‘Sometimes we have to do what’s best for everyone, Hart, not what we want...’

-Hart Iminalia’s adoptive Father, King Tridon Iminalia, teaching her as a young girl

XALLI

Small and beautiful, with long purple hair and greenish-blue eyes, Hart Iminalia walked with Alta Strata into the briefing room in the Emahra Palace on Xalli, where she was finishing the final stages of her Emahra Warrior training. Dressed in a white uniform that was bordered with blue, and with a sword hanging at her side - which was a finely crafted hilt with a truncated silver blade; which elongated at the press of a button - she glanced over to Alta. The woman was taller than her, with bright blue eyes and golden blonde hair. She was dressed like Hart.

‘Why’d we get called to this meeting?’ Hart asked, using the common Human language that was known as Fundamental. She looked at Alta, who, at twenty-seven, was almost eight years older than Hart, and the Princess’s final trainer in the Warrior ways of the Emahra.

‘You have to ask?’ Alta laughed using the same, common language, though both were fully versed in the native tongue of the Emahra. ‘You’re the Princess, and the best Warrior of the current generation... maybe any generation – apart from the majesty of Infinity of course, and probably your adoptive Mother... No doubt the President has work for you to do… prodigy. I admit, I’m going to be glad to be rid of you and onto my next student. Alathor seems like she’ll be way less trouble than you.’

‘Don’t count on it,’ Hart chuckled. ‘She’s already gone through so many trainers, and she’s a little older than me… but not yet graduated. She’s trouble.’ She grimaced. ‘As I recall it, you’ve been her trainer twice too.’

Alta grinned. ‘Alathor takes after her Mother. My Mum told me stories about the Queen’s training.’

Hart chuckled, remembering too some of the stories about her adoptive Mother. Then her smile faded ands he sighed, ‘If they keep giving me work, I’ll never graduate.’

She stepped to one of the walls of the white and blue room, close to the tall windows that wrapped around the round chamber. In the centre of it all was the circular table of the High Council, with fifteen chairs arrayed about it.

‘You probably will,’ Alta said, gently touching the girl on the arm.

Hart smirked. ‘Everyone has such a high opinion of me. It’s really a lot to live up to.’

‘Don’t let it stress you.’

‘That’s easy for you to say... they don’t call you the next Infinity.’

‘To be fair they say the same thing about your sister, Alathor,’ Alta offered.

Hart looked at Alta, and the young woman looked sad.

‘Did you know her?’ Hart asked. ‘I became the last Seraph when she and my parents were killed, at the end of the Shatter Wars.’

‘I didn’t know here… but I saw her fall with your Father and Mother... it was… hard to see.’

‘It’s hard to live up to,’ Hart said quietly.

Alta gave the girl a weak smile and squeezed her shoulder.

From the arched doorway of the room – that led out into the hallway Hart and Alta had just left – members of the High Council started to file into the room.

The President came first, a tall man dressed in long, blue and white, elegant robes. The sash around his middle was blue too. Great, white, feathery wings hung down his back, and he smiled warmly, a young-looking man, who was truly ancient. He had dark hair and blue eyes, and was followed by a pair of men with white hair and blue eyes, dressed similarly. All of them – they being Emahra – had beautifully pointed ears.

Men and women of eternal youth and exquisite beauty filled the room and sat around the table.

An invocation was offered, and the President looked out at the Emahra High Council with a gentle expression. ‘Thank you all for coming.’ He looked Hart and Alta’s way. ‘And thank you, Princess Hart, and Warrior Alta Strata, for joining us.’

‘You said it was urgent,’ a dark-skinned Emahra said, leaning forward on the table. Adrian Thook was a man of action, and had a stern expression. ‘Is it a threat, President Aldevri?’

Aldevri’s smile faded a little, and he frowned. ‘It is,’ he said softly. ‘Last night, a contact of the Emahra, one Melvin Mordot, was taken from one of the sky bases on Ikiago.’

‘Melvin,’ a pretty Emahra woman asked, her green eyes filled with concern, as she pulled some golden hair back behind one of her pointed ears. ‘He was supposed to be protected by the Ransens, was he not?’

‘There was a confusion, Ishahar Meeza,’ Aldevri said softly.

‘Who took him?’ Adrian said with a little bit of a growl.

‘Regol,’ Aldevri said softly.

There were murmurs around the council table.

Hart couldn’t help looking at Alta in surprise.

Hart had only been ten when the Shatter Wars ended... she didn’t remember much, but Alta had already been a warrior by then. She’d told of some pretty scary things happening in the Shatter Wars... the Regol had been some of the scariest.

‘Why would they want, Melvin?’ a pale Emahra with long, black hair asked, frowning.

Dorak Hool always seemed like he was frowning though.

‘He was bringing to the King and Queen, on Xalli, important information, concerning a new threat to the Universe.’

‘What information?’ Adrian asked. ‘Why wasn’t the whole Quorum informed of this?’

‘It was important for security,’ Aldevri’s First Councillor, Yathon Bee informed, looking down his long nose at Adrian.

‘Security?’ Dorak grumbled. ‘We are the High Council. Do you suspect a traitor, President?’

‘When the Royal Family is at stake, one can never be too careful,’ Aldevri said. He glanced Hart’s way, and beckoned her over. She walked to the President, bowing her head to him as she approached. ‘Especially after the fall of Infinity...’ he added in a quiet voice.

‘Princess Hart Iminalia,’ the President went on, ‘a team has already been sent out... to try and recover Melvin... We know your graduation is looming, and you were supposed to face the Trials of Qua with Alta... but we have to ask you, for the time being, to stay at the Emahra Academy in the Televion Woods. Your Sister Alathor is already there.’

Hart stared. ‘You want me to hide?’

‘We don’t know yet what the Regol are planning... and... you, as the very last Seraph in existence, are too important to risk.’

Hart couldn’t believe it. They were side-lining her. ‘Mister President, please, I-’

‘She will, of course, follow your orders, Mister President,’ Alta said over Hart, taking a step forward.

Hart turned to glare at her teacher.

‘Thank you,’ President Aldevri said with a small smile, drawing Hart’s attention to him. ‘As I said, your Sister is already at the academy and, as I understand some of your friends have already arrived too. They will be waiting for you, Princess Hart. Please, gather your things and leave imminently.’

Hart grimaced at the President, bowed her head, and then turning on her heel, she marched away.

Alta followed at a distance, which was fine, because Hart didn’t really want to talk to Alta right now.