It seemed that Lark and my fight was a pretext for a more important event. After Lark and I arrived, we were ushered over to a side room where Lark was given access to an impromptu bathing area and given a set of formal clothes.
As Lark was getting clean, i reviewed the clothes. They were the formal uniform of Haven's protectorate, denoting his rank. There were also metals and awards for his years of service and accomplishments. There was even a small silver dragon pin, which denoted exemplary service in the first contact conflict with Narissa the Golden Queen. Although Haven was now steadfast allies with her, and she was even setting up a preserve on Haven's border, the accomplishments in that battle were still recognized. I looked at the coloring. The uniform was emblazoned with the drab grey of the general soldier population, but instead marked with blue and silver, marking Lark as a member of a specialized team. I could only assume that these were the colors of the Peacemakers.
I then saw that next to the uniform there was an agenda for the day's events.
[A proposed cure for PPD, Addiction, and other non-curable Maladies of the Mind
Daily Agenda
10:00 Dignitaries and Interested Parties Arrive
12:00 Initial Introduction and Combat Display
14:00 Scientific Brief and Discussion
16:00 Meet and Greet with Case Files
18:00 Dinner
20:00 Dignitaries escorted from Haven or to Diplomatic Quarter
]
'I guess that we were putting on a show' I thought to myself.
I mean, it made sense. From my private discussions with my in house representative Sienna, there were very few volunteers for passengers. It seemed that parasitic organisms already existed in this world, and they killed and ate their host.
But by that line of thinking, everyone should get a passenger. We had already determined that those with a passenger were immune to external parasites. It caused too many synaptic relay and autoimmune responses, or as the Demis would say, 'too many cooks in the kitchen'.
There was also the issue with the rumors. Most of those who became hosts did so as a court allowed deferment to Haven's harsh punishments. Although there were a select few who were our anointed caretakers, who had snapped the consciousness of their hosts.
So why would someone volunteer for something that was a painful procedure reserved for the worst of society?
I hoped that today there would be a few changes to that.
***
Lark had cleaned up well. His large muscled body filled out his uniform quite nicely. I noticed that Sute had even added her own touch, and that was a golden ring. I recognized it as a horn ring.
In the texts I had read, horn rings were meant to denote those who were awarded nobility by their service to the skygge people, while horn caps were for decorations reserved for the royal family.
As such, I smiled when I saw the design. It might have looked like a simple plate and strand type, but I could see what it was. It was an artistic rendition of my actual body, the plate denoting my body, and the circular strands of the tentacles with which I connected to my Lark.
[Lark, we need to hurry up and get ready. Gole are rather finicky about time, and us being there early would do us good.]
"Alright Sophia, but as we go, can you explain the Gole again? What makes them different?"
I smiled. I don't know if he really forgot or just wanted me to tell him a story, but either way, I obliged. It was our day and if he asked me this small kindness, it was the least I could do. We were diplomatic agents of Haven, albiet internally. It was important that he understood this.
[Well, we can start from the beginning. As you know, the Gole were refugees, and by the description of their home, it is assumed that they were most likely bred to be like they are instead of a naturally occurring race. They do not talk about their masters or creators and it is a taboo subject, as it elicits a fear response from the Gole. Only the Lancers who specialized in memory retrieval are willing to speak on it.
This lab environment has stricken the Gole with small petite frames, as well as an inability to survive well in natural or austere environments. It's why all gole you meet were a golden bracelet. These were designed by our Lord himself to allow for the Gole to have a relatively normal existence, however they still prefer the indoors, as even a bit of cold rain or a hot day can have them hospitalized.
As for the gole types, there is the Lancers. The majority of the power they hold is psionic. They specialize in memory retrieval, mental manipulation, telepathy, and crystal resonance magic. They are also the physically weakest gole, as they have no form of protection. They are not be be discounted in a fight though, as their control of magic is astounding and most keep a magical barrier up at all times. Mostly to protect them from the rain and sun.
Next are the Mechanists. As Lancers whisper to the mind, the Mechanists whisper to metal. They are the great mechanical aritificers of Haven. Most of the homunculi you see are built and programmed by them, and if you ever see them in combat, they will be wearing the highly customized mechanical exoskeletons, as any metal implements that they touch bend to their will.
Finally there are the Guardian Gole. These are experts of the earth, and are rarely seen outside their piloted golems. They work with Lord Harkonin to build the infrastructure of Haven, from buildings and roads to walls and tunnels. I have heard that for most of the Guardians when they curl up in their Golem, their bodies enter a dreamlike state and they awake as the golem, giving them control of the golem as if it were their own body.
]
We entered the audience chamber.
"Do all the Gole have tattoos and crystals?"
[No. Only Lancers have crystals, and try not to stare into it. Its the mental equivalent of staring at the sun.]
The audience chamber was setup to be dozens of small tables and a stage was setup where one of Jan's apprentices was using illusion magic to display what looked like a document as part of his presentation.
"Welcome Lark! And of course you too Sophia. Thank you for arriving early. Your seats are this way."
Jan looked at Lark, "Lark, so you know, there will be lots of details presented here that might be unnerving. At any time if you are worried, whisper to Sophia and I am sure she will help you through it.
Lark smiled at this. "I am not too worried about the details. But I will trust you and do as you say if necessary."
That was my Lark. He had already determined that our relationship was a priority over the smaller details surrounding it.
"Alright then. Please take your seats. We will be starting once everyone is settled. Diplomats sure love their gossip. While you wait, would you like something to drink?"
Lark and I settled in. It was probably going to be a fairly long day.