She felt light and buoyant even as she still felt the press of ki, a hair's breadth outside her perception. She felt like she existed in a glass bubble hundreds of meters below the ocean, separated from its crushing weight by only the slimmest of barriers.
It felt wrong. There was an itch deep inside she would never be able to scratch.
She shook her head, dislodging the thought. Her wrist dropped, and she looked at the bracelet she now wore. Soft blue lines shifted and shimmered along its surface. Runes glowed before fading, leaving inert metal behind.
She felt adrift, cut off from her senses.
Quillon recognized her expression. "What you feel is normal. Many have likened the use of the inhibiter to losing a limb. Eventually, you’ll start to feel lethargic and fatigued. I'm told it feels like an extreme case of a hangover for humans. Your body will adjust as you begin to heal."
Kira could already feel the difference. She wasn't sure she liked it. It left her feeling vulnerable and slow. Not exactly something she was accustomed to feeling. She'd better be prepared to learn fast if she didn't want to get used to the feeling.
EIGHT
The morning detour to Quillon's med bay meant Kira missed breakfast. Already behind, reporting to the Warrior's Hall took priority.
Finn managed to unearth a small pastry filled with meat that he called kueper, a protein-rich snack meant to tide a warrior over, kind of like a protein bar for humans. Only tastier. The spices burst on Kira's tongue; more vibrant than any quick meal bar she'd ever sampled.
If nothing else, she had to admit the Tuann had amazing food. It would be a shame when she left. Most human food didn't suit her taste buds in the same way.
The kueper was a faint memory by the time they reached the hall, a room much more impressive than she had assumed based on the name. Obviously intended for training, it, like the rest of the fortress, managed to seem ancient even while functional.
The ceilings were high, and voices echoed off stone walls.
Finn wasted no time leading her inside, sticking to the edge of the hall as they skirted the softer mats covering the majority of the room. Much like tatami mats of old dojos, the mats were meant to provide a softer surface for those who spent a lot of time falling. Handwoven and made from a fibrous substance, they added to the overall ambiance of the hall.
The familiar scent of sweat mixed with the slightest tang of blood filled the air as Kira moved along the wall, watching Tuann spar. Those initiates who had finished the Trek of the Weary were already present. Some sparred with their peers. Others watched with interest from the sidelines in the same way Kira was.
Blake and Rheya lingered a short distance from the new initiates, their gazes appraising. Interest sparked as they caught sight of Kira. She pretended not to notice as she moved on.
Areas were set up for simulations, their boundaries clearly marked. On one side of the hall, a wall was papered over with square banners. Many were a vivid blue, their lettering a stark white against the backdrop. Others had paled, time leaching the color out of them.
A Tuann warrior bowed his head in front of one, touching his first two fingers to his lips before pressing them against the white lettering.
It was a memorial, Kira realized. The reverence and respect she saw on the warrior's face as he strode away said it could be nothing else.
Kira moved closer, her gaze roving over the banners filled with characters she had no hope of deciphering without Jin's assistance.
She didn't need him to know what these were, however. She'd bet everything she owned these banners represented the names of the fallen.
A finger pointed over her shoulder at a banner, center mass and much larger than those around it. Unlike most, which jockeyed for an unobstructed place on the wall, this one stood alone in a place of clear honor. "That name belongs to your father, the previous Overlord."
Rheya stepped up beside Kira, bowing her head briefly. Her respects paid, her attention shifted to Kira, her gaze assessing.
A few feet away, Blake waited, his boredom evident as he studied the rest of the room. When he caught Kira looking, he dipped his chin in acknowledgment.
"I'm Rheya. That's Blake," Rheya said. "I know we met in the med bay, but you didn't look like you'd appreciate an introduction then."
Kira made an interested sound, only half paying attention. The majority of her focus was on Blue and Raider, where they lingered along the wall. Her former squad mates watched the sparring with deep interest, content to gather information before engaging.
Kira returned her attention to Rheya and waited, figuring the woman would reveal why she'd approached Kira soon enough.
An awkward silence ensued.
Rheya's hands fidgeted with the blade she carried on her waist, the only sign of her discomfort. "We're House Roake too."
Kira had assumed as much considering their presence with the healer.
"You'll have to forgive Kira; she's not big on talking to strangers," Raider said as he approached.
Caution settled on Rheya's face as Raider greeted Kira, the same distrust Kira had seen on other Tuann's faces when confronted with a human evident.
"You're late," he told her.
"Liar," she grunted. "I'm right on time."
He grunted and jerked his thumb at where a group sparred, their blows sending meaty thunks through the room. "I thought we'd seen the end of them."
Kira peered over his shoulder at Isla and Amila as they danced across the floor, their blades keeping a staccato beat as they clashed. The show they put on was impressive, leading more than one initiate to watch out of the corner of their eyes.
Amila swung at Isla's head, the blade whistling past as the smaller woman ducked before stepping toward Amila and striking at her torso. Amila danced back, narrowly avoiding catching the blade across her chest.
She grinned fiercely at her fellow oshota before lunging close, the two exchanging a flurry of blows in a demonstration that was as breathtaking as it was staged.
Solal, Graydon's first, barked instructions from the sidelines.
Kira gritted her teeth. If they were here, that meant Graydon was too.
As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, Graydon appeared at the entrance of the hallway. He paused, scanning those present. When he spotted her, he started toward her, his stride purposeful as those in his path cleared the way.
Kira fought the urge to groan as a high-pitched sound escaped Rheya. She didn't need to look to know there was a mixture of terror and excitement on the other woman's face. Graydon was like a rock star to the Tuann. His presence both intimidating and exhilarating.
The fact he'd fixated on Kira was as incomprehensible as it was troublesome.
"Don't you ever work?" she asked when he stopped, forestalling whatever remark he'd been about to make.
Rheya made a strangled sound as Blake dropped his pretense of boredom and watched Kira with reluctant respect.
Kira ignored them, interested in Graydon's response. As the Emperor's Face, he had a duty to his people. He didn't have time to waste lingering around like a lovesick fool. If he was here, it meant he had a reason. Kira found herself curious as to what it was and if it held the potential to impact her.
While his agenda might be his priority, Kira didn't fool herself. Graydon was a master manipulator, capable of achieving multiple objectives at a time.