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In near-silent flight, the Katánian hunters flew and took to the sky. They wheeled up high, then swooped in dizzying speed toward the gathered group.

When Riv moved to protect his family, Élisa gripped his arm. ‘Nadalove, this is tradition.’

One by one, the Ka?'m??r? Sab?r Hawks fell at Killen’s feet, their chrome, silver, and gold feathers covering their faces, their talons tucked in, limbs bent to the ground.

They surrounded him in a curved circle, an honor guard in a protective halo.

He stood in their midst, rising out of them like a pillar.

Lifting his arms, he too transformed into his K?str?l majesty, and the stunning visual spectacle remained that way for a long time.

The only sound came from the rustling of giant wings and the whisper of feathers in the wind as if communing among themselves.

24

Youth Without Youth

ÉLISA

‘We are the young guard. The next generation who rejected war and marauding for the sake of it.’

Phantasm’s boardroom was packed.

The fierce, giant, hulking forms of the Katánians warriors crowded one end.

At the centre sat Kainan, Riv, Élisa and Killen.

On the other corner were the rest of the Sable team.

Kaxim, the Ka?'m??r? Hawks’ spokesperson, paced the floor behind his men, his rumbling, sonorous voice conjuring up the scenes he painted as he told their story.

‘We only wanted peace and restoration as our world was dying. When we refused to maraud, the Kubaí ritual elders rejected our ways. Aligning with the King, they kicked us out of Katáne, banishing us from our home.’

‘Joining forces, the entirety of the Krypós guards and a good section of the K?str?l army took to the skies. We became wandering nomads until we had amassed enough resources to fight the King and the forces that remained loyal to him, most of them Hawk K?sts from the noble eyries. We’ve been waging our small rebellion for the last three years to wrest control of Katánopolis, also known as Kós, the planet’s capital and seat of power.’

‘How did you come to follow theKíríga’sfleet to Pegasi?’ Élisa asked.

‘We caught rumors of his search for theKiaMalkia, then a spy told us you’d been found. We kept a close eye on their convoy’s movements and followed the main flotilla when they all lit out of our territory.’

Élisa sighed, her sadness evident on her face. ‘Your experience only confirms how thin-skinned and insecure my father was.’

Kaxim didn’t mince his words. ‘He was a tyrant. For decades, Tempest Light marginalized, robbed, and bullied our people and our neighboring planets, dashing their hopes for a safe, quiet existence. He squatted in Kós for years, ineffective, irrelevant, past his time. He only listened to the Kírorerô, the omens of potent power and prophecy as told to him by the witchers and curse placers.’

Kaxim’s second in charge, Kione, chimed in. ‘He hamstrung our future by blocking the efforts of Katánians’ younger, more energetic generation. He wielded vanity, control, and cruelty, which, along with fear, kept him on the throne. Obsessed with dominance and marauding, he and the ruling elders lurched us backward. Prideful, distracted by his fixation with the hawkstone, he missed all signs of our coming rebellion. This is why the Tempest Light’s attempts to find theKiaMalkiaintensified. He needed the great lodestone to fend off our attacks and cement his power.’

Riv leaned in over the table. ‘What happens now? Seeing as Tempest Light’s death leaves you with a significant power vacuum.’

Kione sucked his teeth. ‘We need a King. If we don’t have a single figurehead to unite us, Katáne will devolve into sectarian and tribal war, which will further impoverish and marginalize our people.’

Kaxim turned to Killen. ‘There is only one leader that the army and most of the populace accept: the only one who wears the hawkstone. At this moment, that is you, Killen Sable. You are our King by virtue of your birthright. Will you step up to the task of wielding its power to unify our people?’

Élisa and Riv exchanged glances, then turned to their son.

He was gazing far off through the viewport into the great beyond of stars, his expression calm and unperturbed.

‘You’ll accept me as yourKírígawith no prejudice?’ he rasped, turning his silver eyes to face the K?str?l hunters.

Kaxim inclined his head in a slight bow. ‘My entire squad and I have gone over the holo of how your soaring battle with Tempest Light played out. You’re an invincible defender and a worthy K?str?l Hawk Commander. You may need some training, which can be arranged. You also believe in our ideals for peace and for uniting our planet. Should we take your vision to our people, especially to the poor and marginalized K?sts, they’ll be persuaded of the same.’