Falco Invictus: On the Forge of War by Rodney C. Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

be
careful in what you choose to do. Don’t risk your health just to
give him a son. Do you have any reason to think this time a
pregnancy will be different?”
    “Our faith in the Telchar will guide us. In
the end, that’s all any of us have. If it’s meant to be, it will.”
Nadia touched the girl's arm. “Don’t worry Priya, I won’t do
anything that will put me in danger. In fact I’m going for a
physical later today and shall abide by what the doctor recommends
before I restart my cycle.”
    That appeared to be sufficient to sooth the
younger woman’s worries.
    “What's on the agenda for the day?” asked
the Queen as she booted up her computer.
    “Later you’re expected at the hatchery.”
There appeared a glint of pleasure in the young woman's brown eyes.
“You’re needed to bless the new mothers and their children.” This
caused Nadia much delight; she enjoyed her role as the Grand Brood
mother. With luck and faith, she hoped she would soon also welcome
a hatchling.
     
     
    The acidic smell of bergamot and smoke from
a pot of Imperial blend tea hung in the air. Sharr tapped a button
on his desk which activated the holoviewer set into a far wall. He
switched the viewer to FKZ, a network established by an
enterprising Guilthari on the subcontinent. Sounds from the
holoviewer became background noise as Sharr looked at the pictures
on his desk. Framed images of his mate and daughters gazed back at
him. One picture stood out, a human girl smiled at him. The
lighting in the picture highlighted the girl's brown hair. Her
pretty, girl next door Italian face aglow with a big smile.
    The Shotar's reminisces were interrupted by
shouts from the courtyard. Sharr got up and pulled back the maroon
curtain.
    Down in the walled ring-shaped garden, the
Shotar could make out two female figures, one taller than the
other. Back and forth they exchanged harsh words under the branches
of Rishaak trees that drooped with long silver fronds and tear
shaped golden fruit. Neither woman seemed to care that their voices
carried throughout the palace complex and down to the market
outside the walls.
    Sitara, the taller of the two, hands on her
hips, her tail swished in anger. Beside her a large pet kheigra
sat. The Princess was dressed in a purple and silver lehnga-choli.
Many bangles and jewels bedecked her arms, all of which clanged
when she moved. Her hair was put in an elaborate hairstyle intended
to show off the points of her ears which were decorated with
complex earrings. This most feminine of clothing made it clear why
Sitara had her reputation as a flirt. Compared to the hardness she
tended to communicate while in her black Armada uniform, the
lehnga-choli seemed a welcome change. Though the figure she bore
down on might not have noticed the difference.
    Kheira, called such for the Falcanian word
given to the Himalayan range fit her appellation rather well, had
pale luminescent skin. A glow in her complexion gave her a radiant
aura. Straight, jet black hair contrasted with her lighted body.
The young princess had a rare genetic anomaly known as the
rahli'ka, or the gleaming. A child born with the rahli'ka was
otherwise in perfect health and Falcanian physicians could see no
reason to eliminate this abnormality from their genetic structure.
To begin with, they were not entirely sure of the genetic alignment
which produced this unusual outcome and preferred to leave it be.
Those with the rahli'ka were in truth revered by the Tahru.
    By the time Sharr, entered the courtyard
Sitara and Kheira had begun to shout at an even greater pitch, not
only in Falcanian, but in English and Hindi, along with Bengali.
They seemed to be finding the most abrasive of words in whatever
languages they studied in order to insult one another.
    He approached silently, only Sitara's tiger
striped white kheigra, Krürashi paid the Shotar any mind. His
daughters were doing some unspeakable things with their wings and
tails – brandishing them as if to