CHAPTER FOUR

And it's not like she flouts all the rules.

*Dhai'va*

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Dhai'va smirks.

Powerful.

She's impressed. At last, one who's unenamoured by her Gods-given beauty. Alas, she must kill him.

Light's Radiance. Ytéan's Defender. Dark's Destroyer. Gods-chosen. Gods-given beauty. A lifetime of praise has rendered Dhai'va proud of her purpose and beauty. But she owes it wholly to the Holy-Entities.

His words delight her like nothing ever has.

She watches him leave, not disclosing his name. She knows it and suspects he knew hers. Xru'lar is nothing she expected him to be. She's heard about him from Utzrn-Rek, and, most recently, her father. They allege he's meek, a disgrace. Not meek, Dhai'va thinks.

'Come, Syv'h,'

Dhai'va's enyr stands and stretches her massive body, yawning. This is the first Syv'h was heedless in a company other than Dhai'va. Odd. Xru'lar is dangerous.

It's her Gods-given duty to stop him from destroying Ytéan by becoming Ahst's vessel. But she's riveted. People make him seem monstrous. To her, Xru'lar appears simply Ytai. Normal. If there's evil hiding in him, she aims to discover it. If she knows him well, his training, behaviours, she can predict his moves when Ahst takes over.

Then, it's easier to kill him.

* * * * *

The City-of-Fallen-Stars. The White City. White. So much white forges Xroui'lm.

Dhai'va experiences the desert-city trailing Xru'lar. In Xzia'on, ancient forests reign. Here, the white sands surrounding Xroui'lm influence all. The narrow pathways are high-walled and canopied by thick vines. The white-stoned buildings cluster close with innumerable interconnections. Dhai'va is curious to know if she can start at one building and cover every other through the entire city by walking through the indoor-connections. The architecture is a representation of the Xroui'lm people - close-knit. There are personal household shr'dyt and fully-equipped public shr'dyt for travellers.

Dhai'va labels Xru'lar bizarre.

He's mostly alone. Occasionally, at meals, he sits with a young man a little older. He loves to read and often scribbles in a notebook instead of on his Comm. He attends only theory-classes. He doesn't train with others or receive special training from the Tv'orm, which is the strangest anomaly as every Ytai trains in weaponry. He loves watching the wruz dipping in shr'dyt ponds in the late-evenings. After dinner, he sneaks out and practices whatever he's observed other students learn.

But mysterious of all? Syv'h adores him. She hates all but her and Won'lyr but takes pleasure in following Xru'lar around when Dhai'va is training. At first, Syv'h made him nervous. Now, he hides little snacks in his pockets. Syv'h even lets him scratch her behind her ears, something she only let Dhai'va dare. Traitor, Dhai'va fumes.

Dhai'va and Won'lyr watch Xru'lar flounder with a wooden-sword. He's snuck it out after his cleaning duties in the training-rooms. Dhai'va feels Xru'lar knows she watches him in her free time. She doesn't care. The Tv'orm care. A lot. They repeatedly warn her to keep away from Ahst's vessel, and she continues to defy, for when has Dhai'va obeyed ludicrous commands? And it's not like she flouts all the rules. She never goes near him. The Tv'orm should admire that.

'I must see how you'll kill him without touching him,' Won'lyr's eyes follow Xru'lar's battle with the practice-weapon.

Dhai'va marks a paltry desire in his eyes. She wonders if the Ru prince will get back to weaponry-training. 'It's weird he doesn't train. It's mandatory till everyone finishes school.'

Won'lyr rolls his eyes. 'Weapons-training is overrated.' Never in Um'rei-Ru colours, as always, he wears silver. Sei's light lures out the purple in his two-toned pink-to-purple eyes.

Dhai'va smiles.

'Maybe they forbid him from training to keep him weak.'

Dhai'va considers Won'lyr's words. There's much truth in them. She resumes studying Xru'lar mimicking the basic sword-training moves children are taught. He's stiff, inelegant.

But remarkably resolute.

Determined for what? To kill her?

Dhai'va grins. The only one dying is Xru'lar by her sword.

It's a promise.

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