Azaa guided Marcus through the city, and he quickly guessed where they were going, long before the large building filled his view. He had not been inside the palace since that first fateful meeting with Azaa and her father. His memories of that day were not particular cheerful. Compared to that day a lot more people seemed to come and go from the palace. The place was bustling, and his surprise was visible to Azaa "Since my father has recovered much of his strength thanks to you, life and activity has returned to the palace. We dare to hope again." She said with a smile and pressed his hand. The illness of her father must have had a greater effect on the ginghi than Marcus knew. Before they entered the large building Marcus unmuted Xeen and welcomed him back.

Nervous?

Yes.

Me too.

Even you?

Even I.

They walked passed some guards, and into the large entrance hall decorated with a variety of fresh flowers. "Flowers seem to be very important to the ginghi." Marcus remarked and Azaa looked at him surprised but then laughed. "It is because of my father.", she just said and laughed even more while pulling Marcus along hallways and eventually to a large double door. Marcus could hear loud laughter from a deep and powerful voice. It sounded jolly and he could only guess it belonged to Azaa's father.

Azaa pushed the door open and revealed a large room with a large table filled with food and dinnerware. The massive form of the Grand Protector loomed near one of the tall windows. He talked to a ginghi man, who looked like a small child compared to him. Another salvo of laughter came from the giant and any mental picture of the Grand Protector Marcus had, went out of the window. His idea of a stoic, ancient patriarch of few words evaporated in front of the lively laughing and cheerfully smiling man.

Still taking in the view, Azaa pulled him along again and only now he saw two women and a child. Uela sat on a chair and had a small boy on her lap while talking to the middle aged ginghi woman. The rascal on her lap seemed rather comfortable burying his face into her large bosom, something which nearly every man with pulse would have envied him for. Uela did not seem to mind and stroked the child's hair until she saw Azaa and Marcus and greeted them. Once the presence of the newcomers was acknowledged, the other ginghi woman took the child in her arms, bowed to Azaa and Marcus and left together with the unknown man.

"Who are they?" Marcus whispered to the woman at his side. "My siblings." Azaa said without hesitation and left Marcus alone for second to hug her sister Uela and her enormous father. Of course, nobody ever said the Grand Protector had not more children, and not all of them would be class holders but just normal people. The contrary, nearly all of them should be normal people given how stringent the ginghi were with creating class holders. Marcus thought about the matter until the Grand Protector stepped in front of him and reached out a hand.

All this time Marcus had not felt the same oppressive power from the Protector as he had experienced in the past but suddenly the weight of the world was on his shoulders and he felt his legs giving in. "Do not fight against it. Accept and bend." Azaa whispered into his ear and Marcus followed her advise. Instead of following the natural instinct to oppose the pressure, he let it move through him and surrendered to it. The conflict vanished and Marcus blinked unprepared for the sudden change. The giant was still waiting with his hand extended.

Marcus slowly moved his hand to shake the massive paw of the man but instead the ginghi grabbed his wrist and placed his thumb on Marcus' blood vessels. Their eyes met and after a second the man spoke with a resonant voice and Azaa translated "You have grown stronger Marcus." Marcus nodded embarrassed but the man did not let go of him, not with his hand or eyes. "There is no need to be this hasty, cherish your life. For example with my dear daughter Ahzela'shir'amon." the man smiled and Marcus watched Azaa's face as she translated. She looked bashful and suddenly Marcus' face started to burn.

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Her father let go of his hand and another earth shaking laughter filled the room. Azaa talked to him in her own tongue and they exchanged words for a moment. Azaa looked unhappy but her father poked her shoulder with his finger. "My father asks you, if you know the meaning of my name." She was grinding her teeth and Marcus slowly shook his head. Her father poked her again and smiled. Azaa looked at her shoes, like she always did when she was embarrassed "Beautiful jewel of the night sky." Her father observed Marcus reaction and showed a wide grin as Marcus' ears turned red. Such a wonderful name, he thought.

"How do I call your father?" Marcus whispered. "Shen." Azaa said and her father quickly said something and laughed again with a smirk. This was not what Marcus had expected. An oppressive meeting with judgmental looks and pointed questions, yes. Her father making fun of his daughter and her boyfriend, not so much. Azaa scolded her father and he calmed her down and offered everybody to take a seat. Uela who had watched the whole thing from afar, greeted Marcus with a smile but could not hide her amusement. Marcus took place on the table, where a variety of human foods waited for him. To his surprise he found his favorite cereals and other things he enjoyed.

As they sat down the expression of Shen changed, as if he had remembered something he had to do. He focused Marcus again and said (always translated by Azaa) "Is our esteemed ancestor Xeen with us too?" Marcus nodded.

Here it comes. Shen nodded in reply and said "It is great honor to be in the presence of a great ancestor. Even though it goes against tradition, could I implore you to tell us your full name?"

What now Xeen?

Tell him the following.

"I wish not to reveal my formal name as it does no longer has purpose in this world. My time has come and gone and so has my name. Xeen is I and I am Xeen." Marcus said wondering of the meaning of it all. Azaa translated and the reaction of the ginghi in the room was visible.

Azaa looked at Marcus with large eyes and Marcus felt like he had missed something.

I told them I have relinquished my formal name. And with it all my titles and claims. Do not speak my formal name in public again Marcus.

Was that necessary?

Yes, or it would have become a problem for you and the ginghi. If their culture is still close to my own, and it seems that way, then me revealing myself as who I'm, would have forced Shen to ask me to take command of the ginghi. My station was far too high, they would have no choice but to bow to my authority.

You have never said anything about this before!

Because this is what I had to do. I knew the moment I learned who they were, and you told Azaa about me. I already told you what is important to me, so let it go.

Marcus accepted it but promised Xeen there would be detailed discussion about this later.

Shen took a deep breath and Marcus thought to see some relief in it. "Then ancestor Xeen would you be so kind to help us with a small task?" he said and without a word Uela stood up and retrieved an object from a nearby table. A cloth hid a rectangular object and was revealed to be some kind of tablet. It was made out of a transparent crystal, like Marcus had seen before, and inside where symbols made out of gold or a gold alloy.

Uela presented the tablet to Marcus "Could you translate this for us?" Marcus took the tablet in hand and Xeen laughed.

Ha! So they had prepared something like this.

Like what?

A test of my identity. This is written in the language of the katakara.

You think they know what it means?

If they have any knowledge from my time than it is this. Tell them.

"We are the katakara, we brave the storm. We rise with the wind and seek the horizon." Marcus said and a lot of relieved faces filled the room. "Please accept my apology for this deception, dear ancestor." Shen said and bowed to Marcus/Xeen.

A lot of tension and worry melted away from the table and everybody turned to eating and drinking. Marcus had a bowl of cereals with milk and some bacon with dark bread. Azaa ate some fruit and small balls made out of dough. After she cut the fruits she also offered some slices to Marcus who was confident enough to taste the sweet delight. Shen watched them and exchanged some words with his daughter, Azaa became bashful again but did not tell Marcus what was said.

"He said, our mother would be glad to see her sharing fruit with a man. Which is of course a play on words in our language for having sex." Uela helpfully translated. Azaa stared at her with daggers in her eyes and Marcus' head turned into a tomato. The large man at the end of the table laughed and slammed his meaty hand several times on the table, the food jumped wildly around.

These are people of several hundred years of age, and yet they behave like this?

Believe it or not. It is vital to stay young if you intend to grow old. Or would you have preferred the stoic, judgmental Shen in your imagination? The one who would not accept you and deny you to be with his daughter?

No, I prefer this one much more, Marcus thought and looked around the lively room. If he was honest, in spite of the teasing, he very much enjoyed being here.

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