Seven Thousand

Cage follows Yoru through large iron doors into a dimly lit hall. The clicks of shoes and the slap of bare feet are the only sounds as they walk. The hall is long with large braziers lining each side, the dancing orange flames reflecting off the shiny marble floor. The walls are made from the same material, and gold-trimmed half-columns are set a few feet from each other on both.

Above each flame, metal bowls with holes in them hang by chains, a strange purple plant visible inside. The plants burn gently, giving off a light sweet smell that comforts the anxiety in Cage's heart. He never had problems being in a crowd before as far as he can remember, but this churning in his stomach must be the result of a thousand years in solitude.

"If what you said is true, then my job will be much easier," Yoru says, slowing for Cage to join her as that soft, calm voice echos. The flames reflect in her eyes, causing the comparison of suns to become even more real.

Cage raises his brows, locking eyes with the woman, "What did I say?" he asks.

"To learn?" Yoru responds, a teasing smile on her lips. She seems to be holding up for now, despite the crack in her facade earlier. Either way, Cage has no place in trying to help. The thought has crossed his mind, but what can a stranger do?

"Oh," Cage hums, eyes drifting to the passing braziers. Countering the city, this hall is void of people. He furrows his brows as he remembers Yoru's question, "Why would that make your job easier?" Cage asks.

"The greatest students are the ones that have a hunger for knowledge. That's what my mother used to say," Yoru says, "I will be your teacher for the length of your stay on Raj, and it will be my first time. I hope you can imagine how much relief that hunger of yours brings me in that regard... That is, if you aren't all talk."

A broad smile plasters to Cage's face as he holds Yoru's gaze, "I can promise you I'm not all talk," he says. He was beginning to wonder why Yoru was doing all of this.

While in the Collector Village, Cage planned on traveling here himself. He had no reason to cause trouble for the others, they already have enough to pass around. Though he realizes how ignorant that thought was now. Without Yoru, Cage would have no idea where to go. And with the looks his attire has been earning him, he would be laid out on the street with an open neck.

Yoru leads Cage to an iron door identical to the first at the end of the hall. She grabs the metal handle and turns to look at Cage, "Lesson one: as a foreign visitor, there are some things you can't do, and words you can't speak. I will tell you more about it later, but for now, do as I say and do not speak unless spoken to. Understood?" She says with an authoritative tone.

Cage nods, "Understood."

"Good. Now, remember this: you were born on Azelah, and your race is Trezeran. The planet is a whole branch over, but it's the home of the Trezerans, and they are the only race I know of that share some of your physical traits," Yoru says, earning some hesitation from Cage, but a nod after a moment.

Yoru pauses, seeming to have been expecting a different reaction. That smile appears again, for reasons unknown to Cage. The Rajin woman pulls the door open, stepping through with her new student in tow.

This room is nearly identical to the hall with its braziers and shiny marble floor, and is almost as quiet. It is wide with doors leading to different rooms on the right wall, and paintings depicting Rajin men in battle on the left. Though the largest one in the center of the wall is a finely detailed painting of the hammer-wielding man Cage has seen everywhere. The reverence Rajin hold for this unknown man is once again thrown in his face.

At the back, a long marble counter stretches across the entire wall, glass panes set up dividing this side from the other. To protect the Rajin women standing behind it, Cage guesses. Three foreigners stand on this side of the glass, talking about unknown subjects with the clerks.

Two are races Cage had seen outside, but one is a tall and lanky man with dark skin donning stainless white garb and trousers. His back is turned, so Cage can not see his face. Though from his relaxed posture and the smile on the Rajin woman he converses with, Cage guesses he is at least a nice person.

"Come," Yoru calls, walking towards the first door on the right. She arrives before it and pulls it open, turning to Cage as she stands to the side, "I can't go in with you, but I expect you'll get through fine. It won't take long," she says.

Cage nods, walking through the door to find a small room with a single wooden desk towards the back. A Rajin woman sits behind it with red skin and long, slick black hair styled in a high bun. She wears a black dress that clings to her figure, half of which is hidden by the desk.

She is extremely attractive, with her toned but soft-looking cheeks, voluminous lips, lithe neck, and big silver eyes under thin black brows. It is not as if her body is underdeveloped either.

The woman smiles at Cage, perking up, "Hello! Are you registering?" she asks with a smooth, friendly voice.

Cage finds it impossible to not return his own smile as he walks forward and sits in a chair opposite the woman, "Yes," he replies

"Understood!" The woman says. She shuffles a few pieces of parchment on the desk, holding a strangely shaped pen in her hand. She looks up at Cage, pausing, "Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are like magnets? It's hard to look away," she says.

Cage hums, seriously thinking about the question. He's never even seen his own eyes, but from what Kyro mentioned, they are black, "No, I don't think so. I have been told they are unsettling though," he replies.

The woman giggles, still staring at Cage, "I don't think that at all. I've never seen someone with eyes like yours. They're really clear. Almost too clear," she says with another giggle as she repositions the pen in her hand, "I'm sorry. I've been told I'm a little overbearing. Let's get to your registry."

And so it begins. The first few questions are basic, name, age, and identification traits that the woman writes from observation. Cage doesn't understand why she has to tell him about something she is observing. While she is writing, he notices that, unlike many other Rajin women, she wears no metal bracelets, only a silver necklace with the pendent hidden as it hangs into the cleavage of her dress.

"Next question, what is your race?" The Rajin asks, pen hovering above the parchement.

"Trelian," Cage answers with a stone face.

The red-skinned woman brightens, "Oh! I've never seen a Trelian! I still have the map my mother bought from a Trelian merchant. It's so detailed!" she says, "Are black eyes common among your people?"

Cage nods, "They are," he responds, "I think I'm one of the few missing an arm though."

The woman glances down at his missing limb, cracking. She bursts into a cackle, one strangely attractive for how loud it is. Cage furrows his brows, was that funny? He only meant to seem like he isn't nervous. This is fine too, he thinks.

After calming down, the Rajin continues her questions. Cage answers Azelah when she asks which planet he comes from, and the process continues with no problems. After a question of why he is visiting, which Cage answers the same as before, the rest are about if he is selling anything, needs to exchange currency and others that he answers with a simple no.

The Rajin jots some more, then lifts the pen, taking one last look over what she has written. She presents that same friendly smile as she gazes up at Cage, "Okay, that's all!" she says, setting the pen down and cupping her chin with both hands, "Do you have any questions for me?"

Cage blinks, thinking if he does have any. He quickly remembers Yoru's instructions though, and shakes his head, "No, I don't think I do," he responds.

She nods, "Well, you're registered now, so you can leave," the woman say, words strangely subdued considering everything before this.

"Okay. Thank you," Cage says with a respectful smile. He stands and turns to leave.

"You're welcome," The woman says, pausing as she watches him walk to the door, "...Cage?"

Cage hums at the call, half-turning with grabbing the door handle.

"My name is Alyra, by the way," Alyra says.

Cage offers that same smile, "See you around, Alira," he responds, opening the door and walking through.

The door closes, and Cage sighs. What just happened? He has a giddy feeling in his heart, which he pushes down with all his might. Was that woman flirting? Or was she just overtly friendly? Cage does not know.

Black eyes scan the dimly lit room, and Cage finds Yoru sitting at a table on the other side of the room. He walks towards her as the woman studies the paintings on the wall. As Cage approaches, he also looks up at the paintings, but something else catches his eye.

On the ceiling, a massive mural of a leafless tree is displayed, the trunk and many branches familiar to Cage's eyes. Rather than white, the ceiling is black marble and coupled with the flames waving across its surface, the blue luminescent branches glow in the dim room. From each branch, several round orbs hang like fruit. Planets.

"The Praesi," Yoru says, now standing beside Cage, studying the massive mural along with him, "Of course, this is only a representation. The full beauty of the Praesi can never be recreated by hands."

Cage hums, neck craned as he studies each detail of the mural. Despite Yoru's words, he finds the mural beautiful. Tantalizing. The artists took great pains to create this, so it deserves to be appreciated, "How many planets are there?" he asks.

"At least seven thousand. But that number is from three hundred years ago," Yoru responds, "Up until a hundred years ago, new planets materialized constantly, so there are obviously more now... The question is how many more."

"How many have civilizations on them? Like this one?" Cage asks, looking at the Rajin woman.

Yoru hums, returning his gaze, "Of the seven thousand discovered, about half of them are inhabited. The others are what we call Outland Planets. They are either uninhabited, or too dangerous for anyone to even think about inhabiting," she says, gesturing with a nod to the side as she turns to exit.

Cage walks beside her, "Like Ka-"

Yoru raises a hand, "Yes. Like what you have seen," she says, narrowing her eyes at Cage.

Cage purses his lips, taking the hint. Though he is still confused by the gesture. He understands hiding his origins, but why be worried about revealing if he was on Kalar?

Yoru leads Cage into that hall again, and the door closes behind them. The woman down the hall, then looks behind them, making sure. They are alone. She sighs, "Remember I said there are things that you can not say?" Yoru asks.

Cage nods in response.

Yoru holds his gaze for a moment, shoes clicking against the marble, "Never, ever, let anyone even think that you know about Kalar. We can explain away you wearing the Collector suit, but if anyone that matters finds out you know anything about that planet, you will be killed on the spot, your name wiped from every record as if you never existed," she says.

Cage widens his eyes, disturbed. This woman always speaks firm, knowing her words and the meaning they hold. However, this is the first time she has been so convicted. She seems terrified of her own words. Though something else pops into his mind, and it stabs at his mind, "What about those guards? They saw me arrive with Kyro and Ingen," Cage says.

Yoru raises a brow, "Who do you think you're dealing with? I will handle Perlo and the City Guard. You just need to do what you've been doing this whole time. And please, watch what you say," she says as they near the end of the hall.

"Of course," Cage smiles, pulling the iron door open and holding it for Yoru.

"Good. You are doing well so far," Yoru says, half-turning as she steps into the cool evening air, "For now, let's make our way to my home. It has been a long day."