by Unknown
“You want to see our army?” Naye smiled.
“Yes,” I nodded curtly. “The army, the tribes, our people. I want to see what you have planned.”
“Very well,” Naye nodded back. “Sit and eat. We'll go after breakfast.”
“That will do,” I sighed and took a seat at the table.
Naye made me a plate of food and I nodded my thanks to him before setting to it. It was delicious but strange, food unfamiliar to me. I recognized the pork fat but not the manner in which it had been cooked and the bread was sweeter than it should have been. Lighter and drizzled with something darker but thinner than honey, though just as sweet. The coffee I recognized, though it too was sweeter than I remembered, but I liked it. Liked all the changes in fact. I relished the meal and was almost sorry when it was over.
“This way, Ata,” Naye offered me his arm and I daintily placed my hand upon it.
We walked to his tracing chamber and he took me through the Aether, down into the Human Realm. We exited in front of a large but ill-kept building. It was a simple rectangle in shape and looked to be made of both wood and metal, with large metal beams poking out of its ceiling. The land it squatted on was black, hard as stone but yet not. I frowned down at the faded white lines painted on it.
“What is this?” I looked around the large expanse. There were things that resembled wagons placed within some of the lines. Their wheels looked strange though and there were no horses anywhere.
“This is a parking lot,” Naye said carefully and gestured to the wagons. “Those are cars, wagons that pull themselves.”
“Cease your silliness,” I scoffed at him.
“No, it's true,” Naye looked like he'd just realized something. “The world has changed so much since you were here last. Humanity has made many advances. Their technology has come close to rivaling ours.”
“Humans are not smart enough for such things,” I sniffed.
Carriages that pulled themselves would not be unheard of in the God Realm but here, in the Human Realm, it was impossible. Without the technology brought from Atlantis, even the gods wouldn't have been capable of such things. For humans to accomplish it on their own was ludicrous.
“They have many machines,” Toby added. “Although they don't surpass our abilities, they have accomplished much more than we'd ever anticipated.”
“Truly?” I don't know why I was more inclined to believe Toby than Naye but when Toby said the words, they just seemed more honest to me.”
“Yes,” Naye growled and grabbed my hand. “Come along, our people are within.”
“Within this building?” I wrinkled my nose at it. “It doesn't look fit to hold our army.”
“Our people have been repressed for a very long time, Ata,” Toby said softly. “You should prepare yourself to see a lot of changes in them.”
“Changes?” I frowned. I didn't like that word. It annoyed me.
We walked to a wood door whose white paint had flaked away so much that it was barely a memory. Naye reached for the handle but as he did, I glanced to the side. Next to the door was a board hung on the building. Pieces of paper were attached to the board with little pins. Some of them had been ripped away by the wind, leaving only scraggly corners, but there were a few newer looking sheets. One of them caught my attention. It had a large picture of a wolf on it. Those eyes seemed haunted as they stared back at me. Above the picture were the words: Save the Wolves.
I began to cry.
“Ata!” Naye let go of the handle and turned back to me. “What is it?”
“I don't know,” I sobbed and then wiped at my face disdainfully.
It was this body. Would I be forever plagued with its silly emotions? I glared at the wolf and a pair of honey colored eyes replaced the flat eyes of the picture. I gasped, my hand going to my throat.
“Ata,” Toby was at my side with a metal flask. He held it up for me. “Drink, Ata, it will help.”
“Damn you, get that away from me,” I cried and flung my hand out, sending his flask flying. The water inside it fell in a sparkling arc across the black parking place and was absorbed by the greedy stone.
“Ata,” Naye gasped.
“I am the Goddess of the Moon,” I lifted my chin. “I have no need of your potions. I will control this body you've cursed me with,” I turned my glare onto Naye. “Now, show me our people.”
“Yes, Ata,” Naye stroked a hand over my cheek with a soft smile. “You're the goddess they've been waiting for. Show them your glory. Let them see you as I do.”
“I will lead them to victory,” I agreed. “That, at least, I can offer you.”
Naye said no more, just reached for the door handle again and opened it. I felt Toby at my back, his energy wasn't as warm as Naye's and maybe that was why it felt more comfortable to me. It was closer to my own power, more of a match than a compliment. Right then, it was exactly what I wanted. Something like myself that I could relate to and rely on. I reached a hand behind me and, without looking back, I laid it on Toby's chest.
He stiffened under my palm but then his hand covered mine and I smiled to myself in satisfaction. He would be mine. I wanted him and though this need had began with another woman, I felt the rightness of it now and I would finish this. I would claim him. Not her but I. That thought gave me even more pleasure. I dropped my hand and moved forward.
It was surprisingly bright inside the building. I looked up and saw long tubes of light hanging in regular intervals from metal beams. This wasn't god light. Was this more of the human technology they'd told me about? I frowned and followed Naye further into the room.
There was a rug on the floor that extended all the way to the walls. Impressive except for the fact that it was an ugly brown and the weave of it was so flattened by the tread of feet as to make it appear to be packed earth. In the middle of this expanse of earth-rug was a long table on spindly metal legs. Chairs of metal were clustered around this table with men and women perched on them.
I settled my eyes upon them and frowned harder. I saw the clear markings of my people in these faces, in the dark eyes and dark skin, but they looked so different. They wore no leathers but rather clothes similar to what the twins wore. Those who had long hair wore it pulled back haphazardly from their faces but most had shorn hair. I saw no braids or adornments. No beads or paint. What had happened to my proud people?
“I've brought you Atahensic,” Naye said to the gathering and they stirred, getting to their feet.
“I know you,” one man lumbered over to stand before me. “You were with the monsters that attacked us.”
“What?” I gasped. “What do you accuse me of, human?”
“She is merely the vessel,” Naye held up a placating hand between us. “This is Atahensic's spirit. We captured the Godhunter and used her body to house Atahensic.”
A low murmur went through the assemblage. More people ventured over to us and I became the focus of hundreds of pairs of eyes. I let them look, lifting my chin and staring back at them proudly. They should be honored to meet their goddess. They should be calling out in gratitude and joy. Why weren't they kneeling yet? The Moon had come down to the Earth for them.
“Is it really you?” One of the women asked.
I'd had enough. This was not the reunion I'd been expecting. So I called forth the moon and it rose inside me. I felt its light behind my eyes and saw the glow of moonlight fill my skin. The sun gave a vibrant light to illuminate the world in harsh detail but I, the moon, brought a different kind of light. A light that could conceal or confuse. A light to cast illusions by. To bring on lunacy.
I smiled and waved a hand out. The building faded away and a broad plain stretched out around us. My people gasped as I showed them who they used to be. There, riding across the waves of grass, were proud Navajos, adorned with feathers and beads, painted vibrantly, and dressed in leather. Even their horses wore paint and they looked fierce as they called out a warning to their enemy.
The sc
ene played out before us, around us. A memory I had of a long ago battle. They fought against another tribe and even that other tribe looked fierce and beautiful in battle. It was mesmerizing and horrifying at the same time, the blood and focused violence of it, but it was also uplifting. It was a vision that inspired pride and when I finally released the illusion, the humans sank to their knees around me, whispering my name.
Naye looked on me with pride but Toby's look was softer. He saw beyond the surface of what I'd done. He saw that I wasn't only trying to encourage them to fight but to encourage them to remember who they truly were. To have confidence and pride in themselves once more. It hadn't been about the battle, it had been about the bravery behind the battle. Toby understood that and I knew in that moment that Naye never would.
Toby was a lake of deep water but his brother was simply shallow.
I nodded to both of the twins and then walked regally to a chair at the end of the table. I sat in the rickety metal contraption as if it were a throne of gold and I looked over to the people who were still clambering to their feet, looks of wonder and awe spread across their faces.
“Now,” I said to them all, “show me what you have planned and I will grant you my counsel.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Are you avoiding me?” I watched Toby jump guiltily.
“No, of course not,” he wouldn't look at me.
“Toby,” I stood next to him on the ledge, looking out over the territory the twin gods had made for themselves.
It was beautiful, a lush forest surrounded the mountain in which they lived. It was filled with an abundance of animal life and the calls of the wild ones soothed me. I liked to stand on this ledge and listen to them at night, while the brothers fought inside the house over what we were going to do in their war... and what they were going to do about me.
Ever since we'd returned from meeting with our people, I'd become more aggressive in my pursuit of Toby and of my views on what should be done in this war. I didn't agree with what had been planned, didn't like the idea of our people warring against each other. This was obviously a situation that had been thrust upon them by the white men and although certain members of the tribe had become traitorous, I didn't believe in dealing with them so harshly.
I offered up other solutions; imprisoning the traitors or bringing all of the tribes together and simply forcing them out of their leadership positions. A chief should be removed if he wasn't good for the tribe. They wrote down whatever I said diligently but I suspected the brothers weren't taking me seriously and I said as much.
They'd both seemed shocked by my behavior and I myself was a little surprised by it. I'd never been so bold but I was beginning to like this boldness. It felt appropriate for a goddess and made me wonder why I'd never stood up for myself and my desires before.
“I can't betray him,” Toby finally whispered. “Not even for you.”
“I'm not asking you to,” I laid a hand on his arm and he sighed. “Naye and I were married in another time. I was in a different body. This is a new life for me and I have the right to choose who I want to share it with. It's not a betrayal to choose you or for you to choose me.”
“I disagree.”
“I'm trying to be strong, Toby,” I sighed, resorting to more manipulative tactics to win him over. “But I can't keep going on like this. I need someone to lean on. Someone who can offer me support and comfort.”
“Come here,” he sounded resigned as he reached for me.
The scent of fresh water rushed over me as his thick arms slid around me, loosely at first and then they tightened. His skin was cool beneath my cheek and I reached for the braid that hung behind his back automatically, as if my hand knew to reach for a braid when I hugged a man. I stroked it and pondered the peace it brought me.
“Sometimes your hair and skin are wet,” I observed as he continued to hold me.
“When I'm using my magic, the water rises inside me,” his voice was a rumble beneath my ear. Another comfort. I liked the way it almost growled.
I inhaled sharply as a chorus of growls rumbled through my head. I felt them vibrate inside me and I was shocked to find that I could differentiate them one from another. Lion. Wolf. Dragon. Their echoes sang through me as the other woman rose inside me. I took a deep breath and pushed her back down, concealing her in moonlight and shadows. Sometimes she could be helpful, like when I wanted to know what some modern item was. I could concentrate on it and she would make it clear to me. But most of the time, she was only a hindrance and it was a battle to keep her from overpowering me.
“Do you know anything of this body I'm in?” I lifted my face to look at Toby.
His eyes skirted away and his strong jaw clenched. I lifted a finger to stroke the sharp edges of his cheekbone and he closed his eyes in what looked to be pain. He took my arms and pushed me away from him, then stepped closer to the edge. His shoulders hunched and his whole body tensed.
“She didn't come here willingly,” he whispered.
“What?” I went to the edge beside him, sending little stones skipping over the side. I had a flash of another mountain. Of someone falling over the edge of it. I pushed the memory away and focused on Toby again. “What did you say?”
“She didn't want to come here,” he lifted his liquid eyes to mine. “She didn't want to be you. That's why this is so difficult for you. That's why you have these conflicting emotions.”
“I figured that out for myself when Naye explained my appearance to that Navajo man,” I smirked. “I don't hold this against either of you. I'm glad to have a new chance at life.”
“It was dishonorable,” he shook his head and turned away from me, “shameful, the way I treated her. I was the one who made it possible for you to claim her body.”
“What did you have with her?” I pressed, my hand automatically reaching for the emerald pendant I wore, as I tended to do when I was nervous. “Were you lovers?”
“No,” he huffed out a self-deprecating laugh. “No, she had enough of those. I was nothing to her, though I was kinder to her than Naye was. So perhaps she held some gratitude in her heart towards me.”
“What did Naye do to her, that you were viewed as kinder?” Was this the reason why I couldn't feel love for Naye? Was this body holding a grudge?
“He used the sun against her,” Toby shook his head. “He did what he felt best. He tried to burn away her rebellion.”
“Burn away...” I had a glimpse of blinding light, a moment of stinging pain all over my body. I looked down at my legs. The front of my calves seemed to be just a little darker than the back. “He strapped me to a cross.”
“Yes,” Toby turned back to me and took my hand. “He would do anything to have you back. This is why I can't give in to my feelings for you. They're not even for you, Ata. I must be honest with both you and myself. I think I'm falling in love with her, with the woman whose body you've taken. She's strong and funny,” he smiled. “She faced everything we did to her with the courage of a warrior and yet with such humor. I've never met anyone like her.”
“But you said she already has enough lovers,” I frowned at him and pulled away. My heart hurt a little from his words but at the same time, a spark lit inside me. “What did you mean by that?”
“She has a wild magic inside her and she must take multiple lovers to appease it,” his eyes softened and I knew then why it had been such a battle to claim his heart. It wasn't his anymore.
“So I am left without love for one brother and barred from love of the other by the very body I inhabit,” I whispered.
“Ata,” his face crumpled and he pulled me against his chest. “We must think about our people now. They need us. They need you and the best way you can help them is by joining with Naye.”
“I don't think I want your comfort anymore,” I pushed away from him and went back inside.
Cool determination filled me as I closed the door on Toby's stricken face. I would have him. I would steal his
heart back from this enemy within me, even if I had to use her body to do it. Tobadzistsini would be mine. A heat rose inside me with the thought and I gasped, gripping at the kitchen table for balance. What was this? My heart seemed to stutter, to speed up with this burst of heat, and then fill with something new. Something I'd recently been given a taste of.
Love.
Oh the irony. That pursuing Toby, no matter how coldly done, had awakened my own heart to him. I was becoming a victim of my own game. But then love was not something I was opposed to, just something I had never truly understood. Never truly experienced. The moon didn't have her own light really, she was a cool reflection of the sun, and that was what my love for Naye had been. Just a reflection of his.
With Toby, it was completely different. He was making me shine all on my own.
“So be it,” I whispered with just a hint of excitement burgeoning in my chest.
Chapter Thirty-Four
The next morning, I woke with the determination to win Toby's heart. I got up and dressed with care, looking myself over in the bathroom mirror critically. This new body was pretty enough, even if it was a bit curvier than I was used to, and the modern clothes I'd been given made showing it off much easier. I undid the top button of my pink cotton dress and pushed the short sleeves down my shoulders a little. The waist of the dress was fitted and made my new figure look even more lush. On top of that, it had a high hem, ending just above my knees and showing off my tan calves. Yes, it would do nicely.
I brushed my hair until it shined and I even liked the thick curls it fell into. I let it fall to my waist unbound, free of any braid or adornment. I bit my lips and pinched my cheeks till they were lovely shades of pink and then slipped my feet into the new shoes I'd found in my closet. They were black leather with pointed heels. At first they were hard to walk in but they made my legs look longer and made me feel more attractive. I liked them.
I clicked down the hallway to the kitchen confidently and when I entered, I received exactly the kind of looks I'd been after. Toby had stopped halfway to the table with a platter of food in his hands and Naye had gaped for a moment, then got up and pulled out a chair for me. I had thought then that Toby was as good as won but by the end of breakfast, I found that he was not so easily swayed.