Two chapters cause I had trouble getting onto FP...2 chapters!! Uhm...okay so they're pretty short and kinda sucky....

-----

Searra arrived back at the room in time to hear Xavier express his regrets. The man still had enough dignity that he didn’t cry, but he looked like he wanted to.

Placing the meal out on the small table in the sitting room, Searra thought more on this. He’d never seen any really strong emotions out of Xavier, usually he was calm and composed, maybe amused. Except for being flustered this morning, he’d never acted out any extreme emotions.

Searra stepped back and waited for further orders. They were chattering along in their own language though, and if they wanted anything else, no one was speaking up. He supposed it was Ijia’s second language, but the boy barely had any accent.

“So, perhaps the only thing you can do is let the Shar get over, I hesitate to say an avatar of a deity would, but wait for him to get over his fit. After all, you did say he was fair. And all the histories have Shar as the fair one, both in appearance and personality.”

“Well, then.” Xavier said, and then sipped his drink slowly. “Ijia, have you ever heard of someone called Rashari?”

Ijia had the good grace to look startled, Searra figured this showed pretty good for where his religion lied, and it wasn’t with the empire. Ijia could possibly be a valuable resource, in making sure Xavier escaped without Rashari getting him.

“Why do you ask?” Ijia said finally, the glanced over at the wine and drained a glass of it.

“I take it this isn’t a happy thing?”

“If the Rashari is involved you can bet people will die. He likes that. Tell me you didn’t him anger?”

“Anger him.” Liam said with a distracted tone that said such a thing was common place. Ijia’s accent had shown a bit also.

“I think annoyed is the word. I haven’t met him beyond the one time yesterday, and he seemed more amused than homicidal.”

“Oh they’re one and the same. We’re going home in the morning.” Ijia said, draining the glass once more, and putting it on the table. “I don’t want to die. If you value your life you’ll come too.”

Liam pulled Ijia back down to the seat next to him. “What? Since when did you become Emperor? You have to explain yourself before you just up and decide that for us.”

-----

Tsu filed away a document he had been updating the translation on and looked out the window. Jule was such an adorable child. He could hardly believe he helped bring her into the world. Even now, after so many years, the amazement hadn’t ceased. She was a young woman now, not the baby he had held in his arms.　　

“What could you be thinking of?” Tsu didn’t react to the voice, remained still, almost as if he hadn’t heard it at all.

After a long moment of silence he responded “We’re getting old. War is coming. I fear for the young.”

Ka’ren held him in a warm embrace, as one would a favored child or a brother. In truth they had no one else that understood their ways in this city that even though foreign, was indeed home. It didn’t make matters any easier that Tsu was an accomplished and highly trusted seer. Ka’ren knew it was due to his massive communications network he had placed all over the empire, but most people thought it was simply magic.

“You’ll be around forever old man..”

“Who knows what tomorrow brings?”