The Riddle of the Gods

by Lyra Shanti

Reese, half-awake and shaken from Pei's shouting, gently tugged on his shoulder and got him to lie back down beside her. “It's alright, my love,” she whispered into his ear. “It was just a bad dream. Everything is fine. Go back to sleep.”

  Slowly, he breathed normally again. Lying down on Reese's warm, soft chest while holding onto her waist, he tried to remember what he'd dreamt; something about a dark void and a room of fire... with a sun-like God scolding him. It all became vague and surreal to him as he thought about it. He just wanted to believe Reese's words: that everything was going to be fine.

  If only he could get the image of Ayn surrounded in flames out of his mind.

  Chapter 5: The Slave

  Ayn sat and stared at the gray wall in front of him, the same wall he had been staring at for at least a few months now, if not more.

  Time was passing him by in a blurred fury ever since the day Thotwa helped Seith to re-imprison him back to confinement. It had taken all the plasma-rods they could find to bring Ayn to his knees, and even then, Thotwa was forced to make a new plasma-collar, one with twice as much charge and designed exclusively for their most feared slave.

  After months of resistance, Ayn passed out, and Seith's guards put him in confinement, back to where that plasma-draining creature had nearly killed him. If Adin's power hadn't come forth within his soul, Ayn knew he would have died.

  That terrible day, when he lost Srah, Kren and even Axis; it wasn't a day he wanted to remember ever again. Everything he loved was gone forever now. His freedom, his hopes, and his very soul: all lost, kept only in his memory, though even that was fading now.

  He couldn't be sure, but he had the feeling it was near, or perhaps a bit past his sixteenth birthday. It seemed like it was just yesterday Srah had baked him a small cake for his last birthday, but that was months ago, and sometimes, he wondered if it all had been just a dream.

  The dank, dark room let in the light only slightly through the small crack at the top. It hadn't been there before when he was stuck with that horrible snake, but now it was there. Ayn could only assume it had been created from the release of plasma that Adin inside him had used to break open the door.

  The door had since been resealed, and was now covered in a stronger metal: an Ohrian kind of metal called Linthil, the strongest metal in the galaxy. It also seemed to block Ayn's ability to draw upon Adin's power, which made him feel drained of energy, rendering him completely helpless.

  Most of the time he slipped into dream, usually having to do with Meddhi-Lan dying or Srah comforting him. Unfortunately, Srah would usually disappear, followed by an unknown priestess dressed in black, appearing as though she were mourning someone's death. This priestess in mourning seemed familiar, but he couldn't place her.

  Then, his dreams would turn even more surreal. It would be Adin, or a mix of Adin and Axis – some sort of new breed of man – and he was completely on fire, unafraid and unscathed. He was Ayn, but not Ayn at the same time. He was the fire, and not the fire. He was something new, yet old. He would conquer the flames and laugh. Then Ayn would wake up beyond thirsty.

  Periodically, a few slaves came to his prison to deliver food and water. Usually, they were heavily guarded and not allowed to speak. The worst was when Bolgara would come. She seemed fascinated by Ayn, even more now that she and her husband had the notion they had actually enslaved The Bodanya. It seemed to make them feel powerful, albeit slightly terrified, and they had no intention of telling anyone of their hidden treasure. It was their secret and they wanted it to stay that way.

  Bolgara would often bring Ayn fruits she thought he might like, and sometimes she'd sneak in a kiss on his lips. He was completely despondent with her, but she did it anyway. She was used to men not acting like they cared.

  However, she was determined to make him react, even if it was in anger. She had brought Thotwa who had Ayn's plasma remote firmly in his hand. She then ordered Thotwa to unlock the door. Dutifully, her top slave followed his orders as he slowly opened the door for her to enter.

  “It is safe, my Lady,” said Thotwa. “The plasma reader indicates that the boy's energy levels are very low at this moment. You should be fine.”

  “Oh, please,” she said as she sauntered in, “My sweet Ayn wouldn't hurt me if his life depended on it.”

  Thotwa wasn't so sure about that fact, though he didn't respond. As is, he was sneaking her in to see Seith's most dangerous slave, partly because she paid him extra for it, and partly because he was curious as to what she was doing with him.

  Much to his surprise, Thotwa felt it was his job to protect the boy. After their fight on the day the Sarax flew through the ceiling, Thotwa felt a mix of awe and fear for Ayn. He didn't understand what the mysterious boy truly was, but he knew Ayn wasn't fully mortal, and that idea terrified him. At the same time, he felt pity for the boy trapped inside the god. It was difficult for Thotwa to accept the Gods even existed, but Ayn was quite real, and so were his powers. As frightened of him as Thotwa was, it was hard not to feel sorry for Ayn. Just looking at him, Thotwa could sense how close to soul-death the weakened boy was. There was no way for Thotwa to save him though; he could only make Ayn as comfortable as possible.

  Bolgara's visits were not helping. This time, she had brought him a box of chocolates. Not even responding with a blink, Ayn stared ahead, ignoring her. Normally, he would have been delighted by chocolate, but that kind of childlike excitement had left him. He also didn't want to encourage her by responding, so he sat and ignored everything she said, as he often did during her visits.

  Today, however, she said something a little different. “Guess what, my dear! Good news! I've convinced that horrible husband of mine to let you out of here! You'll soon be free of this terrible prison! I'll take you to my groomers, and there, you'll be cleaned up and made into one of our personal slaves. Of course, you'll have to be good and do what my husband says; no breaking your plasma-collar or hurting anyone. I have faith in you, my sweetness. You're just misunderstood, that's all.”

  Attempting to lift Ayn by his arm, she couldn't do it, and ordered Thotwa to help her. Lifting Ayn, Thotwa shook his head while thinking about the idea of the Seiths taking Ayn in as one of her groomers. It was more than just a bad idea, it was pointless. If this young man really was The Bodanya, he'd be able to kill all of them with only a thought. Despite his worries, Thotwa didn't know whether he should bother warning them or not. He was certain the Seiths would do what they wanted anyway. If The Bodanya inside of Ayn did attack, though, he would be ready for him.

  “Oh...” Bolgara added as they force-walked Ayn out of the prison area, “there is a slight catch to this agreement. My husband thinks you are such a pretty person, you see... and he'd like you to dress more appropriately – more like a woman.” Clearing her throat nervously, she continued, “I personally think you look fine in men's clothing, but... my husband wishes you to join his harem where he'll have you trained in dance and song. You'll be an entertainer now! Isn't that exciting?”

  Thotwa rolled his eyes. The idea was preposterous. Not only was the boy too weak to entertain anyone, but he clearly would rebel the second he regained energy and had the chance to escape. “With all due respect, Lady Bolgara,” Thotwa couldn't stop himself from saying, “I really don't think he's-”

  “I don't care what you think!” she snapped, cutting him off. “When I want your opinion, I'll command you to give me it, Mr. Thotwa! Is that clear?”

  Thotwa held back his anger and calmly replied, “Yes, perfectly, my lady.”

  “Good,” she said, sneering at him, “now help me escort this lovely new harem girl-boy to my grooming quarters, and keep your mouth shut!”

  Silencing his emotions, Thotwa nodded obediently as he held Ayn's arm, leading the weak boy through the prison's corridors.

  Ayn could barely process what was happening. He knew he was walking, and he had heard some of what Bolgara had said; something about singing, dancing, and dressing like a girl. None of i
t mattered to him though. He was dead inside. What did it matter if they humiliated him now? Without Axis, he was lost; his soul had flown.

  Unable to grasp his current reality, Ayn stared at the pattern of Bolgara’s dress as she walked ahead of him. It was jet black with little gold stars abundant. It made his eyes blur, and he began dreaming about The Un. Once again, he felt lost, but this time, he was lost in a place familiar to him, which made him smile. At least he knew he’d always have the universe with him, if nothing else. The Un was his home: his true reality. Everything else was merely an illusion in his mind. All was a masquerade, but the stars.

  Chapter 6: Evidence

  Staring at the three-dimensional painting that depicted Gods creating the world of Kri, Pei couldn't get Dr. Hessen's words out of his head. He could still hear the doctor's voice, clear as a bell. "I do this, Pei, because I'm too afraid of what would happen if I didn't. Yol has my children captive somewhere on Xen, I'm sure of it. He knows where they are, and I have a feeling their safety depends on if I do what he wants. I'm sorry, but I have no other choice but to obey him."

  At the time, Pei didn't understand, but now, the doctor's words made complete sense. Obviously, Yol was blackmailing Hessen to regenerate the dead, using the doctor’s own children as collateral. It was sick, but typical of what Pei knew of his deranged father. Pei wanted so badly to help Hessen, as he promised he would, but he didn’t know if Baran would let him go to Xen when all the new minister seemed to care about at present was finding King Atlar.

  As Baran explained about Atlar possibly being on Sirin, and how the evidence they’ve found thus far seemed to add up to Ohrians being involved, Pei could only think about Yol and how much his father must have hated Atlar.

  “It’s not the Ohrians,” said Pei, decidedly. “They may be involved, but I would bet all the plasma in the cosmos that it’s Notama who set the whole thing up. He pretends he doesn't feel anything, but he hates Atlar with a passion and blames him for everything from the Xen war to slavery. You can be sure it’s Notama who arranged everything from the start.”

  Sighing, Baran nodded. “That may be true, Pei,” the minister replied, “but we don’t have time to waste, and without sufficient evidence linking Atlar’s kidnapping to Notama, we can’t touch him. All we know is that Atlar was last seen on Ohr and taken by Sirini men, most likely to Sirin. That’s all we have to go on, so what I need now is to send a team of Lirhan soldiers to Sirin, led by you and Reese. Even though we have no specifics to where he might be, I know the two of you will find him. Use your tracking devices, and your guts. I have the utmost faith in you both.”

  Sitting next to Baran at a round table in his new Minister's office, Reese and Pei nodded, though Pei seemed uncomfortable.

  “What is it?” asked Baran.

  “Nothing, it’s just...” replied Pei as he shifted in his seat.

  “Spill it, Pei,” ordered Baran.

  “It’s just... I really need to go to Xen. I don’t want to disobey your orders, Minister, but...”

  “Why go to that Gods-forsaken planet? What’s on Xen that is so urgent?”

  “I can’t explain it, Baran, but I have a feeling that something is gravely wrong! Perhaps Dr. Hessen’s children are in danger! I vowed to him that I’d find them, and bring them to safety.”

  “Who the hell is Dr. Hessen?” asked Baran, confused. He looked at Reese who gave him a smirk in return.

  “How quickly you forget what I say,” she quipped. “I told you this morning. He’s the genetic theorist Notama is using to bring back the dead.”

  “Right...” said Baran, still a bit confused. “Well, that’s disgusting... and strange, but what the hell does that have to do with finding Atlar and bringing him back to safety?”

  “I made a vow, Baran!” Pei shouted as he stood up with his fists clenched.

  A little shocked by Pei's outburst, Baran cleared his throat and motioned with his hand for Pei to sit back down.

  “Alright, I get it, Soldier. This is important to you,” Baran replied. “Here is what I want you to do. Go to Xen, get his kids, and then get your ass to Sirin to help Reese find Atlar. Do not doddle, and do not get killed. That’s an order.”

  Pei smirked, followed by Reese who was thoroughly amused at how easily Baran fit into his new role of authority.

  “However, Pei,” Baran added, “be as discreet as you can about whatever you do on Xen. The last thing we need is another war there. Until we have evidence about exactly what Notama has his hands in, I don’t want Kri incriminated.”

  “I understand,” said Pei. “You can count on me, Minister.”

  “Good,” Baran replied, proud of his protege. “Now... what do we do with that brother of yours, Reese?”

  “Huh?” Reese replied feigning innocence. “Hynfir? What about him?”

  “Well,” I hate to remind you of this glaring fact, “but he is a traitor to our people, having abandoned The Lirhan and our king, only to help bring Notama to power. Not to mention he was part of the assassination of Shiva the Fourteenth, and most likely involved in the murder of countless other innocent victims during The Tah's conquest of Deius. These are serious intergalactic crimes, Reese. I can't just look the other way and reinstate his citizenship, let alone allow him back into The Lirhan. Furthermore, how can we even trust him?”

  “You can trust him, Baran, because I trust him,” said Reese, “and because he is one of the greatest warriors this universe has ever seen. We need him. I need him to find Atlar. So, I suggest you forget the rules in this instance, and do whatever it takes to reinstate him.”

  “Reese... I can't do that,” said Baran, uneasy in his chair. “The Council will-”

  “The Council is YOURS to lead now, Minister,” she interrupted, “and, hell, they don't even need to know he's here!”

  “Actually, they do need to know,” said Hynfir, surprising everyone seated. He had come in quietly, just behind Ona. “You see, I have evidence proving Yol has been conspiring with Councilman Octian, as well as with Prime Minister Vax – all in the effort to destroy King Atlar and conquer Kri. To bring this evidence to light, I am prepared to testify in court, if needs be.”

  Genuinely taken aback by Hynfir's statements, Baran stood up and looked at Ona for an explanation. “Did you know this, Your Highness?” he asked her.

  “Yes, Minister,” she said as she nodded to him, gesturing to all of them to sit back down. “Hynfir confessed to me this morning, and I am convinced his heart wishes to make amends to our country, and to my father. Therefore, I have granted him amnesty, as well as the title of Second General. He will answer to you, Reese, my new Commanding General. He will be given a home here once again, but only if he helps us to find my father and destroy Octian's underhanded control of The Council.”

  Baran leaned over to Ona who was sitting next to him and whispered, “Do you think this wise, my princess?”

  She merely half-smiled in response.

  “Fine,” he said, looking over at Hynfir who was sitting next to Ona. “I will keep you a secret for now, General Hynfir. When you have returned with Atlar, I will expect you to hold true to your promise and testify in court against Octian. We have known for some time that my uncle has been conspiring against the king, though we had no evidence to prove it. What proof do you offer?”

  Hynfir squinted his eyes, then reached into his pant's pocket, pulling out a tiny Ohrian computer chip.

  “This is a Kleep chip. It records both visual and sound in the highest quality known to our galaxy. It is also extremely hard to detect. Yol had no idea he was being recorded the day that my very clever, and very faithful adopted son, Sterek, planted this device into Yol's personal communication-computer. It recorded Yol speaking with Octian on visual-com. It also shows Governor Seith of Xen. Apparently, he had been called upon to help them in their secret plot to overthrow your planet.”

  Everyone was still and quiet, shocked that Hynfir had acquired exactly what they needed to offic
ially go to war with not only Yol Notama, but possibly Ohr as well. It was overwhelming.

  “I must admit,” Hynfir explained, “I'd been aware for some time that Yol was playing Prime Minister Vax, trading slaves to him and his minion, Seith, in exchange for their weapons and technology. It was Yol's plan to eventually use their own Ohrian weapons against them. But as his plan unfolded, he became obsessed with taking Atlar down... among other strange obsessions.

  “I didn't realize how far he was willing to go, nor was I aware of his connection with Governor Seith. With my sister's help, I realized Yol was not the man I thought he was, and so I asked Sterek to keep an eye on him for me. When I saw this recording, I had no idea how much Yol had orchestrated, all supposedly in the name of The Tah. He said it was for our freedom, yet he secretly sold the royals into slavery, allowing slavery to go on, even though it is against The Tah's moral code. I also believe he ordered your king's kidnapping, and possible murder.”

  “What?!” Baran shouted as he stood to his feet. “Play that recording! I want to see it immediately!”

  “Yes, Minister,” said Hynfir as he handed the Kleep chip to Ona. She then placed it into a plasma-player, located on the center of the table. The player was used mostly for visual conferencing and other such technology.

  Ona had already watched the recording and had a stoic look on her face when it played. She felt her soul harden as she re-watched Yol and Octian discussing different ways her father could be destroyed. It was a holographic display of both of them, exchanging evil plots, back and forth with delighted grins on their faces. It made everyone sitting at the table feel sick.

  As Octian rambled about how they could possibly use a maid to poison Atlar, Yol stopped him and said, “No. I have a much better way - a completely fitting death for Atlar. It will be slow and agonizing, and it will give him plenty of time to think upon all his mistakes. Trust me, Octian, I have the perfect revenge. All you have to do is make sure Atlar goes to Ohr as planned. Then, you may elect whomever you wish as your new king, provided he is trust worthy. I will take care of the rest. Once Atlar is gone, you and I can build a new alliance against Ohr in secret, and when the time is right to attack Vax, the future of our galaxy will be safe from their galactic tyranny. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to speak with the Governor of Xen right away.”