Khan didn't think about the deeper meaning of Yeza's words right away. She had decided to shout that announcement, which basically forced the humans to accept his relationship. Still, the situation was so dangerous that his mind stored her voice in the back of his mind and prepared itself to release it only when he reached a safe area.
Everyone shared the same mindset. The valley's defenses had managed to buy the group some time, and the higher-ups were bound to do the same. Still, the avalanche and the giant monster had already inflicted casualties, so the students didn't dare to remain in the area any longer.
The recruits and squad leaders followed after those who had learnt where the safe area was. Khan was in the lead far in front of them, but he turned to check that everyone was following him from time to time. The fact that Liiza was in his arms didn't affect his movements at all.
A deep bellow resounded throughout the valley when the giant monster broke free of the azure cage. Yeza and many higher-ups had reached the creature's position by then, but Khan took that event as the time to stop worrying about others.
Ilman, Doku, George, and those who were important to Khan were in safer positions already. Liiza was even in his arms, so he could ignore everything else. The priority was to cross the mountains, and he accelerated to reach that destination faster.
Khan didn't summon the entirety of his speed since Liiza was in an odd position. She was in his arms, in front of him, so she would suffer too much if he went all-out. Still, he became fast enough to leave his companions behind.
The sterile environment of the mountains soon unfolded in his vision. Snow filled the areas and sides of those tall structures, but the region remained unfamiliar even with the map in his mind.
Khan moved forward until he couldn't see the valley anymore. His senses searched for every trace of danger around him, but everything appeared empty. He couldn't find monsters or other threats, so he advanced until Liiza pulled his hair.
"[This is enough]," Liiza explained as Khan slowed down to hear her voice. "[No monster can see the Aduns from here]."
Khan nodded before stopping completely. He could vaguely see the figures of his companions in the distance, and he heaved a sigh of relief when familiar faces appeared in his vision.
It took only a few minutes for the entirety of the group to gather in the uneven spot among the mountains where Khan had stopped. The group of students and recruits had lost a quarter of its members, but everyone was still too shocked to think about the event.
No words resounded among the group. They didn't dare to waste time after having escaped from such a dangerous situation. Everyone used their mental connections to summon their Aduns while exchanging meaningful glances.
Many eyes ended up on Khan. His interactions with Liiza still left almost everyone stunned. Both students and recruits couldn't understand how the two could reach such a level of ease.
However, the Niqols could see something deeper than simple feelings in the simple gestures that the couple exchanged. They gasped at how carefully Khan let Liiza on the snow. Faint smiles appeared on their faces when they saw the two looking at each other with eyes that carried many words. They would toast at that evident show of love if it weren't for their tragic situation.
The humans had it a bit harder, especially when it came to the squad leaders. They didn't ignore Yeza's announcement. Actually, they had understood its meaning thoroughly. The alien ambassador in charge of the relationship between the two species had officially acknowledged Khan and Liiza as a couple.
Paul had told Khan to consider Liiza as a princess during his first days on Nitis, so that announcement had turned him into a prince. Khan was more than untouchable now. He had become the pillar on which the humans had to build that political relationship.
"How bad is our luck?" George cursed while nearing Khan. "This is the second time already. I'm starting to believe that everything is my fault."
Khan smiled when he saw George and Havaa holding each other's hands. The girl even clung to George's arms once he stopped in front of his friend.
"It must be me," Khan stated while pointing at the azure scar visible from the opening of his robe. "I have one tragedy more than you."
Liiza slapped Khan's chest before glaring at him. Those depressing rants made her angry, but he didn't hesitate to caress her cheek and bring her closer to his chest. Liiza would have usually made it harder for him, but her grief was too intense that day.
"So," George cleared his throat while looking at that scene, "This explains a lot."
"I didn't want to keep us hidden," Khan explained, "Not from you at least."
"Don't worry," George shook his head. "I understand completely. I'm happy for you, both of you."
"I didn't expect Yeza to approve you so quickly," Azni commented while approaching the two couples with Doku.
"[She has seen them together]," Doku added. "[Who can even be against them after that]?"
"Khan, we need to talk," Paul announced while the couples gathered.
Khan glanced at Paul. He was with the squad leaders, among the other recruits, and the four wore stern expressions. It seemed that they wanted to use that peaceful moment while they waited for the Aduns to talk about the matter.
"Now?" Khan asked.
"We have to set a few things clear," Paul announced.
Khan sighed before kissing Liiza's head and breaking his embrace to move toward the human group. Yet, Liiza didn't let him go. She took his hand to wrap his hand around her waist so that they could approach the squad leaders together.
"[This might be classified]," Khan whispered.
"[I was ready to die with you]," Liiza reminded. "[Do you think I would care about the regulations of your species]?"
Khan wanted to contradict her, but he felt that no words could work. Liiza's expression had never been so resolute. She had lost Zama, but her mother had acknowledged her relationship. Khan had basically become her whole world, and she had no intention to leave him alone.
Moreover, Liiza had understood the situation far better than Khan. She was the daughter of an ambassador. She knew how influential Yeza's name was, and she could use part of that power in front of the humans.
"What is it?" Khan asked once he reached Paul.
The squad leaders remained at Paul's side to let him handle the conversation. Brandon, Kelly, and the other envoys were right behind them, while the other recruits were further behind.
"I hoped we could remain alone for a while," Paul said in an awkward tone while forcing himself not to look at Liiza. "This issue is something that concerns humanity as a whole."
"Are you trying to separate me from my man?" Liiza asked in a cold tone and perfect human accent.
Khan, the Niqols, and the humans shot surprised expressions toward Liiza. They had never heard her talking like that. Paul and the other squad leaders started to worry about the political consequences that their next words could cause.
"[We wouldn't dare]," Paul eventually uttered while performing a deep bow.
Paul pointed at a spot nearby, and a small group moved there. The squad leaders, the envoys, Khan, and Liiza walked among the snowy environment and separated from their companions to have that private conversation.
The Niqols and the students let themselves go a bit now that their leaders weren't on the scene. The aliens didn't suffer many casualties since they had developed better instincts throughout the years spent hunting. Still, their intense emotions made them unable to ignore the companions lost during the crisis.
The recruits were worse off. They had gone through losses only recently due to their battles near the teleport, so they had yet to grow used to the event.
Sobs and sniffs resounded now that students and recruits had the time to realize how much they had lost during those short minutes. They did their best to suppress their grief, but tears inevitably fell.
"Do you have any preference about the language, Miss Liiza?" Paul asked once the group stopped in a slightly distant spot.
"Speak your language," Liiza ordered. "My presence here must not risk causing misunderstanding among you."
Khan shot another surprised glance toward Liiza. She had never been involved in political situations, and it felt strange to see her caring so much about the issue. Still, he had to admit that he liked seeing her using her authority to order his superiors around.
Paul felt awkward about the situation, but he took a deep breath before stating the nature of the topic. "Your relationship arises concerns. We want to confirm that your loyalty is still in the right place."
Liiza opened her mouth to complain, but Khan promptly pulled her closer to interrupt her. His eyes went on the other recruits before revealing a sad smile and giving the best answer that the restrictions allowed him to say. "Do you have any idea what we had to do in the academy?"
Paul frowned, but he noticed that the envoys lowered their heads when Khan made them recall the scenes in the village. Fighting monsters was far better than what they had to see there.
Khan relaxed his grip on Liiza, and she understood that her time to speak had come. Her expression turned dark as she gave a brief explanation of what had happened during the solar wind. "The Niqols have a harder time dealing with emotions, and the sunlight for a few months ago has taken us by surprise."
An azure symbol appeared on the side of her neck near the end of her explanation, but she stopped speaking before triggering the punishment. She couldn't add other details, but the squad leaders could fill the gaps by themselves.
Paul and the others had kept the solar wind a secret, so they knew what it could cause on the unprepared Niqols. Yet, they didn't expect the aliens to send the envoys to clean up the mess. Learning about that actually made them feel awful, and Ryan even had to cover his mouth to suppress retches.
"I'm still here after everything," Khan continued. "What else do I have to prove?"
The squad leaders couldn't muster the strength to say anything. None of them dared to question Khan's loyalty. His explanation didn't solve their doubts, but they didn't feel right questioning someone who had given the Global Army so much already.
Screeches resounded among the sky during that sad silence. Everyone glanced at the sky and showed broad smiles at the sight of many Aduns approaching the area. Only Liiza kept her face hidden in Khan's chest, and he made sure to hold her tightly during the event.
The Aduns were the kings of the sky. The group would be safe after hopping on their backs. The tragic events from before were about to turn into nothing more than a bad memory, but a breathtaking event diverted everyone's attention from the pack of eagles.
Nitis' orbit was peculiar, and the same went for its atmosphere. Khan didn't know how everything worked during the crisis, but he was sure that the sun would have eventually appeared in the sky. Still, he didn't expect that to happen so suddenly.
A blinding yellow sphere suddenly became visible in the sky. It started as a bright spot in the azure spectacle right above the group, but it quickly transformed into a sight that the humans found familiar.
The sun didn't rise. It suddenly became visible among the sky, and its intense light blinded the incoming Aduns. Those creatures cried in pain as that radiance filled their eyes and forced them to change their trajectory.
The eagles stopped flying toward the group to hide from the new light that filled the sky, and Khan remained speechless when he felt the mental connection growing thin. He found himself unable to contact Snow now that the sun had appeared.
****
Author's notes: I think you can all see how I'm struggling to write lately. The issue doesn't involve my two stories. I think it's a matter of concentration, which I don't seem able to muster. The effects of this distraction are even worse on Chaos' Heir since writing a single chapter can take even five hours.
Anyway, I can't write 5 chapters of Chaos in a single day in this condition. I think I'll throw one or two additional chapters every day until I've settled this debt.
