All That Glitters

All That Glitters - Ch 72

Byandi Awards Ceremony. New friends and new enemies.

The Piscium Family is rewarded for saving the Heads of State of the Greater Community. The girls make new friends. New enemies emerge.

© bigtddybr December 2025. This story 'All That Glitters - Chapter Seventy-Two or the series 'All That Glitters', cannot be transferred in whole or in part to any other site besides Literotica.com without the prior authorizations in writing from the author and bigtddybr must be credited for this work.

Due to the number of abbreviations, ship listings, and list of characters, in this story, I include a glossary that is now in a stand-alone chapter called 'All That Glitters: Notes v 14'. Any and all information that you want or need to know about the series is included in Notes. It will be updated frequently simply by re-issuing the chapter to Literotica as a new version.

There is little attempt to explain the back story, so it is necessary to read previous chapters to fully understand where we are.

As before, I claim sole responsibility for the story line. This story is a fantasy, with no basis in reality. Any similarity that you may perceive to current events, people, or situations real or imaginary is completely unintended. Look no further than the story line for its intent and purpose.

A big shout out to my editors, who wish to remain anonymous, for all the help they provide. If you find any errors still left in this chapter, they are mine, as I have ignored sage advice to make a silly point.

Please rate and comment. But keep your comments respectful. If you rant and rave or are disrespectful in your commentary, it will be deleted.

'Nuff said...Enjoy.

Royal Family Retreat (The Farm), Near Mylatin City, Mylatinyl, The Byandi Realm, 550 Light Years from Terra

Rahona the Shaman sat cross legged on the ground in front of the Seeket Tree that lived in the middle of the retreat. The tree was in bloom, which meant all the trees around the planet would be in bloom. However, this cycle the bloom was early, something that had not happened in thousands of cycles.

The dawn was near to breaking so it was a little chilly sitting on the cold ground, but Byandi had no issues with such things. They had natural defences against the cold waters of the seas, so the chill of the early morning meant very little to Rahona. She closed her eyes and waited for the dawn.

As always, when the Seeket trees bloomed, Rahona could sense something special. But this time, there was something oddly different. There was a new sensation, a feeling that she could not quite interpret. She tried to relate it to her own feelings, her past experiences as a person and as a Shaman. The best thing she could think of was a feeling of anticipation...or dread.

She sensed something was going to happen but she was not sure if it would be soon or not. Not for the first time she was not pleased at her level of power as a Shaman. For some reason, she could not gain the higher levels of power that other Shaman had achieved. She was positive that if she had attained such levels, she would understand the vague feelings that lingered in the back of her mind.

She sat, her eyes closed, as the dawning of the home star Salta, the Light of Mylatin, washed over her. The warmth of it flooded her body, comforting her as it gently heated her and the area around her.

She tried to relax into the warmth, but she could not really get comfortable. The sensation of something out of the ordinary was there at the edge. Getting stronger. She turned her head back and forth slightly and knew immediately that the sensation was coming from the nearby city.

Mylatin City, the Capital. It was thirty-five Paän-Lictas (One Paän-Lictas was one thousand Lictas, approximately 833 metres, so thirty-five Paän-Lictas is roughly 29km) to the edge of the city, more than 70 Paän-Lictas to the Castada ne Mylatin, the Grand Palace in the center of the city. It would take her three days to walk there.

As Salta rose higher, the feeling of warmth increased, allowing her to relax a little more.

She sensed rather than heard the approach of two pairs of feet.Damn,she thought,I do not need them now!

^Shaman Rahona, we need to speak with you,^ a cultured voice quietly spoke.

^Zado the Priest...why have you disturbed my revere?^ Rahona growled, her voice attempting to intimidate the priest.

^Why do you continue to insist on insulting my mate and I when we have done nothing to warrant your ire, Shaman Rahona?^ a female voice demanded.

^Done nothing Priestess Kittle? The Priestesses and Priests of the official Church have always maligned the Shamans!^ Rahona retorted without opening her eyes.

^That may be true of others, Rahona,^ Zado countered, ^but we have always been civil to the Shaman. Especially so to you.

^We each have our place within Byandi society, we of the Church and you Shaman. While other clergy may not wish to acknowledge this, it is a fact that cannot be ignored, and my mate and I choose not to.^

^We have waited patiently for you to rise from your dedications, Shaman,^ Kittle stated, ^but we must intervene at this time. There is much going on that I am sure you have already perceived.^

^My mate is correct, Shaman. Open your eyes and see for yourself,^ Zado said.

Rahona opened her eyes and was shocked to see all of The Farm's Gennel sitting around the tree. There were hundreds of them, and she had neither heard nor sensed their approach. That momentarily frightened her.

While they may have been sitting around the tree, they were not looking at it but to the west, toward the city.

They, too, are reacting to the feeling of anticipation. Rahona thought.

^We are headed to the Castada ne Mylatin. You may come with us if you wish,^ Zado offered. ^There is something there that awaits us. I am sure you have also felt it.^

^You know that we Shaman do not like travelling in powered vehicles,^ Rahona stated.

^We know,^ Kittle answered for the pair. ^But it would take you three days to walk there, and by then, whatever awaits us will have moved on. If you travel with us, we will be in the Castada in less than ten zoll (a Byandi measurement of time, ten Zoll is roughly just over thirteen Standard minutes). ^Even you can tolerate being inside a powered vehicle for ten zoll, Shaman.^

Rahona contemplated this for a moment. It was true, she could tolerate ten zoll in one of those machines. After all, she had not always been a Shaman.

Rahona was the younger sister of Mylatrin Adriné, younger by nine years. Adriné was well established as the Mylatrin before Rahona even became eligible to be selected as Mylatrin, yet those who were not pleased with her sister's rule had attempted to coerce her into taking her place. When the palace intrigue had become too much for her, Rahona had chosen to move to the retreat and become a Shaman to spare her sister a potential palace coup.

Rahona recognized the good her sister was doing for the people, if not for those who thought they controlled the Byandi.

She rose gracefully from her seated position and turned to face the pair of Laën Fierres. They bowed low to her, and she returned the bow, though not as low. She was, after all, royalty, while the other two were a Fierres pair dedicated to the Goddess Layalle.

The group walked to the Farm's shuttle port, arriving some two hours later. They entered one of the small, five person shuttles. Zado took the controls while Kittle showed Rahona how to use the security belts. Kittle needn't have bothered, but Rahona let her do her thing. She had learned long ago that sometimes it was best to let others think they were being helpful.

Two zoll later, they leapt into the sky. They were landing at the Castada ne Mylatin's shuttle port in the allotted ten zoll, surprising the staff as Rahona stepped out of the craft. Rahona used her mental powers to 'hide' herself from onlookers as they made their way up to the Grand Hall just in time to witness the beginning of the award ceremony. The trio stood around the periphery of the ceremony, waiting for something to happen. What that was to be, none of them knew.

Castada ne Mylatin, Mylatin City, Mylatinyl, The Byandi Realm

It was late in the afternoon by the time the awards ceremony had finished. The cooks prepared food for the recipients and guests and all enjoyed the company of their friends, family, and the other guests. It was a shock to the ordinary Byandi to see so many Heads of State of the other species at the ceremony but, on reflection, it just made sense as they had been present the day before for the Royal Mating Ceremony.

Everyone was happy about their rewards...everyone but one little girl.

"Why the long face, Zarreniya?" Krissiya asked.

"I not know what medal means, Krissiya," Zarreniya replied.

"You mean; 'I do not know what the medal means'," Krissiya corrected, making Zarreniya repeat it.

῏You need to think about it in terms that you understand,῏ Prakeshya explained to Zarreniya.

῏Prakeshya is correct,῏ the Kumaroe added. ῏You and your family helped prevent a palace coup against not only the Byandi Royal Family, but also against the Heads of States of the Greater Community. That makes you the equivalent of a Sai-Rai, Goddaughter.῏

῏My mate is correct, Goddaughter,῏ the Kumaraie interjected. ῏While there was some ambiguity the last time you did this,῏ the Kumaraie said while looking directly at Callet-Mun Rai, the head of the Pod-Drran Council of Warriors, ῏on this particular occasion, there is no question as to what you did. You have indeed achieved the Byandi status of Sai-Rai.῏

^My friend Na-Maj is correct, Zarreniya,^ the Mylatrin chimed in. ^You and your family not only saved the Royal Family from a coup, but also protected the ruling families of the Greater Community from potential harm.

^It takes very special action on the part of a Byandi citizen to earn a recommendation from my Brucomma for a Brucomma Urdo and rarely is there a recommendation at the Semetess level (gold level). That the Brucomma Urdo was recommended to non-Byandi is rare enough but for a non-citizen to be recommended at the highest level is unheard of. You and your family can be justifiably proud of your accomplishments, Ikekiya, Zarreniya.^

The two girls looked at each other and smiled, then rushed the legs of their Aunty Adriné and hugged her fiercely, turning next to their Godmother, the Kumaraie. With happy smiles, they ran off to talk to other people.

"No moss growing on those rolling stones," Hanalei commented as the children sprinted off. This was not a sentiment that was known to the Byandi, but they got the gist of it.

************

The new Royal Couple stepped into a quiet space and pulled together their close aides, which now included GME Jade. They called for the Councillors Petronellaya and Elliya, Lady Hanalei and Lady Junelliya, while the Brucomma kept others away for the brief exchange.

^We were informed this morning of what had happened last evening; however, can someone please explain what exactly is a 'Pregnancy Spike'?^ the Mylatrin demanded.

"A pregnancy spike is an unusual spike of empathic power that can occur to pregnant empaths when there is a threat or perceived threat to the empath's family or unborn," Jade began. "As the name implies, it usually occurs during a pregnancy when a woman's hormones are fluctuating.

"These spikes of power are considerably higher than an ordinary empath would normally be able to attain," Elliya took over. "When you look at a pregnancy spike from a strong empath or from someone of Lady Junelliya's capabilities, the power output can be quite astonishing. This level of output is such that it can leave the empath in life threatening medical situations.

"Junelliya is the most powerful empath ever recorded. The last time she had a pregnancy spike, she was sent back in time to the era of the Pod-Drran Goddess Poda-La. She brought back a warning of a pending attack on the Kumar-Pair and a prophecy on the Kumar-Pair's future Brood. But due to being medically incapacitated, she was unable to act on those for over a day.

"In this instance, however, there was no threat and there was a focused requirement for the use of her power. As such, she was not left exhausted as she had been in the previous incident."

"This time, the pregnancy spike focused on Junelliya's desire to share the blessings of the Granla to all the Byandi. The Byandi realm has been abruptly made aware of just how powerful a Granla can become. That will be both something to be amazed at by the Byandi, as well as something to be greatly feared.

"Fortuitously for your realm, you are currently the strongest Byandi we know of. Once your training is completed, you will be the first of the acknowledged Gennelauren and will likely be the strongest member of your species for some time," Elliya finished.

"In the meantime, your government will have to contend with the backlash from this event," Petronellaya added. "In an opportunistic turn of events, Jade has been working in my office for the past year. She has become quite adept at dealing with such incidents. We were, after all, grooming her to become a Councillor. You could not have a better person in your corner."

The Mylatrin smiled at Jade. ^I look forward to working with you then. Corruun, are there any unusual e-mails coming to the government?^

^We are fortunate, My Liege, that the government is shut down until tomorrow,^ Corruun explained to her boss. ^However, we have noted some rather disturbing and threatening general e-mails concerning this event.^

^Disturbing e-mails we shall leave to Jade to deal with. Threatening e-mails will be dealt with by the Brucomma and local police forces. I want those who would threaten others to be reminded that Byandi law demands civility from our citizens.^

^By your command, My Liege,^ Corruun replied as the Royal Couple began to circulate again among their guests.

************

The Piscium girls were surprised to see so many people from Liramor-23 in the Grand Hall.

"We came in on the newly established runs to Mylatinyl," Katanya explained. "They made it easy to get here. We all wanted to see your family get your medals, especially you two."

The girls smiled at that and greeted their friends from the station, which included more than just humans. Most of those who were off-duty today had made a deliberate attempt to attend, and the family was receiving a constant stream of congratulations via their Comps from those who were on duty and unable to be there in person.

That's when they got an even bigger surprise.

"Grandpa! Grandma!" the children squealed and ran to their family members.

"Ah, you finally got here," Hanalei commented to her parents Humza Anar and Lamees Sarraf. But it was her Hama (mother-in-law) Ikekia Houll who answered...

"We almost didn't get here on time; there were so few spots available for jumping in and out of the system today, but it was your Captain Bellany who got us through in time to witness the ceremony. The palace staff are amazing. As soon as we told them we were the grandparents of the Piscium girls, they couldn't do enough for us!"

"Where is everyone else, Grandpa?" Zarreniya asked Penat Herlan.

"They wanted to save their vacation time for your upcoming Hafl Alhayaa, Zarry. They will contact you via e-mail today to congratulate you, but will not see you until your upcoming ceremony," Penat replied, giving Zarry a hug, which was followed up by Zallene Falta, Penat's only wife and one of the children's four grandmothers.

The family had a happy reunion as Penat called his other children to allow them to speak with the Piscium family.

^And who do we have here?^ a familiar Byandi voice asked a little later. The Piscium family bowed to the Mylatrin, to let their extended family know who was the boss here.

"Mylatrin Adriné ti Salta, Caltan Tullo ti Arrendur, these are the grandparents of our children," Fayad introduced them. "First is my father, Naadir Ouihya, Patriarch of the House of Ouihya; his First Wife and Matriarch of the House of Ouihya, Ikekia Houll; the Second Wife of House Ouihya, Gelarah Laghmani; Humza Anar, Hanalei's father and Patriarch of the House of Anar; his wife and Hanalei's mother Lamees Sarraf, Matriarch of the House of Anar; Junelliya's father, Panet Herlan Patriarch of House Herlan; his wife and Matriarch of House Herlan, Zallene Falta. These are our children's grandparents."

The Royal Couple spent a few minutes getting to know future family members before beginning to circulate once more. But the family didn't get much respite as many of the Heads of State wanted to greet them as well.

Not long after, the girls were once again running around talking to all the younger Byandi recipients of awards, especially the two pre-teen Mallitana who had received the Bronze Citizen Awards for their actions in a school charity drive. They had brought in an unprecedented amount of money for their efforts.

^We will be doing a charity concert for our friends who were injured in the big tremor on Maha-Oran,^ Ikekiya explained. ^We would be happy to hear how you did what you did in your charity drive.^

^It was not easy. We didn't know anything when we started. We had to learn how to connect to people and how to ask them, nicely, to help those in need. It was a big challenge^" Antta told the girls.

"It does indeed sound like it was quite a challenge," said a new voice in Standard.

"Uncle Jean!!" The children rushed his legs and hugged him tight.

"Woah there! You two are starting to get big now. You can almost reach my hip!"

"Uh-huh, we big girls now," Zarreniya agreed, smiling up at him.

The girls presented their 'Uncle Jean' to Atta and Sutta, who had accomplished so much. Jean knelt down and listened intently to the pair as they regaled him with what they had accomplished.

^It was hard work, but we kept going,^ Atta informed them.

"Mommy says 'Work is a jealous mistress, always staying close to those who work most'. We like that saying," Ikekiya explained to their Uncle Jean.

"Mommy also says, 'Work gives hugs of success to those who never give up'," Zarreniya chimed in.

"And it looks like these two have received many hugs from Mistress Work," Jean added, nodding to the two Mallitana. "I am truly impressed with your accomplishments."

"Uncle Jean, do you think we should ask for help from these two for our concert?" Zarreniya asked.

"It couldn't hurt, but do we bring them to Denders or do we connect to them here on Mylatinyl?" Jean asked.

^I'd say we should bring them to Denders,^ the Mylatrin said as she approached the group. ^After all, they are celebrities and that is where celebrities will be gathering.

^Welcome Monsieur Dumont,^ the Mylatrin greeted him. ^It is always a pleasure to see you.^

"That is because I make money for you, Mylatrin," Jean quipped with a smile.

Just then, the three Cats landed on the Piscium girl's shoulders and frightened the two Mallitana, who jumped back at being unexpectedly confronted by them. They both made an 'eep' sound.

^Errgralla^ Atta said with some trepidation in her voice.

^What is Errgralla, Atta?^ Ikekiya asked.

It was Issamma, the Byandi maid assigned to the Piscium Family who responded. ^They are the fabled messengers of the Byandi Goddess Mylatin. They are purported to be dark creatures that fly silently through the air at amazing speeds without flapping their wings. The Errgralla only appear to Byandi when they are dying. It is said they take the souls of the honoured dead to the bosom of the Goddess Mylatin, and those of the evil dead to the darkness of the deep waters.^