Night Song (The Guild Wars Book 9) by Mark Wandrey (best management books of all time .txt) 📗

many years,” he continued, clarifying when Isgono didn’t react and Shadow didn’t seem to have a helpful interjection, “since our clan has been considered dead?”

“How old are you?”

“Fourteen Human years.” Drake’s lip curled slightly, the old Zuul’s utter calm nearly as infuriating as Shadow himself.

“Fourteen Human years,” Isgono repeated. When Drake’s lip curled further, he sighed. “That is the answer to your question, Earth pup. Your clan has been considered dead since the contract when the Humans took you. There had been many losses. After much searching, after we received the report from the Mercenary Guild, that contract was believed to be the final one.”

“That’s why no one looked for us,” Sonya murmured so low, even their parents might have missed it, but Isgono’s ear twitched toward her.

“We looked, but on Gephard. Never could we have guessed you were born and that you went with Humans.”

“We didn’t have much of a choice, Isgono.” Ripley’s tail lashed, but she stilled it before it threw her from her seat. “The clan must have thought it a valid option.”

“And our parents—the Humans—they sent a message.” Sonya flattened her ears, something in the tone or conversation itself not sitting well with her.

“They sent a message to a Zuul world.” Isgono lifted a shoulder and gestured again at the images. “If they had reached Ja, or Zi perhaps, someone would have been able to get the word to the right place. But with the loss of your clan and so very many Zuul worlds…” He shook his head, the gesture heavy.

“So Ja is your world?” Drake asked, moving them away from what felt like an important, but too sad, conversation. He wasn’t in the mood.

“Ja is the world, Earth pups. Humans are new to colonies, and prize Earth still, yes? This is why the fight with the Mercenary Guild became so…personal. Then perhaps you will understand some piece of it.” He glanced back at the hilly image behind him, then settled his hands behind his back and faced them fully once more.

“Zuul have had colonies longer than Humans have had writing, and we have had Ja since there have been Zuul. We have many colonies, many for so long other beings consider them the birthplace of Zuul.”

“But Ja is the Zuul homeworld.” Shadow gazed on the still images as though he’d never seen anything more beautiful. Drake wrinkled his nose, but flicked an ear and smoothed out his features. Maybe something they would learn would be interesting.

“I’ve never heard of it,” Sonya admitted. She hadn’t been the sibling to do the most hunting of the GalNet, but even Drake knew she’d done a fair amount.

“Ja is for Zuul. Other beings believe Zi is our home world, though it is our oldest colony and there is no reason for any other being to believe differently.”

“Meaning you don’t want us to mention this to our parents or the other Humans,” Rex said, picking up on it faster than any of them.

“They are not Zuul.” Again, Isgono lifted a shoulder, dismissively this time. “You could mention it, but to what end? They are very unlikely to find it. If somehow they did, they would risk their survival landing on it. And were they to know of it, I would know I could not trust you with other facts of your people. Things that are yours by right, if you choose your clan, and not at all if you remain Earth pups.”

“Our clan is dead.” Sonya’s voice, stiff enough to raise Drake’s hackles in sympathy, cut across Isgono’s calm and made even the old Zuul blink. Her ears flattened close to her skull, and even Ripley didn’t reach out to attempt to soothe her.

“And yet I scent it on the wind.”

Drake listened to the flow of those words, letting the translator register, but focusing on the Zuul’s language itself. That phrase had a heaviness to it, one that resonated down his spine.

“If you choose to learn of your clan, of your people, of your homeland, meet me here every day after the morning drill. For now, turn off your translators. We will practice as we do with the very young.” Isgono made no gesture Drake could see, but the wall screens immediately changed and the air took on a new scent.

Drake lifted his nose, trying to identify the new scents, and realized two things. One, the Zuul had pinplants, which he supposed shouldn’t be too shocking. Two, and suddenly of far more interest, he controlled the airflow in this room, to flood with scent or take it away. Innocuously, that meant smell would be a part of their learning.

From a race of beings who’d practiced war for millennia, such a thing also served as a warning. If Isgono could change the scent of a room, he could possibly change the composition as well. Could be friendly, could be deadly, could be quite a bit in between.

Drake, for possibly the first time in years, determined to be on his best behavior. Learn first, act later.

* * *

“Earth pups!”

Sonya closed her eyes briefly before turning. She was getting really sick of the nickname, but this particular Zuul said it with such enthusiasm—and a strong attempt at speaking Human—that it would have been far too rude to snap at him.

“Kobo Ask’sha,” she said, getting the inflection nearly right.

The new Zuul’s jaw dropped, and his tail swung in a cheerful grin. “We’re on a Zuul ship, I know what you are, you know what I am. No need to be so formal.” Before they could answer, he cocked his head, one ear flipping to the side. “You’ve been spending time with Isgono.” He made a low grunt that reminded Sonya of nothing so much as Dailey’s impressed whistle. “A Sei from Cho’Hosh took an interest—making your way in the worlds. You must be something impressive.