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52 Days Until Unity And the Uncertain End (pt 1)
“You will stay alive.” Estashia stood before Zeydar dressed in her best. Soon the cameras would be on, live streaming the events of the Igilistals for the world for the next two days. Every moment from that point on was for the safety of their people, and being as transparent as possible. She looked distressed, but altogether rather well prepared. She looked about the room that Zeydar had commandeered as his own, taking in what was Evester’s most private haven. Zeydar wondered if it were the first time she were in the room.
“You will keep everyone alive?” Zeydar asked her.
“So long as you defend us.” Estashia nodded.
“Then I will fight.” Zeydar smiled at her.
“When my son comes home…” Her voice dropped to a softer tone and lighter volume. Her hands that had been crossed, dropped as she approached Zeydar.
“What is between Evester and myself, we will discuss when… when it is appropriate.” He had a feeling, however, that Evester would make it hard with his incessant flirting over the private communications.
“I understand your apprehension.” The curve at the corners of her mouth made Zeydar back up. He had never seen the woman give a genuine smile before and was certain such an act was impossible. “He’s always been the most disagreeable of my children.”
She stepped closer and moved some stray strands of Zeydar’s hair out of his face. Intimate in the way a mother would be, fussing over her children. Zeydar was at a loss of what to say. He’d never had a mother figure, let alone suspected that Estashia could act so nurturing. “I do like him.”
Which was perhaps the worst part. He liked Evester. He knew that Evester liked him. Still there was the incessant fear that Evester was lusting after him for the adrenaline, not for who he was. Evester knew him as a loose canon, not as a teacher or scholar. Zeydar feared that Evester did not see Zeydar the way that Zeydar saw himself.
But perhaps he didn’t see Evester clearly either.
“We will talk, don’t worry.” He nodded.
“Come back alive.” She adjusted his collar. He had groomed himself to be immaculate, and was certain that he looked better than he ever had in his life in that moment. However her actions were not to make him look more presentable, but rather to take care of him. It reminded him of Tyler. She truly cared about his safety. He figured that Estashia would not hug him, suspected that this was the closest that she would get to him. The woman truly liked and cared for him, as if he were one of her own.
“I will.” He took her hands, feeling the tears at the corners of his eyes, thinking of his father who was not there to support and defend him. He had a new family, one he had to protect. She wiped his eyes and then placed a kiss on his head. She hugged him for what was perhaps the shortest hug of Zeydar’s life. In that moment he felt like sobbing. He wanted to reach around to grasp her and express how scared he was himself, but then it was over. When he met her gaze, he saw both an authority and a parent, scared to lose him. He saw her and she saw him. For the first time in years, Zeydar understood. “I will come home.”
The word home, lit up her eyes just in the same way it filled his soul. He had a place to call home, and a family in the Igilistals that he had not expected to find. He would return. He took her hands and squeezed them tightly. She squeezed back.
“You ready?” Kony called out from behind the door.
Dropping Estashia’s hands, Zeydar closed his eyes and recentered himself. With Estashia and Kony, Zeydar headed out to the front. May and Shawn hopped into the car the moment they saw him. Estashia went off to direct the cameras, set up and ready to record. Uly was nowhere to be seen. With one last glance around, Zeydar noted Maverin who approached.
“We need to go.” Kony reminded Zeydar.
“One minute.” Zeydar said, shooing Kony off and looking at Maverin.
“We will have a private connection if it is necessary.”
“You and me?”
“Yes. Anything about the species that you note, tell me. Immediately.”
Zeydar nodded, a bit unsure why the man was so adamant about staying in contact with him.
“Trust your calculations.” Maverin placed a hand on Zeydar’s shoulder.
Zeydar nodded, unsure why it mattered. He needed to trust his magic, and unfortunately he did not. No amount of calculations could make him control his power’s precision better. Zeydar left the man and headed to the car, last to get in.
“We go live in five.“ Uly’s voice came over the headset that Zeydar adjusted as he got into the car.
“Four.”
Their live would not go on until they were out of the Tower.
“Three.”
Shawn started the car.
“Two.”
Zeydar looked back to the others, out the window.
“One.”
Zeydar knew that the world would see them driving away but not of who they were or why.
“And we’re live.”
Shawn drove away on cue., and Zeydar leaned back.
“Nervous?” May asked.
“No.” Zeydar sighed. “We are doing the one thing we have to do.”
He started tapping at his legs, thinking of theory and history. He thought of incantations and magic spells. With each one, he considered the trajectory and amount of magic needed. He needed to control his output before things got too bad.
“I am.” Kony leaned against Zeydar. “I have a test in magic theory when we get back and I haven’t studied.”
“We can—“ Zeydar began.
“I am not studying now.” Kony lightly shoved Zeydar. “Why do you have to be so strict with me?”
“I’m your Superior; its my job.”
“I can’t get a perfect score on it, even if I try.”
“Not with that attitude. Now, let’s review.” Zeydar laughed as Kony groaned, but no one stopped him. The act of reviewing magic was going to make them all feel more confident. None of them had asked Zeydar if his magic was replenished; he doubted anyone would. As he reviewed the facts with Kony, he himself contemplated further theories and applications of said theories with his magic.
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Marlena Marie 
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