Sivoa: Zenith: Sivoa, #2

By H. Gorlitz Scott

After angering a sun, a goddess, and a lover by killing their most precious creation, an immortal fugitive must rectify her mistakes.

 

Three thousand years after the events that made her infamous, Dragonira awakens to find that everything she held dear has vanished and what she thought she knew is wrong. Three religions dominate the landscape and she has become the worshiped deity of the most volatile of them.

 

The legend bearing her name claims that she attempted to destroy the world by kidnapping the sun's favorite child and opening the void to swallow the planet in darkness. While three champions of Orianna were able to stop her, Dragonira remembers none of it.

 

She must learn how to navigate this new world she's in and investigate the truth behind the mythic claims against her...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dragonmun Studios
• Release date: Oct 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9798218310219

H. Gorlitz Scott

H. Gorlitz Scott was born somewhere between orange groves and raised amongst the alligator people of America’s most phallic of states – Australia Lite. There, she and her sentient hair have taken to drawing a land of make believe to live in so that she did not become one of the zombie hoard. This hobby turned fully-professional after she and her husband spawned a swamp elf that constantly needs to be fed. In addition to publishing her own line of comics, Scott has provided illustrations for gaming companies such as Aldorlea Games, Rose Portal Games, and The Historical Game Company. Not wanting to leave the make-believe adventures of her early life behind, she turned to writing them down; a process that was significantly faster, and more effective, than interpretive dance (which she is terrible at). Scott continues to write, draw, and stare at spaceships from her home in Orlando, Florida to this day. “Hey, somebody has to live here. To follow all of Heather’s adventures online (including more things Sivoa), check out her website at http://dragonmun.com

Book preview

H. Gorlitz Scott

To those that let me talk their ears off over the years.

To those that support the creative arts.

To those that took a chance on me.

Thank you.

♥

A BRIEF NOTE

––––––––

Several of the characters in this novel are based on the personalities of pets long gone and well-remembered. One such character exists outside of binary gender norms as, to this day, I honestly can’t tell you if that cat was male, female, or both. They were just a wonderful and loving furry ball of claws and teeth. There is a scene from this character’s point of view, which uses the gender-neutral pronouns of xe, xem, and xir to prevent confusion with the third-person use of they in the chapter.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Glossary

Acknowledgements

About The Author

Chapter One

"The legend of Dragonira states that she was born of a wish to destroy everything in existence and she succeeded first by removing all the knowledge in the world. Then she took the ability to innovate. It was in her attempt to destroy creation that she was thwarted by the three champions of the suns:

"Champion of Auvier; crafty and wise, was a master of earth - able to manipulate plant life and ground. It was he that ensnared the goddess of destruction at her downfall.

"Champion of Orianna; eccentric and strong, was a master of fire - able to manipulate heat and air. It was he that fought the goddess of destruction, toe to toe, while his brothers flanked her.

Champion of Adeen; calm and calculating, was a master of water - able to manipulate cold and hydration. It was he that dealt the goddess’s death blow with a lance made of ice.

Chapter Two

Kyle shifted in his seat, leaning back to prop a leg up on the control panel. Their combined bravery saved Sivoa from falling into the void. Evidence of this battle is supposedly found at Ciriri—you know, the place with the floating pyramid? I don’t know though, I’ve been there and while the creepy hole is certainly present, I don’t recall seeing any evidence of the three brothers outside of merchandise.

Is that last part on the box? Derick glanced over his shoulder at his co-pilot as he lazily followed a predetermined route to the Otnas Ognim orbital station.

Kyle narrowed his orange eyes at the human. No, of course not. It’s just got the usual. Goddess on the front, where the latch should be. Fire, water, and plants on the other sides. Weirdly enough, it’s got the library insignia on the top and bottom.

Anything inside it?

Yeah. Kyle shook the box, which caused its contents to clang about inside. It’s a puzzle box. I should be able to figure out how to open it soon.

Nice. Any idea how old it is?

At this, Kyle shrugged. Old enough to reference the legend, but not so old as to predate it—Ow!

Derick smiled as he pulled his arm back, pleased he was able to get a jab in on his co-pilot’s spotted shoulder. Don’t be sarcastic with me. This is your training, remember?

Kyle huffed and reclined back in his seat, silently running his fingers over the grooves lining the treasure they had found amongst the ruins of the Merenptah moon colony. It was a small thing, but was about the only piece in the junk pile that had the potential to be worth more than the materials it was made of. Well, I don’t know how to gauge how old it is. It’s pristine. No patina, so it can’t be that old, right?

Hold it up. Your first big clue is the library insignia. See how it’s got the circles inside the points of the triangle and that big one in the middle? That’s not been a thing for ages. The modern representation has the center of the circles on the points so that they are both inside and out. If it is new, then it’s custom and someone did their research.

What about the lack of patina?

That could be because of the materials it was made out of, or perhaps the fact that it was in space—though the space thing would kind of imply it was on the newer end of things. Does it have the Dragoniran cult emblem on the front?

You mean that weird star-shaped hole thing? Kyle asked, inspecting the box for the millionth time. No.

Derick raised his eyebrows and bobbed his head. Maybe it is old. That didn’t come around until later as well.

Okay, but like ... how old? Kyle shook the box again so it would make noise.

The oldest Dragoniran puzzle box on record so far is about two thousand years old. It’s in terrible shape, but this one kind of looks like that one. It even has the same filigree, but yeah ... it just looks too new for that. The pilot finally took his eyes off the window in front of him for long enough to inspect the treasure as Kyle held it out for him.

Maybe it’s an antique replica of that box from that weird cultist boom several decades back?

Derick nodded. That’s entirely likely. It was around then when they found that ancient piece of shit anyway. No artisan’s on file for making something like that though. Hand it here.

Kyle complied and watched as the pilot tested its weight and shook it himself. After a good five minutes of this, Derick handed it back. Keep it, I guess. It feels too flimsy to be made of anything precious, which also nixes the antique idea. I’d say it was plated at best, so its value is waning there, too. I wish I knew what was inside—never mind. No, I don’t. It’s probably some piece-of-shit jewelry to match. Give it to your girlfriend.

Kyle had hoped the box was of some value since he was the one who found it. The idea of it being worth less than the scrap metal they had scavenged was disappointing. I’m going to ask her to marry me when we land.

Derick smiled. No shit! Really? That’s great!

Their conversation was interrupted as a monotone voice carried over the airwaves and the face of an extremely disinterested noble graced their screen. Greetings. This is Emperor Armel with the Royal Space Division. State your destination of business.

Derick, in a perfect contrast to the glass-eyed royal before them, laughed and jumped up in his seat. Fuck. They have you monitoring traffic? What’s going on?

Snapping out of his near-sleep state, the emperor snorted and wiped at his eyes. Ah. Firestarter. He addressed them by their ship’s name—a joke referencing its first launch. Yeah. It’s already been a full year since the planetary council reviewed port activities. I picked the short straw...

That’s unfortunate. Derick picked up when Armel trailed off. We’re heading back to the capital with a scrap haul from Merenptah. Found some treasure that might be of interest to you. At this, Kyle held up the box they had been previously discussing.

The emperor leaned in, his projected form carrying out of the screen and over the control panel some. Is that a heritage box?

Oh! It might be! Check this: It’s got the old library symbol on it. Derick snatched the box from Kyle’s hand and held it forward so the visual scanners could better relay the image to the port control office. That’s one of your family’s old insignias, right?

Armel cocked his head at the sight and chuckled. Huh. Yeah. It’s really clean, isn’t it?

Kyle answered for his captain. We were just discussing that. Derick thinks it’s a cheap replica—

Of the one found in Vaballathus, Derick interrupted to clarify. It doesn’t weigh much. He handed the box back to Kyle, who returned to the task of cracking it open.

It might be more authentic than you think, depending where you found it on Merenptah. The Numis family had a resort on Baercourt that had been crushed by a wayward Hrihor Rans colony ship about 800 years ago.

Really? Derick cast an eye at the young Sivoan who sat in his co-pilot’s seat. That very well might be the scrap we’re hauling if nobody else has done it.

I doubt it. The Oriannan order used that incident as a reason to move Sivoans back planet-side and kicked the Earthers out. The aliens took everything in order to colonize Gaius, DiStasio, and Uz Gera, which aren’t really that far from Merenptah. Not much value in the little moon overall. I’d like to see the box after you land.

Aww. Kyle here was hoping to use it to propose to his girlfriend.

Well, if it’s a real heritage box he’ll have trouble—

Just as Armel started in, a loud click sounded through the cabin, followed by Kyle’s Aha! The orange Sivoan then lifted the box to show them his success in opening it.

Never mind, the emperor stated in reference to his unfinished sentence. Anything inside?

Kyle reached in and pulled out a necklace with a triangular pendant. At the sight of the four large diamonds that adorned it, Derick let out a low whistle. Now, if that’s real, it’ll be worth a pretty penny.

The co-pilot’s disappointment in potentially losing his prize was reflected in his posture as he placed the jewelry back in the box. After an awkward moment of silence, Armel’s amused voice broke in. Just keep it.

What? Kyle asked, looking at the screen in bewilderment.

Give it to your beloved. She’d likely appreciate it more than the stuffy appraisers of my family. Thanks to lunar mining and the Earther ability to fabricate, we have more jewels than we know what to do with anyway.

That’s a helluva gesture. Derick gawked at the royal shirking his duties. Are you sure?

The emperor shrugged. Sure. I mean, you two are the most interesting thing that’s happened to me all day. Consider it payment for the entertainment.

Thank you! Kyle blurted out gracelessly before pulling the necklace out again to ogle it.

Let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear of her reaction. Now I have to get back to this terribly dull task of mine. Armel shifted his gaze to a chart off screen. OGO Dock 99 is clear and tugs will be there within the hour. Safe landing. With that, the overlay went dark and returned their view to that of Sivoa’s atmosphere.

That was some damned luck right there. Derick blinked as he readjusted his eyes to the darkened cockpit. You sure as fuck better tell her that you two have the emperor’s blessing.

Yeah... Kyle trailed off, still in shock himself. I will.

Chapter Three

Judy's Bar and Inn was never much more than its name proclaimed, but it had a small air of prestige to those who remembered when it was erected on the shoreline of Otnas Ognim. It had been there for decades. In that time, zoning and regulations have shifted the shoreline closer to the ocean and larger, more prestigious buildings blocked the little hotel's view of anything but biocrete.

To Kyle, it was a sort of haven for it was where he was first introduced to Judy. It was hers, after all. The structure had been built by her great grandfather and passed down through the generations. In hindsight, it was the only place he could have met her.

He had Derick to thank for that.

The two of them served together in the space division of Sivoa’s global military, Derick graduating from the program in Emote and Kyle from Lieron. Both regions chose to require military service from their civilians, most of whom opted to retire from it after the year was up. Others chose to earn global citizenship by signing on for the planetary divisions, as they had. There they served with the nobles and political elites, who had their own system of requirements Kyle never fully understood.

Armel was only heir to the empire then and Kyle would serve with him on occasion. Derick saw him far more often as the Sivoa-born Earther was assigned to the prince’s squadron. They were in flight training together when the news broke that Armel’s father had passed.

With the prince suddenly thrown into the position of emperor by inheritance, his squadron was disbanded and Derick retired, though the two remained close. Armel was present when the human bought his junk hauler and accidentally set the launch platform on fire. Had the new monarch not been there, Derick would likely have wound up in jail.

As his own squadron remained intact, Kyle stuck with the service for the remainder of his term, which ended just short of two years ago. He retired, collected his global status, and met Derick in the Otnas Ognim spaceport. The human insisted they go to a cultist bar near the shore and that very same day Kyle met the love of his life.

Judy wasn’t a cultist by any means, but she held onto a belief that people should not be shunned simply for their lifestyle choices. Over time, she began hiring the Dragonirans, almost exclusively, in order to provide the destruction worshipers a safe place to earn a living—which many businesses failed to do. This affiliation was certainly why she was now dressed in modest blacks instead of her usual assemblage of bright colors.

Uh oh. Kyle darted through the entrance of the inn’s attached pub and crossed the dining floor to slide into a seat at the bar next to her. What happened?

Went with Angel to a funeral. Poor girl is pretty upset, so I let her have the next few days off if she needs them, Judy explained over the tonic she had pressed to her bottom lip.

Turf war? Kyle ventured a guess, aware that the cult of the night and those who worshiped the suns often butted heads in the streets outside.

The gray-blue woman shook her head, causing her pile of synthetic purple locks to softly smack against him. No. One of those weird exaltation ceremonies. She didn’t even know he was a radical. I mean, he even lived in the tower!

The spotted orange pilot furrowed his brow, trying to keep up with her words. This the one where they challenge, what’s her name—Majika?—to battle for her title?

Judy rolled her eyes and sighed. No. That’s an ascension challenge. She paused to sip her drink as a thought crossed her mind. Though, if he had survived I suppose that would have been next. No. This is the one where three adepts freeze and bury the ‘chosen’ out at sea. Then try to unfreeze them later.

Kyle nodded and stole her glass to take a sip of his own. Does anyone survive that?

Sometimes, but not often. I think one of the archvotaries at the temple managed. She stole her glass back. Anyway, it shouldn’t affect our dive.

He blinked at her. Why would this—

It happened right off the pier that we’re launching from. The librarians were investigating all week, but left this morning, so it’s open again.

Understand. He sighed unintentionally in relief.

Oh yeah! She turned the bar stool to face him. Good news on that front. Last year’s offshore quake apparently loosened some rocks and uncovered a bunch of caves. Spelunkers have been finding treasure in some, so we might get lucky!

What? I thought this was supposed to be a vacation. I didn’t come here from space to work.

Oh... She glanced away in mild hurt. I didn’t think—

Just kidding. That’s awesome. Kyle leaned in to kiss her cheek and wrap his arms around her.

Judy giggled and squirmed out of his grasp. You brat.

Yeah, I am. He smiled down at her, knowing he already found his treasure on this trip.

* * *

Kyle! They're here!

Judy was at the base of the stairs that led from the inn’s access hallway to the floor that housed the residents. This was separate from the hotel proper and home to only a select few staffers. The individual suites used to be a massive condominium that served as her family home until her grandfather passed away. Her parents renovated the entire floor, sealing off rooms to split the residence into five, while they themselves moved inland. Judy missed the sea and when ownership of the inn passed to her, she returned to stay in the suite that once contained her childhood bedroom.

Come on!

Kyle rented the apartment adjacent to hers and was connected by a set of doors embedded within the wall they shared. Sorry! I couldn't find my key, so I had to latch my door from the inside, he stammered as he burst out through her front door.

She smiled and shook her head, causing her unnatural locks to bounce in and out of her periphery. They'll probably wait on us, but I don't want to test how long.

Though they would be alone together for the majority of the deep-sea dive itself, they would start off with a group of Kyle's fellow treasure hunters, taking turns with the bulky equipment that would allow them to follow the shelf down lower than the free divers on the news had been able to travel. If those losers had been able to find Dragoniran treasure, then they were certainly going to be able to. The thought of all the potential wealth they'd uncover made Judy giddy as she jumped onto the back of the hovering platform awaiting them.

Hey, Judy. Kyle, I heard you had quite the find on Merenptah. Endre greeted them while handing them the packs with their wetsuits. When are we going to see it?

Judy raised an eyebrow as she turned her attention to her boyfriend in time to watch him squirm under the inquiry. He hadn't mentioned anything to that regard last night.

Uh ... soon. I'll show you soon, Kyle said, first avoiding her gaze and then Endre's in favor of fiddling with the drawstring on his pack.

That's odd, Judy noted as she began undoing her own pack. Inside was the wetsuit that would keep her warm against the ocean's depths. She frowned at its plain black smoothness. There is nothing cute about this thing!

She had hoped for a purple to match both her locks and the scraps of fabric that might be considered a bathing suit if looked at in the right light. In fact, she had requested it.

Catching the grimace on her face, Endre leaned in to apologize. The suits only come in two colors. This and the red they change to in emergencies.

Judy sighed and folded the suit up on her lap. That's dull, but thank you for checking.

They rode on through the streets of Otnas Ognim with little incident. At one intersection a day drinker with an early start stumbled out in front of them and had fallen before the floating platform could collide with him. They sailed over him without slowing down and Judy prayed, for Angel's sake, that he wasn't on his way to her establishment.

Not much else could be said for the rest of the trip to the docks. The sky was clear and the air just a tad cool—the perfect end of a summer day. Judy almost regretted that she'd be spending the majority of it under the ocean instead of sunbathing next to it.

As they unloaded their equipment from the levitating platform, they were greeted by a short man in a librarian uniform, his patches indicating he was with civil services and assigned to the pier.

Auvieran Acquisition Agency?

Judy nodded, but turned to tap on Kyle's shoulder, only to find he had disappeared. She flustered as she didn't have any authority to speak on behalf of the group. Yes, but uhhhh, I'm tagging along. I’m not—

It's okay, ma'am. I'm just here to sign you all in and help transport the heavy stuff.

I can fill out the forms. Endre popped out from behind the massive atmospheric suit they had reserved for extreme depths and crossed the platform to greet the officer. As he plugged information into the thin tablet, he noted she had been left alone with the packs. Where'd Kyle go?

Judy shrugged, not hiding the fact that his absence was causing her a low level of distress.

He had to piss, came the thinly accented voice of Nadiyah, who strolled up to the platform with a thumb over her shoulder. Saw him as I was heading out.

The bar owner cocked her head, worried that he had failed to relay his intended absence to her, or perhaps she simply hadn't heard him announce it. She had been somewhat lost in her thoughts about the shoreline, trying hard not to remember the funeral and the news from just a couple of days ago. This had been the place the man's body had been found, after all, and she didn't want that to bring down the excitement for the expedition.

Kyle returned just as they were loading the crew's diving chamber onto the boat they would all be taking out beyond the dropoff. While the majority of the Auvieran Acquisition Agency would be riding the contraption down depths Judy wasn't comfortable with, the two of them would swim around the coastal shelf and reef, possibly exploring a cave or two. Where did you go?

Had to get this. He held up a small pouch designed to attach to his diving belt. I realized I was short one this morning.

Judy glanced down at her own wetsuit, which had no such belt. A mild concern, but one that would follow her the whole trip now, regardless. Should I...

Kyle shook his head, anticipating her question. No need. This is going to be like any other dive we've done. Just somewhere other than the usual wrecks.

I like the usual wrecks. A coy smile played on her face before she playfully swiped at the pouch.

He predicted her movement and caught her arm, pulling her off balance until he was the only reason she didn't hit the ground. Leaning in, he stole a kiss and helped her back onto her feet.

Get a room, Endre jested as he walked by them with the last of the equipment the team needed.

What? Like that one? Kyle returned with mirth as he gestured toward the chamber. No thanks.

Judy rolled her eyes as she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the boat waiting for them at the dock.

They had missed the sunrise due to numerous little things holding them up, so the three suns were beating hot on the water by the time they got out on it. Thankfully, the breeze never stopped here, so that plus the shade of the boat’s awning kept them relatively comfortable.

They suited up as Paresh drove them out to the dive location, and after a while Judy noticed how quiet it was; not just the silence that the distance from the shore brought, but that of multiple crew members staring in her direction.

What?

Endre broke the silence and nodded in Kyle’s direction. You going to do this or what?

Kyle shot him a look of annoyance and huffed before looking at her, then out to sea, and then back before sighing. I was going to wait ‘til we were out.

Seeing her beloved in distress, Judy slid into the seat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Wait for what?

The others broke into some sort of ruckus and Judy did her best to ignore them as Kyle wrestled with something below the surface. Then, in one slick movement, he shoved something into her hand before curling his own around her fingers. With his other hand he caressed her cheek and drew her attention up toward his face. Will you do me the honor of spending eternity with me?

He was soaked by a large splash of water as his words settled in her ears. This was followed up by a playful boo! from one of their crew mates and Judy chuckled as she brought her attention to the object she was holding. She squeaked as both her mouth and her hand fell open. Looking down, she saw four diamonds glittering brightly in the sunlight and her head spun as his question—the question—exploded across her consciousness. Fuck, Kyle. This is beautiful...

He laughed and held up the pouch he had purchased shortly before. That was the find Endre mentioned earlier. Derick refused to let it remain a secret.

Nope! Endre laughed and waved a hand in their direction. He came off that ship blabbering like a fool about how the emperor himself bestowed this gift. How you didn’t find out before now is almost a shock, though the rest of us kind of made sure to avoid mentioning it.

Judy squinted at the man. What are you talki—the emperor?

Kyle touched her arm and she brought her attention back to him. Armel was in the orbital, flagging ships in. He was the one who greeted us and may have given me a pass on checking this particular piece of treasure in so I could give it to you.

Judy’s mouth fell open a second time and she glanced down to appreciate the necklace yet again. That’s quite the blessing... She trailed off as she spotted the diving pouch he was still holding out for her. Oh, don’t be dumb. I’m going to wear this now and forever. Help me put it on.

I was worried about you wearing it in the water. The chain is—

She laughed. Fragile? Where’s it going to go? In my diving suit? I can live with that.

Finally ready to hit the water, Judy covered her face and rolled backward off the platform. She allowed herself a full moment of weightlessness before opening her eyes and twisting gracefully in the liquid blue expanse around her.

Kyle was right there, pointing out where they were about to drop the submersible base. They barely felt the current as it crashed through the surface, sending ripples through the sky above them. The pressurized chamber lowered slowly past them with Endre, Nadiyah, and Melbourne inside, who waved as they passed.

Although the thing would adjust automatically to compensate for the depths they would reach, Judy did not envy them. Instead of watching them sink, she triple-checked her own system. Like the chamber, her mask and suit would monitor her surroundings and compensate where needed. Satisfied with the readings displayed on her wrist, she swam to Kyle, who had followed her lead and was checking himself over while they were still able to do anything if something went wrong. Ready?

Almost. His voice resonated in her head from where the audio conductors in her mask pressed against her skull. Okay, yeah.

She waved a hand over her wrist and a topographical map of their location lit up on her arm. They can program and display this, but they can't make the damn suit purple?

Judy pointed northward, where the reef split to reveal the dropoff between it and the coastal shelf of the mainland. The current was stronger there and while they were planning on riding it down to a pick-up point farther off, they would still have to be careful that it didn't sweep them past the points they had plotted.

Then there were the rocks.

Over untold eons, the water hammered away at the shelf, pulling its composite materials loose and spiraling into a vortex northward. Every now and then it'd dig too far and bring the more precariously balanced formations down, causing the quakes much like the one that restarted the treasure coasts adventurer boom.

Judy was confident Kyle's company had an advantage over the newcomers who populated her inn and the hotels over the last several weeks. She had been swimming these waters since she was a child and this was nowhere near being her and Kyle's first foray down into these depths.

Leading him to a tall coral formation she lovingly called the tree, she grabbed his arm and placed it on the living stone. We better anchor here.

He nodded and pulled a sizeable metal ball, with a thin cord attached to its loop, from a hidden pocket on his back and jammed it into a hole at the base of the coral. Pressing an illuminated button on his suit, a number of spikes burst out of the ball and wedged themselves into the surrounding rock. Confident that it would hold them, he clipped Judy to the rope and tapped through the virtual menu on his gloved palm until he was able to control the speed in which the rope unwound from his hip by squeezing his hand shut. While this simulated actually gripping the cord, it allowed him to keep both hands free enough to navigate the rocks.

They took turns anchoring along the reef. Once at the end of Kyle's rope, he'd push a button and the ball would close up and ride the current back to them and she'd control their ride downstream. This method was slow, but relatively safe and it ensured that they wouldn't miss any treasure they would come across...

And come across they did. Tucked in a gap where a fallen boulder had taken out a part of the reef, was a corroded haven of copper Dragoniran tokens. Once utterly worthless, these coins would set Judy almost a year ahead on her bills if they could find a buyer.

How did anyone miss these?

Kyle scooped the remainder of the coins into a sack he