Cala Athmaza

Cala Athmaza is a dachenmaza of the Athmaz'are and First Nohecharis to Edrehasivar VII.

Appearance
When Maia first saw Cala, he was a young man and “wore a baldric with the Drazhadeise seal, but it looked almost incongruous over his shabby blue robe”. He had remarkably long, bony legs, and was taller than Deret Beshelar, but "gawky as a newborn colt." He had pale blue eyes and wore "thick round-lensed spectacles" that gave him a gentle look, though he also had a "long, high-arched nose. His untidy maza's queue did nothing to flatter him, but he was clearly not the sort of man who would ever care." He had "long white fingers".

At the dinner with Vorzhis Gormened, Cala seemingly borrowed a robe from someone, as "it was a bright, even blue", but "was an inch too short in the sleeves."

Personality
Cala typically had a very pleasant, benevolent look about him when he was working with Maia. He was also polite and diplomatic, and had good insight. Cala's said he's absent-minded. Deret considered him "frivolous".

Cala could also be compassionate, such as in his treatment of Maia and Thara Celehar.

Cala was scholarly: he enjoyed learning about astronomy.

Life
Cala joined the Athmaz'are and attained the rank of dachenmaza before Varenechibel IV and his nohecharei were killed on the Wisdom of Choharo. At the time, there were few dachenmaza around, so Sehalis Athmaza, the Adremaza, asked Cala to be Maia's First Nohecharei.

Deret joined Maia's side shortly before Cala did. Maia took to Cala far quicker than to Deret. Cala and Deret accompanied Maia to the funeral at the ulimeire, and Cala asked why Maia had attended.

When Maia began going through more correspondence in the course of his duties, Cala also helped educate Maia on different topics.

Cala was the first nohecharei to stand guard over Maia while Maia slept, at Maia's request.

The second day that Maia took up residence at the Untheileneise Court, Maia's Second Nohecharei arrived to relieve the First Nohecharei: Lieutenant Telimezh and Dazhis Athmaza. Dazhis was anxious that Cala "not forget to go to sleep."

Cala witnessed Maia answering questions from Lord Chancellor Uleris Chavar as part of Maia's coronation. Maia took Cala and Deret as his companions to his vigil. After Maia's vigil, Cala gave his oath to Maia (along with Deret, Dazhis, and Telimezh) as one of Maia's nohecharei. “They were. . . bound to him until their deaths, and past, for they would be buried with him”.

Before the funeral for Varenechibel IV and three of his sons, Sehalis spoke with Cala and Deret, reminding them of the boundaries between emperor and their nohecharei, and that Maia had already treated Cala and Deret unlike how he should, as if they were his equals. Cala grew more nervous around Maia, but accompanied him to the funeral and wake. That night, when Maia awoke from a nightmare, Cala was distant, and explained that he and Deret could not be Maia's friends. Maia was pained by this, and grew more distant from both his First Nohecharei.

Cala was on duty for the audience with Princess Sheveän Drazharan, as well as Maia's first meeting with the Corazhas. When Setheris Nelar ambushed Maia outside the meeting, and Maia escaped, Maia lied to Cala about his well-being. Cala was on duty for Maia's audience with Archduchess Vedero Drazhin, and was shocked by Maia's suggestion that Vedero study the stars.

Cala was on duty when Maia attended the dinner at Vorzhis' dav prior to the arrival of Maru Sevraseched, the Great Avar of Barizhan, to the Court, and even dressed up a little for the occasion.

Cala was on duty when Maia called in Thara to the Tortoise Room to talk about Thara's past, and grew more alert when Thara admitted to lying. When Thara remained nervous, Maia asked Deret to leave the room, leaving only Maia, Cala, and Thara within the room. Cala swore he would tell no one what Thara had to say. Cala was still on duty at the following meeting with the Corazhas, when Nurevis Chavar sent Maia a party invitation, and Deret reprimanded Maia after they left, to which Maia angrily told him off, before storming back to the Alcethmeret.

Sheveän and Uleris talked Dazhis into their employ, promising him that he would become Adremaza after the death of Sehalis, and that he would be Prince Idra Drazhar's First Nohecharis, and used him to knock out Telimezh, and thus allow Sheveän's armsmen to kidnap Maia to Idra's apartments, in an attempt to get Maia to abdicate. Maia bought time for the Untheileneise Guard to arrive and break down to the door to where Sheveän and Uleris were keeping Maia to rescue him. Cala was one of the first of Maia's household to reach him afterward.

Cala kept watch outside Maia's room while Maia slept, and cried. When Maia confronted him about Dazhis' fate, and grew upset, Cala helped him. The next day, Sehalis presented Kiru Athmaza as Dazhis' replacement. Maia figured out Kiru was female, and Sehalis reassured Maia she could be trusted. Cala vouched for her. After Telimezh agreed to work with her, Kiru joined Maia's nohecharei.

Cala was on duty when Maia received Hesero Nelaran, who wished Maia to have an audience with Setheris. Maia revealed the scars Setheris had given him when he was 14, but his nerves made him unable to shut his sleeve, so Cala helped, and said, "I could not be as forgiving".

Cala was on duty during the Winternight Ball, and when Eshevis Tethimar attacked Maia, Deret moved in front of Maia to block it, and was injured, while Cala killed Eshevis with a revethmaz. Cala looked at Deret's arm. Cala was shaken by the event.

Cala joined Maia, Csevet Aisava, Lord Chancellor Eiru Berenar, Captain Verer Orthema, and Captain Vizhenka in the Verven'theileian to discuss matters. When Maia went to visit his nieces and nephew in the nursery, all his nohecharei prepared to follow him, and began to argue, with Kiru noting that Deret should be in bed, as he was injured. Maia finally broke in and ordered Kiru and Telimezh to guard him and Cala and Deret to go to bed, involving a change in the shifts.

Cala, Deret, Eiru, Csevet, Lieutenant Echana, and the rest of Maia's household attempted to dissuade him from visiting the Curneisei connected to the Tethimadeise Conspiracy imprisoned in the Nevennamire, but Maia refused, so Cala and Deret accompanied him.

Cala and Deret were on duty when Maia went to watch the eclipse with Vedero.

After Maia spoke to Archprelate Teru Tethimar about a chaplain, Cala evinced surprise that Maia meditated, and Maia admitted he thought Cala would think less of him, to which both Cala and Deret denied they would. Maia then noted that Sehalis was wrong that Cala and Deret could not be his friends, and stated that he was fond of both of them, and there would be, by necessity, closeness in their relationship due to their physical closeness. Cala and Deret noted their own loyalty for Maia, and agreed that they would "be a different sort of friends."

Skills
As a dachenmaza, Cala was one of a small group of powerful maza able to qualify to be nohecharei for the emperor.

Dazhis Athmaza
Cala and Dazhis seemed to be close: Dazhis worried about Cala taking care of himself. Though this did not extend to Dazhis thinking about what would happen after Dazhis betrayed Maia (Cala's revethvoran). Cala seemingly grieved when Dazhis was assigned to commit revethvoran, and did not attend.

Deret Beshelar
Deret seemed to initially disapprove of Cala. They worked well together.

Kiru Athmaza
Cala was uncomfortable about Kiru's position as Maia's nohecharei, but vouched for her when Maia was uncertain.

Maia Drazhar
Maia appeared most fond of Cala of all his nohecharei, and was most comfortable with him. Cala was fond of Maia.

Thara Celehar
Cala was present when Thara related his past to Maia, and was compassionate to him.

Quotations

 * "Nothing can make death easier . . . but silence can make it harder."
 * “Serenity, we cannot be your friend.”
 * “Serenity,” Cala said, “you do not have to do this. No one requires it of you.”