Chapter 202: Trouble in the Wake of Victory

Chapter 202: Trouble in the Wake of Victory

Kai wasn't frustrated by a single day of celebration, especially because he knew that none of the others would regenerate as fast as he did. Nirka was still recovering from her qi burn and a stomach wound that got infected, but when he checked on her the local healers were taking good care of her. After the feast that night, most got back to work, rebuilding defenses and reorganizing the city.

When the celebrations resumed, however, they began to grate on Kai. This was the first act of a revolution, not the final victory. Admittedly, there was something alluring about getting cheers when he went anywhere, but it got old. He tried to tell himself that many of these people were experiencing real freedom for the first time and they deserved to enjoy it.

Aside from some trouble and sabotage, merging with the city workers hadn't been a problem. The majority of the anger from the mines and pits seemed focused on those at the very top. He didn't know if that would continue in a different city, but he'd have to hope so, because they couldn't afford to fight the entire rest of the Krysali population.

He'd taken and secured one of the empty estates - not one of the palaces at the top of the city, since he didn't want to set up himself as the new ruler, but it was still comfortable. When he went back after another day, he found Zae Zin Nim packing the diamond star.

"I do not appreciate this atmosphere," she told him flatly. "I'm going to help some of the others restore the local crystal mine. At least you can cultivate in peace there. Come by to provide acid later so they can resume refining crystals."

"Do you think we should be worried about the army?" Kai asked. "We don't know how quickly the merchants will decide when to retaliate."

"Most of them are fine." Zae Zin Nim stopped packing to turn and look to him. "You instilled a sense of training in the workers, but they can't train all the time. Remember that they don't have your stamina."

"I guess that's true. Maybe I'm pushing too hard."

"I didn't say that. As I said, I do not appreciate this and I am leaving."

Not having her around would be a disappointment, but Kai wasn't going to argue with her. Unlike Omilaena, who was basking in the adulation, Zae Zin Nim clearly hated it. Everyone had seen her flying over the battle, so she received an enormous amount of attention from interested parties. Many of them, upon seeing the severity of her scars, had become uncomfortable. That was more than just an ego hit, he thought it really hurt her.

If she'd been a Goralian woman, he thought he could have encouraged her. But Zae Zin Nim kept her feelings held close and hated being condescended to. Maybe the best he could do was respect her distance and let her go cultivate in the mines.

Kai worked out his own frustrations in training, then that evening he headed out into the city. He broke up one fight, mostly just by arriving, and checked in on their defenses. There was a merchant strung up against the wall, exposed to the sun, and Kai had him taken down and secured in prison. He'd already seen enough mob justice - they had to prove they were building a new Krysal. Maybe they got it, maybe they didn't, but the workers responsible listened to him.

As the sun set, he headed back before he could get pulled into any celebrations. On his way, he ran across Maggle slouching down the street, with his arms around a woman on each side. One dressed like a local and one had crystal mine scars.

"Really?" Kai asked.

"Hey, like they say, when in Slaerta, do what the Slaertans do!" Maggle nuzzled into the left woman's neck and she giggled.

"Do they say that?"

"No, but they should." Maggle straightened up and grinned at him. "And look, I'm bringing the different classes of worker together! I'm basically a diplomat. We've got to ensure good cooperation between all sides, you know? Close, close collaboration."

"If you insist." Kai tried to laugh it off, but Maggle turned after him.

"You need to get laid again and loosen up. You're Kai motherfucking Clanless, you'd have plenty of volunteers. We all only have so much time... might as well enjoy it."

As he continued back, reaching the guard house, Kai was surprised to see Cragrila in one of the alcoves, kissing a man. She said something to him, too low to hear, and then slipped away to talk to Kai.

"You don't have to join in the celebration," she said, "but don't go around glowering at everyone."

"Am I? Sorry." Kai rubbed his eyes and tried to ease off. "I'm just thinking about what's going to happen next."

"Everyone else is doing the same thing, or they're trying desperately not to think about it." Cragrila put a hand on his shoulder - not inviting, a gesture between warriors. "Many of these people saw their friends die. They're starting to believe they might win their freedom, but they know that many of them will give their lives in the process. They're taking what joy they can from life."

"Maybe you're right."

"No one can mount an attack on us this quickly, but when they come, you'll want morale to be high. A little more training might make a difference for someone like you, and you'll see me in the training yard tomorrow, but doing nothing except work will make you brittle."

"Fine, fine." Kai accepted that everyone was going to press him on this and moved on.

As he saw Cragrila return to her lover, he didn't begrudge her a little happiness. Maybe he was just frustrated because Nirka was still injured. For now, he'd either just go to sleep or train until he was too tired to do anything else.

"No, that wouldn't be right. She said it was like this and I guess I just never imagined she actually would..." Kai shook his head and jabbed Omilaena away with his elbow, since her body against his was not helping with the situation. "Don't poison anyone."

"Suit yourself. So, you wanna fuck?"

"Didn't you say something about a poison vagina?"

"Nonsense, I would never be so vulgar. Don't be disgusting, Kai." Omilaena leaned up to speak softly into his ear. "That offer wasn't a joke. I have needs too, but I'm not letting these people touch me. It doesn't need to be anything more than a little relief."

Her lips against his ear were slightly cool and left a tingling, as if her blue lipstick was a special compound. That unavoidably brought other thoughts to mind, which Kai had to beat back with a mental stick. And then, frustrated as he was, he really considered the offer.

There was no question that in his opinion Omilaena was one of the best-looking women in the entire city, by any standard. But the truth was that he didn't really trust her. To fight at his back in battle, yes, but not in bed. Even if she was sincere, there was a cruel edge to her that made him uncomfortable.

"You really are a soft old romantic, aren't you?" Omilaena must have seen his answer in his eyes, because she unpeeled herself from his side. Her teasing expression was replaced with a matter-of-fact stare. "Well, then you'd better go catch up to Yurwa. She wasn't moving fast, you can get her."

"Are you serious?" Kai glanced back toward the estate, then reconsidered. "She wouldn't... uh, feel like she was a second choice?"

"Kai. Kai, Kai, Kai... the poor woman got someone to take care of her son and come all this way. I promise you that she didn't do that because she wants someone to tell her she's the only girl in the world. She's as horny as you are."

Normally, taking romantic advice from Omilaena seemed like a terrible idea. For this one moment, however, he thought that she was being serious. Maybe she was actually right. If he stayed on his own, the confused emotions would just keep flaring up, so he needed to flood them with something healthier. When he started to move away, Omilaena slapped his ass.

"Alright, go get her!"

He ran back to the estate, trying not to get his hopes up. It seemed like everyone else had gone to bed, alone or all too often with someone else. But he found Yurwa sitting out in one of the courtyards, staring skyward. She gave him a sad smile when she saw him, then her expression shifted when she saw his gaze.

"Earlier I made a mistake. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"I thought she didn't understand the relationship the same way you did." Yurwa stared up at him, still a bit uncertain. "You don't have to, and I don't want to get in the way of-"

"Earlier, when I said you were beautiful, I meant it." Kai reached down and touched the side of her face. She shivered and leaned into his hand. "Do you want me to prove it?"

.

..

.

Deep in the night Kai lay in bed, awake but no longer restless. Yurwa curled up against his side, her affection now unrestrained. He gently rubbed her back and she murmured in her sleep before she nestled her face against his chest.

In the beginning he'd been filled with anger and frustration, but those had quickly been left behind. Yurwa was gentle and, despite her poor constitution, enthusiastic. By the end he felt like all of the negative feelings had drained away.

Had the others been right and he'd just needed to get laid? The celebrations of everyone else no longer seemed so frustrating and he no longer felt so angry at Nirka. Then again, his current mood was probably not the right state to make strategic or relationship decisions either.

He relaxed like that for some time, he had no idea how long... and then he heard a tapping. When he saw Omilaena lean her head in the window, he sat up and very nearly woke Yurwa. Glowering, Kai got out of bed without waking her, wrapped a fallen sheet around his waist, and stormed out to confront Omilaena. She had the window open somehow and stood on the balcony outside, but when he opened his mouth she sealed it with her finger.

"I'm a stalker, not a voyeur. Well, I'd happily be a voyeur, but I was respectful of your sweet lovey dovey nonsense." Omilaena snapped her wrist and revealed a small crystal, densely carved, different from what he'd seen before. "I just got this message crystal from Krainuun. These things are very expensive, so he wouldn't have sent it for no reason."

"How does - no, never mind." Kai pushed aside other concerns to focus on what mattered. He'd be a hypocrite if he couldn't focus on the war now. "It's a message? What does it say?"

"See for yourself." Omilaena slipped a little qi into the crystal and suddenly it seemed to blossom into an image.

When Kai looked down into the crystal, it was like staring into another room. Not like he was peering through a pinhole, but as if the crystal had unfolded in his mind. It was hard to understand, but he pushed that aside because he saw Krainuun on the other side, speaking grimly.

"I wish I could congratulate you on your victory, but there isn't time for that." Krainuun leaned forward, staring directly into the crystal. "The revolution was, shall we say, too successful. War just opened up on three new fronts. We can't afford to spread our armies thin, but if you're willing to take a risk... well, just listen..."