The Riddle of the Gods

by Lyra Shanti

  Pei and Hynfir looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

  “Are you spies for Notama?” asked Wen, tensing up while taking out a large knife. “Who are you?! Who sent you?!”

  Pei and Hynfir were just about to reach for their Viha when the temple doors opened. Ayn came out, looking at them intensely with his eyes glowing. “There will be no fighting at this sacred place!” he exclaimed, commanding and strong. Unable to keep their weapons in their hands, Pei and Hynfir sheathed their swords. Even Wen found himself putting his dagger back in the side of his boot.

  “Now,” added Ayn, “everyone is welcome for the dinner Weema has prepared. We are all friends here. Come in and sit together as brothers.”

  It was the first time Hynfir had witnessed Ayn’s soul-glow, and it shook his core. He still didn’t want to believe in Gods, and he truly did believe that allowing science to dominate was best for a society to grow. However, Ayn was different somehow; there was no denying his greatness of spirit.

  As they walked into the temple together, Hynfir had a moment of clarity - a vision in his mind of the possible future. It wasn’t Yol who would bring the religious and the science followers of Deius together - it was Ayn! All along, The Dei had been right! As much as it pained the people who were oppressed by The Dei to believe in any of The Dei's religion, Hynfir now realized they had gotten one thing right: Ayn was indeed The Bodanya, the one who could bring balance, and the one who was meant to lead them to freedom.

  Smiling, feeling returned to his true path, Hynfir sat down at the table next to Meddhi who looked at him curiously. Hynfir merely smiled, which made Meddhi smile. He had no idea why or how Hynfir went from soul-distraught to seemingly chipper, but he was glad of it. Meddhi knew they'd soon be fighting a great battle in the morning - he could sense it - and they’d need their energy replenished to survive it.

  The meal Weema served was simple, but hearty. There was baked Unka fish, which was a cold water fish that could only be ice-fished by experts. Weema proceeded to proudly explain to her guests that Wen was an excellent ice fisherman, just like their father and his father before him. Ayn was warmed by such stories and enjoyed every bite of the fish.

  There were also roasted root vegetables and herb fish oil for spreading. The food was new to Ayn and everyone in his party. As simple as it was, however, they found it tasty and enjoyable.

  Meddhi had to keep his fears at bay, however. A voice in his head kept saying this would be his last meal. Every time he thought it, he shook it off, choosing instead to look at Weema’s sweet smile as they ate.

  It wasn’t just Meddhi who felt a sense of foreboding, though no one spoke it aloud. Mostly, they listened to Inda talk about how great the temple used to be, and his love for animals, especially dinis, of which he had six, kept in the gardens in the back of the temple. Listening to Inda, Ayn laughed out loud, reminded of himself once again.

  “They never would have let me have six dini dogs when I was a child! I only had one: Duna. I hope he has found happiness... wherever he now resides,” Ayn said with a winsome smile. “How lucky you are to have such understanding guardians.”

  “Well, Weena was against it at first,” replied Inda with a smile, “but she knows how I love them, and she loves me, so it was in her best interest as well.”

  Ayn let out another hearty chuckle, which caused Meddhi and Pei to laugh as well.

  “See, Meddhi!” said Ayn, grinning at his father. “If only you had let me have six dinis, I would have felt your love, and I would have learned meditation much faster!”

  Meddhi shook his head, grinning, then turned to Pei and said, “I’m beginning to remember the abuse he used to give us. It was especially terrible around the age of seven, was it not?”

  Pei nodded with a smirk and said, “Are you kidding? He wasn’t nearly as rebellious with you as he was with me! You got off easy!”

  “I remember now,” said Meddhi, still laughing. “He absolutely hated bathing, didn’t he?”

  “Oh, Gods, he was awful!” Pei loudly replied. “He’d splash at me and call me a silly Ney! And I would wonder how in the world this brat could become The Great Ad...”

  Suddenly aware of what he was about to say, Pei stopped himself short.

  Looking around, Pei saw the entire table of people were staring at him, some with amused smiles and some with stunned, confused expressions.

  “And then what?!” Axis happily asked, forgetting their undercover mission. “Did you scold him or did he use his Godly powers on you? Did he have them at that age? Why aren’t you talking anymore, Pei? Why is everyone looking at me funny?”

  Finally, Ayn mentally said, “Shush, Axis! No one is supposed to know who I am!”

  “Oh, right,” replied Axis in his thoughts. “But… I forgot why.”

  “Because… if they find out, they could tell others, and then The Tah might be alerted, which would end our mission rather quickly.”

  “I bet you could destroy them all, if you wanted to. I don’t see why we have to do this so quietly.”

  “I don’t want to destroy people! Don’t you know that by now?

  “Yeah, but…”

  “Oh, just eat your fish!”

  Axis stuck his tongue out at Ayn, then ate his fish.

  At that point, the strange silence at the table was finally broken by Inda. “You’re The Bodanya, aren’t you?”

  All eyes turned to Ayn.

  “You are, I can tell. That’s why you’ve come here. You're Shiva the Fourteenth! I know it!”

  Ayn didn’t know how to respond, so he looked at Meddhi for guidance. Meddhi was no help, however. He too was stunned by the boy’s bluntness.

  “I… I am a soldier,” said Ayn.

  “No, you’re not. Not really. You’re The Bodanya! I heard The Bodanya Shiva survived the explosion, and you would come back for us! That’s what my father told me before he died, and he was right! It’s you, isn’t it?!”

  “Inda!” Weema exclaimed. “That’s quite enough. I’m sorry… he’s not usually like this. Well, he is, but not usually this bad.”

  “It’s alright,” said Ayn, “I’m not offended.”

  “Deny it then!” said Inda, folding his arms. “Say you’re not The Bodanya, and I’ll drop it.”

  Ayn looked at Meddhi who shrugged in return. He wasn’t sure what his father's silent gesture meant, but he assumed Meddhi was allowing him to make the decision whether to trust these people or not.

  “You’re right,” said Ayn. “I’m not a soldier. I am more of a spiritual person. You are very observant, Inda. I think you may have shaman blood. Do you know what shamans are?”

  “Um… they’re the holy men who used to teach a long time ago, right?”

  “That’s right,” Ayn said proudly. “Before The Dei priests took over, there once were the shamans of The Siri-Star. For a brief time, they also helped Adin spread the word of love and light, but they were driven out by the priests once Adin had gone.”

  Meddhi was a little shocked at Ayn’s knowledge about such things. He still couldn’t remember everything from his past, but his gut was telling him that he had never taught Ayn any such things about their history.

  Pei too was confused. “Where did you hear about all that?” he asked Ayn. “No one ever told us about Siri shamans when I was growing up.”

  “I learned it from Doctor Hessen… and I read about it in his library, which I am sad to think might have been destroyed in the fire.”

  “Ah-ha!” said Inda, pointing at Ayn. “You ARE The Bodanya! Only The Bodanya would know such things!”

  “Oh, stop it, Inda,” said Wen, annoyed as he stood up to clean his plate. “How many times have I told you? We’re on our own now. The Bodanya, if the boy Shiva really was such a God reborn, is dead or lost. He’s not coming back to save us. Now, finish your plate, and feed your dini dogs. Once you’ve done that, help your guests to their rooms, then go to bed. It’s time for you to accept reality, Inda… the sooner
the better.”

  Inda pouted at Wen, but was soon cheered up when Ayn came over and sat down next to him.

  “Don’t worry,” whispered Ayn, “we dreamers always win in the end. Keep dreaming, Inda, and one day, those dreams will become real.”

  “You sound like The Great Adin!”

  Ayn grinned and said, “Maybe you're the Great Adin reborn, not I.”

  “Nah, you're him. I can tell.”

  “How do you know?”

  Inda thought for a moment, then said, “Because you have the holy light inside you: the Siri-Star!”

  Ayn shook his head and replied, “So do you, I can tell.”

  “Can I say the old saying?” asked the boy bashfully.

  “Which one?” said Ayn.

  “May the Siri guide you to the light!”

  Deeply touched, Ayn replied, “May the Siri guide you as well.”

  Inda smiled wide as Ayn mussed the top of the boy’s scraggly, black hair. Ecstatic, Inda ran off to stick his plate into the sink. He then ran out through the back exit of the temple where the gardens grew.

  “Thank you for humoring him,” said Weema with a hint of sadness. “You probably made his night. He’s quite a strange little boy. He believes in the prophecy so fervently, even when most others have given up. After his parents died, it was all he had to hold onto.”

  Ayn quietly nodded as Weema picked up dishes from the table.

  “Here,” said Meddhi, “let me help you with that.”

  It seemed odd to Ayn that the men at the table didn’t offer any help, but his father, who used to have his own servants at the temple, was so quick to help her.

  “He likes her, doesn’t he?” Ayn whispered to Pei.

  “I think he’s just desperate for sex,” replied Pei, deadpan.

  “Don’t be so coarse, General,” said Hynfir, still eating his dinner. “Meddhi is a good man who has been through quite a lot. He deserves some pleasure, if not love, even if it’s just one night’s pleasure.”

  Pei shrugged and said, “Love stinks. From this point forward, I am going to avoid it like Plasma Sickness.”

  “Uh oh… what did my wild sister do now?”

  “Never mind,” said Pei as he got up to discard his dish, “but let’s just say if we survive past tomorrow, I’m probably going to kill her.”

  Hynfir gave Ayn raised eyebrows, then went back to eating.

  “Ayn?” said Axis in his mind.

  “Yeah?” Ayn silently replied.

  “What’s going to happen tomorrow?”

  “I don’t know, Axis.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know?! Don’t you know everything?!”

  “That’s very funny, Axis. You know I don’t. I wish I did.”

  “You have strange powers; you know that? You can shoot plasma out of your entire body, but you can’t see into the future. What good is that?”

  Ayn laughed, then went over to Axis. He put his arm over his bonded friend's shoulder and mentally said, “You’re one to talk. You change shape and travel through space, but you still can’t say what you’re really feeling. It’s alright to be scared, Axis. It’s not the end of the world if you're scared.”

  “I just… hate not knowing things,” said Axis aloud as he put his own arm around Ayn’s.

  “I know,” said Ayn, “but we’ll not know things together, and somehow, we’ll get through.”

  “Can I have that in writing?” said Axis.

  Ayn laughed and said, “Yes… you can.”

  “Ayn?” Axis said, again speaking through thoughts.

  “Yes?” Ayn replied mentally.

  “If we win tomorrow, will you become Bodanya again and be the leader of Deius... for real this time?”

  “I think that is what everyone is hoping for, yes.”

  “Well, if that happens… you won’t need me anymore, will you?”

  “Oh, Axis, don’t be ridiculous. As long as I draw breath, I’ll need you!” Embracing his closest friend, Ayn didn't care if the fishermen or anyone else saw their affection. “You and I are bonded forever, you know that.”

  “Are we bonded because Adin bonded once with a Sarax, and it’s in our blood somehow? Or are we bonded because we are soul-close and meant to be together?”

  Ayn sighed and silently said, “I think you know the answer is the latter, my friend. Where is all this coming from?”

  “It’s just...” said Axis, trying not to cry, “once you become Bodanya, and I go back to Sirin to be king to The Hana, or whatever Srah is to them, I don’t know what will happen.”

  “Oh, I see…” said Ayn, “you’re feeling unimportant now because Srah is queen, and I might be a king now too, and you don’t know if either of us will need you.”

  “Yes! That’s exactly it!”

  “Axis, don’t be ridiculous. You are a mighty Sarax!”

  “No, I’m not, Ayn. I’m just learning how to be one, and my stupid grandfather died before he could teach me anything useful! The truth is, I barely know what I’m doing!”

  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, Axis… I don’t either.”

  Together, they both released a slight laugh.

  “Great,” said Axis. “And the whole galaxy depends on us! How insane!’

  “Yeah, it is,” Ayn replied with a smile, “but you know what?”

  “What?”

  “I’m glad you’re the one I’m bonded with in this insane life. I’d have it no other way. And if we do end up living on two worlds, I promise you nothing will stop me from seeing and hearing you. Axis... you and I will never split apart, not now, not ever.”

  Feeling reassured, Axis got up and said, “I think I know the future, Ayn.”

  “Oh really?” said Ayn. “Please share it with me.”

  “The future may be frightening and ever changing, and there will be times when we feel lost and alone, but we won’t be. For as long as we have each other, we will never be alone. And because of that, you and I will be strong - so strong, in fact, that nothing will ever truly hurt us! Whether here in this life, or in the afterlife, we will always prevail.”

  Ayn smiled and said, “Indeed, my mighty Sarax. So…” he added as he stood up, grabbing Axis' hand, “does that mean you are no longer afraid of tomorrow?”

  “I am only afraid of losing you.”

  “That will never happen,” Ayn firmly stated.

  “Then I am not afraid - not of tomorrow or of anything! I am Sarax, and I am ready! And tomorrow, you and I will make your medallion glow like the beaming sun! And no one will be able to stop us!”

  Ayn laughed and grabbed Axis tightly. Not only was he elated to hear his friend speak with such pride, but his proud words were infectious, causing Ayn to feel stronger as well.

  “Once we have the relic of the tomb, it should energize my medallion. Meddhi says I will feel Adin’s full power. I’m not sure what that means exactly, but I do know you and I will be unstoppable!”

  “Yes!” exclaimed Axis, aloud, which made a few of the men around them turn to them, confused. “Wait…” said Axis in his mind, “I just thought of something.”

  “What? asked Ayn, mentally.

  “I thought you told me you had a vision of Adin surviving after they tried to murder him. I thought you said he probably died on Kri with Sri Unda.”

  “Well… yeah, that’s what my vision showed me. So?”

  “Well, if Adin died on Kri, and he didn’t have any magical relics with him that you saw, then who is buried in the tomb at the Holy Temple? And whose relic are we going to be taking? Is it rightfully ours to take? Is it even Adin who was The Great Adin?!”

  “Alright, stop it, Axis,” Ayn accidentally said aloud. “You’re making my brain hurt!”

  “But… what is the truth?!”

  “I don’t know!” Ayn snapped.

  “What do you mean you don’t know?! You have to know! If we’re going to do some sort of big energizing ritual thing, you need to know!”
/>   Realizing now that he was speaking aloud, Axis nervously smiled and shrugged.

  Ayn shook his head and pulled Axis away from the dining area and into the backyard where Inda was still feeding his dinis.

  “Look,” whispered Ayn, “I don’t exactly know what will happen or who is buried there. But I do know I always felt a strong power coming from Adin’s tomb, even when I was a child. I was always very afraid of it, actually.”

  “Well maybe we shouldn’t be going there!” Axis whispered loudly. “Maybe it’s haunted by an angry king from the past! Maybe it’s someone even Adin would fear!”

  “You’re just being silly now,” said Ayn, “and you’re not listening to me. I’m telling you to trust me. I wouldn’t be doing this if I felt it was wrong.”

  “Are you sure?” Axis said, biting his nails.

  “Gods, look at you,” laughed Ayn, “you’re just like how I found you, all curled up and petrified to escape a cage you could have escaped long before, had you only realized your power. You talk a good game, but you haven’t changed!”

  “I have too!”

  “Oh, really? How?”

  “Well, I’m bigger now! A lot bigger!”

  Ayn broke and began laughing hysterically, which made Axis giggle against his will.

  Walking up to them was Inda who wanted in on the joke. “What are you laughing about?” he asked.

  “Oh…” said Ayn in a sigh, “we’re just laughing about how we never really grow up. We just get bigger.”

  “I think that’s probably a good thing,” said Inda, rather casually. “That way, we can reach high places we couldn't before, but we can still be dreamers like when we’re young!”

  Ayn and Axis smiled at Inda, then at each other.

  “Can we keep him?” said Axis.

  “Most definitely,” replied Ayn, only half joking. He had every intention of returning someday to claim Inda. He just had to ask Ona if she wanted to adopt a son. Of course, he knew he had to actually marry her first.

  As if by psychic ability, Inda asked, “Will you take me with you, Ayn? I love Weena, but… I know I’m too much for her. And I know you’re The Bodanya and all, but… would you be my new father?”

  Without skipping a beat, Ayn replied, “Yes, I would be honored to be your father, Inda. Although, to be honest, I’m not much older than you.”