10.1

The sudden arrival on Xantari shocked the Zarian princess Farenia, who

was married to the stellar officer Lanthas. It was difficult for her to realize

that this was even possible.

The princess pondered with horror that right now she would have to get

used to living in a foreign society with the rules of the Prosperity Code and

change her husband every year, giving birth to a child from him. During the

fleet's travels, at the request of the Commander, she had to enter into a

relationship under the charms with another officer Tumariz and give a life to

his son Lodius. She was frightened by the impending fate of an endless series

of new partners and pregnancies.

The husband tried to calm her down, explaining that everything was

now under the control of the all-powerful Phoenix, and big changes awaited

their planet.

He settled his wife and their son Xiorlis in his tall tower of intricate

architecture in the vast capital city of Illuria, with a population of tens of

thousands of inhabitants of both races. The many floors of the building were

connected by stairs, and one could walk for a long time in the vast dwelling

with a beautiful interior.

On the top floor of the tower, under a transparent crystal dome, a

stunning panoramic view opened up and the princess spent a long time

admiring the tall towers, shining with rainbow rays, spread out among the

greenery of neat gardens and low multi-colored buildings to the horizon.

Many white-winged syrinxes floated in the turquoise sky and she could look

at all this splendor endlessly.

She would really like to walk along the streets of the metropolis, but

royalty is not supposed to be among people, and she no longer considered

herself a human, having feathery appendages sticking out on her back that

could not be hidden under clothes.

Syrinxes did not make friends with mortal people; if they met, it was

only with beautiful girls, looking out for them in the crowd from the heights

of their celestial apartments. Whoever noticed first, snatched the girl from

the bustle of the street, carrying her on wings upward to his abode.

Kidnapping was not considered a crime, but luck with a romantic prelude.

Going to heaven for love promised great privileges: life became a fairy

tale among the luxurious furnishings in the tower and the availability of any

things. To give birth to a handsome boy who was easy to care for, and to share

a bed with a winged man was such happiness. Only this path was one way:

none of the celestial's wives ever returned to the lower floors. There was no

news from the missing girls, they were refused to communicate with their

relatives, they could only wave to passers-by from the high towers if they

were noticed.

Such dubious happiness aroused suspicion among people, and some

girls, who did not want the fate of a concubine of the celestials, covered their

faces with scarves and wore hats while walking along the street under

awnings so that they would not be noticed and kidnapped.

Sometimes parents sold their pretty daughters to the Syrinxes as maids

and concubines in exchange for magical service for the rest of their days,

which included having a good home with beautiful furnishings. Such an

agreement was drawn up without any problems in special institutions.

From such unequal marriages, sirkoi were often born - wingless boys,

whose destiny was to learn the art of war in order to fight a fierce enemy on

the battlefield.

Pure-blooded Syrinxes sought to have sons with princesses, but it was

not easy to fall into favor with at least one out of twenty. Royals girls, who

were born very rarely, were meticulous in choosing a candidate for paternity.

They organized fighting and magic tournaments in which they had to prove

themselves in the best light. Beauty alone is not enough to win the heart of a

noble lady; some outstanding features of the candidate must be heard.

Therefore, serving in the stellar army as an officer provided an opportunity

to somehow prove oneself and gain special respect in noble circles.

Wanderings across twenty star colonies provided the opportunity to

taste danger, see different worlds and meet local princesses, reborn due to

extermination wars, and, tired of the boring life on Xantari, the elite eagerly

rushed into space. But in severe war, immortal aristocrats were vulnerable

and could die, which often happened during a ship explosion due to an enemy

attack, when it was no longer possible to resurrect the officer.

The people of the lower floors never rebelled and did not consider their

position to be in slave; it was hammered into their heads since childhood to

serve the winged wizards who protect the planet from invaders with all their

might. Syrinxes were seen as super-beings for people: they do not need food,

they are immortal and never get sick, they can resurrect and create things

out of nowhere - quite powerful arguments for tolerating their contempt and

arrogance.

The giant Archons were especially awe-inspiring when they flew over

Illuria, flapping their huge wings. The ancient celestials were the Supreme

Power of Xantari, and the syrinxes themselves were afraid of them.

This is how the two races coexisted, being in parallel, sometimes

intersecting, worlds. People were busy below in their farms, growing

vegetables and fruits in their gardens, and the syrinxes, preoccupied with

war and reproduction, fluttered from tower to tower, not particularly

worried about mortals.