again, my mind swirling with questions.

The flames in front of me were almost blindingly bright and I felt their heat on my face and arms. We were surrounded by the crackling of the innumerable bonfires and a low murmuring coming from the crowd. Vik Ichel raised his hand and the whole Kirtim Shenk fell silent directing their gaze on the four of us once more.

"We will now perform the ritual that marks the beginning of the summer solstice celebrations, starting with Shenik Tsul's speech," Paul explained behind me in a low voice and I realized how isolated I had been without his translations and contextualizations in the last weeks.

Vo'ren took one step forward and saluted. "Rushushvesh tsirununveshich!" This seemed to be some kind of military motto because every warrior -- including my translator -- repeated it, their united voices resounding over the park and I felt all the hairs of my body stand up in terror at the Kirtim Shenk's battle cry.

The wind picked up a bit, ruffling the General's hair when he addressed the crowd.

"Kirtim Shenk, tonight on tutilitin we celebrate that Mother Night's long fight against the cursed sun has finally come to its end," Paul translated and I was impressed by the ease of Vo'ren's demeanor as he spoke to his warriors -- as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His voice carried across the whole clearing and it was impossible not to look at him. Like a magnet, he effortlessly commanded everybody's attention towards him -- a born leader, and I felt a strange mix of fear and pride as I watched my General deliver his speech.

"After six moons she has once again emerged victorious and is finally bringing us back those hours of peace and darkness we have been missing so dearly."

There were cheers and laughter from the crowd and after I had seen how uncomfortable they got during the day, I imagined that the soldiers were looking forward to the longer nights that were about to come. But Vo'ren tensed and his tone became sharper.

"In these past six moons while our goddess was fighting her battle in the sky, we have defended her holy cause on the ground. And Warriors of the Fallen Sun, it was through your blood, strength and courage that we have defeated the forces of evil that have threatened to burn our lands."

There were more cheers that quieted quickly as Vo'ren continued.

"But just like the burning sun, our enemies are not resting and it is you, Kirtim Shenk, who stand between them and our people, between blazing destruction and the calm darkness of civilization. In six moons from now Mother Night will take up her fight again --

our

next battle will be sooner but unlike the sun, our enemy is not invincible and when the time comes we will be ready to once and for all bring eternal darkness over this forsaken country."

A cold shiver ran over my spine and I perked up my ears at the last phrase -- where had I heard that before?

Vo'ren had balled his hands into fists, and the dense energy of his power filled the Volkspark making the fires flicker as it brushed over them while the crowd all around us roared. He let them have a moment before he relaxed and the tension in the air vanished.

He casually raised his hand and gave his warriors one of his most charming smiles. "But tonight we shall celebrate and bring a bit of home to this strange and foreign realm so we may remember what it is that we are fighting for." Paul's voice trembled a bit at this part and I thought that many warriors looked moved as well but Vo'ren's tone remained even and ceremonial when he concluded.

"Warriors of the Fallen Sun may you all have a star-blessed tutilitin!"

There were more cheers and applause and then the soldiers saluted again -- a demonstration of appreciation for their leader I guessed. Vo'ren inclined his head graciously with just the smallest hint of a smile still playing around the corners of his mouth.

All of a sudden the fires started to burn more brightly, and an all encompassing silence fell over the clearing -- it was as if even the wind had stopped blowing and the insects in the plants quieted their chirping. The warriors parted and gave way to a black-cloaked Veril man who was carrying a cloth-covered object.

"A conduit. The ritual begins now," Paul whispered behind me, and I inclined my head, hoping that he understood how grateful I was for his help.

The figure stopped in front of the big fire opposite to us and I was a bit sad that he wasn't the Great Conduit, since I really would have liked to see the Veril lady again, but I guessed that she had more important duties than performing a summer solstice ritual on some military base in a faraway colony. I wondered if this cleric was maybe a member of the Kirtim Shenk as himself -- some kind of religious support for the soldiers.

A warrior stepped to his side and assisted the hooded man in lifting the cloth off the object in his hands. I gasped. It was a cage and inside of it sat the most beautiful bird I had ever seen. It was not much bigger than a duck but its body was more like that of a peacock with a graceful and elegant neck, a long sparkling tail and a tuft of feathers atop its head. But the most striking feature was its color: the yellow and orange of its coat reflected the light of the fire making the animal gleam like liquid gold.