had leaned back into his chair to continue the wait when suddenly a door opened and a Terillian general stepped forward. Instinctually, Stone came to attention. With perfect military bearing, he stood motionless. And then he let his eyes glance around the room. Everyone else was still sitting. Slowly relaxing himself, he looked toward Mori.
“Uh, Tyler.” Mori smiled, her cheeks flushed. “We don’t do that.”
Stone put his hands on the table and slowly took his seat. He looked to Thay, who had awakened just in time to see Stone’s faux pas. Thay returned Stone’s glance with an audible laugh. Stone clearly still had a lot to learn about the Terillian military.
“Ino’ka, Ohcumgache, and Pácanšihuta, we are ready to hear your request,” replied the general calling Mori, Henry, and Orion by their Akota names.
“Yes, Uncle,” replied Mori as she and the others rose. At least Stone knew the Terillians used “uncle” as a sign of respect.
Stone rose to join them.
“Tyler,” said Mori as she put her arm out to stop him. “It’s just the Akota. I should have explained to you before.”
Stone’s blood rushed to his head and his hands started to perspire.
“It’s okay,” replied Stone. But it wasn’t. He hadn’t been left out of a military briefing since he was a lieutenant. How could the Terillian military be so different? he thought. Leaning in to Mori, he whispered gently in her ear. “You owe me a crash course on Terillian military etiquette.”
“Of course, Tyler,” replied Mori with a smile.
Stone gave her a cold stare; it was starting to not be funny anymore. Looking squarely at Mori, Stone could see she understood.
“And I’m sorry,” she added.
Stone watched as the three Akota walked into the command suite. As the doors shut, Stone turned to face Thay and Sandwick, both of whom were staring directly at him. Judging. Again, an embarrassed and defeated Stone skulked his way back to his chair and sat.
“You really don’t know much about us, do you?” asked Sandwick.
“It’s odd that in only a few hundred years, you Hanmani have completely forgotten yourselves. Perhaps the shame of defeat made it easier,” added Thay.
Anger enveloped him. He knew Thay disliked him, and Stone was quickly growing to hate him as well. How could Mori and this psychopath be of the same people?
“I think it’s time someone knocked that smartass smirk off your face,” Stone shot back as he overtly gripped his sword.
Thay sprung from his chair, presenting his tomahawk. “Let’s see you try, Humani.”
Stone could hear the sound of Thay squeezing the leather grip of his tomahawk.
“Stop it!” shouted Sandwick as he put his hand over Thay’s and gently directed the warrior to lower his tomahawk. “Thayendanegea, your hatred for our enemy has clouded your perspective. This Humani,” Sandwick shot a glance toward Stone, “has given up his entire world when he realized the truth. You, of anyone given the power of kinship among the Haudenosaun, must understand—what if you had to face friends and family as enemies?” Sandwick turned toward Stone briefly. “Haudenosaun is what the Iroqua call themselves.”
Stone had not heard Sandwick say more than two sentences in the two months he had known him. Now the floodgates had opened to support Stone.
“Thank you, Sandwick,” replied Stone.
“And you, Stone,” countered Sandwick sternly. “You’re a skilled warrior, but I can see the doubt in you at every turn. Doubt will not only get you killed but us as well and I’m not ready to die yet. You’re fooling yourself if you think you can live with one foot in the Humani world and one in ours. You know the truth. You know you are of our people and that the Xen took that away from you. Simply embrace your heritage and pick a damn side.”
Sandwick’s words hit Stone like a brick. He knew he had to fight against the Xen to save his people, but he had been consumed emotionally with
“Uh, Tyler.” Mori smiled, her cheeks flushed. “We don’t do that.”
Stone put his hands on the table and slowly took his seat. He looked to Thay, who had awakened just in time to see Stone’s faux pas. Thay returned Stone’s glance with an audible laugh. Stone clearly still had a lot to learn about the Terillian military.
“Ino’ka, Ohcumgache, and Pácanšihuta, we are ready to hear your request,” replied the general calling Mori, Henry, and Orion by their Akota names.
“Yes, Uncle,” replied Mori as she and the others rose. At least Stone knew the Terillians used “uncle” as a sign of respect.
Stone rose to join them.
“Tyler,” said Mori as she put her arm out to stop him. “It’s just the Akota. I should have explained to you before.”
Stone’s blood rushed to his head and his hands started to perspire.
“It’s okay,” replied Stone. But it wasn’t. He hadn’t been left out of a military briefing since he was a lieutenant. How could the Terillian military be so different? he thought. Leaning in to Mori, he whispered gently in her ear. “You owe me a crash course on Terillian military etiquette.”
“Of course, Tyler,” replied Mori with a smile.
Stone gave her a cold stare; it was starting to not be funny anymore. Looking squarely at Mori, Stone could see she understood.
“And I’m sorry,” she added.
Stone watched as the three Akota walked into the command suite. As the doors shut, Stone turned to face Thay and Sandwick, both of whom were staring directly at him. Judging. Again, an embarrassed and defeated Stone skulked his way back to his chair and sat.
“You really don’t know much about us, do you?” asked Sandwick.
“It’s odd that in only a few hundred years, you Hanmani have completely forgotten yourselves. Perhaps the shame of defeat made it easier,” added Thay.
Anger enveloped him. He knew Thay disliked him, and Stone was quickly growing to hate him as well. How could Mori and this psychopath be of the same people?
“I think it’s time someone knocked that smartass smirk off your face,” Stone shot back as he overtly gripped his sword.
Thay sprung from his chair, presenting his tomahawk. “Let’s see you try, Humani.”
Stone could hear the sound of Thay squeezing the leather grip of his tomahawk.
“Stop it!” shouted Sandwick as he put his hand over Thay’s and gently directed the warrior to lower his tomahawk. “Thayendanegea, your hatred for our enemy has clouded your perspective. This Humani,” Sandwick shot a glance toward Stone, “has given up his entire world when he realized the truth. You, of anyone given the power of kinship among the Haudenosaun, must understand—what if you had to face friends and family as enemies?” Sandwick turned toward Stone briefly. “Haudenosaun is what the Iroqua call themselves.”
Stone had not heard Sandwick say more than two sentences in the two months he had known him. Now the floodgates had opened to support Stone.
“Thank you, Sandwick,” replied Stone.
“And you, Stone,” countered Sandwick sternly. “You’re a skilled warrior, but I can see the doubt in you at every turn. Doubt will not only get you killed but us as well and I’m not ready to die yet. You’re fooling yourself if you think you can live with one foot in the Humani world and one in ours. You know the truth. You know you are of our people and that the Xen took that away from you. Simply embrace your heritage and pick a damn side.”
Sandwick’s words hit Stone like a brick. He knew he had to fight against the Xen to save his people, but he had been consumed emotionally with
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