by Lyra Shanti
“She woke up, Father. Pira woke up!”
Stunned, Meddhi ran with Ayn to see Kri’s long ago queen. He could hardly believe his eyes when they arrived at the dining hall where Ona, Lius, and Pira all sat having a breakfast of fruits, cheeses, and breads.
Meddhi shook his head and covered his mouth in awe. “Pira?” he said as he walked with Ayn to the table.
Pira stood up and nodded with a smile. “Yes, I am alive,” she shakily replied, sounding a little shocked by her own words. “You are… Meddhi, Ayn’s father. Is that correct?”
“Yes, my queen,” Meddhi replied with a bow.
“Oh, please, do not lower yourself for me,” she said, humbled. “I am no longer queen of Kri or anywhere really. I am just… me.”
There was something strange about her, but Meddhi couldn’t place what it was. She was Pira, and yet… she was not. Did I not go through the same dysphoria when I woke from my deep sleep? thought Meddhi. Nodding, he immediately decided to help her in any way he could.
“Yes, Pira,” said Meddhi with a smile.
Ayn was deliriously happy for the moment. His wife was full of hope now that her mother had returned to her, and she had given herself often to Ayn, forgiving him for anything he had said or done previously. It was as if Pira’s rebirth had given Ona new life as well. Ona and Ayn had decided to keep trying for children, and it felt like nothing would stand in their way.
Meddhi could sense their rejuvenation, and he began to allow his own heart to feel less heavy. It must be my fears alone that have held me back, thought Meddhi. How silly of me - how disappointing.
During breakfast, Meddhi watched as Pira smiled and listened. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He hadn’t seen Pira since he was about eighteen years old. She had just become Atlar’s queen, and Atlar had only just won her heart. Meddhi had thought that Pira was always the wilder, somewhat childish younger sister of his beloved Amya. However, this graceful, soft-spoken woman at the table before him seemed so unlike her previous self. With her golden brown hair and sparkling green eyes, she was absolutely captivating.
“Don’t you agree, Meddhi?” asked Ona.
“Hmm?” he replied, as if he’d just woken from a dream.
Ona smirked and said, “About the advances of modern science on Deius… how it’s finally catching up to its former glory.”
“Oh,” he said as he cut a piece of paya-na, “I suppose… but it will take more years yet, especially with the common folk.”
“Well,” said Ayn, “the schools are now teaching the children about the stars, our planet, and about language, but… you’re right, Father. It will take more time to become common knowledge.”
Meddhi turned to Ayn and smiled. “I just realized you’re now calling me Father. I’m honored.”
Smiling in return, Ayn nodded and said, “I’ve missed you… and when Pira woke, I realized how much time I’ve wasted being angry with you. I hope the mountains have given you what you’ve needed… because I have needed you, Father, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
Meddhi felt tears welling up as he gulped. “I may have needed the mountains to remind me of who I am, Ayn,” he replied, “but everything I really needed was here all along. I’m sorry I took so long to realize such a simple truth.”
Ayn got up from his seat, then walked to Meddhi, and knelt. He gave a gentle hug and whispered, “I love you, Father, and I forgive you.”
Ona then turned to her mother and smiled with tears in her eyes. Pira smiled at her in return.
Lius was touched as well and thought of his own child. He hoped Srah would remember what he last told her before she left for Sirin: “I love you, my sweet girl. Always know that I’m with you, even if our paths lead away from each other.” He wasn’t quite sure why he had said that to her except for the fact he had chosen to stay behind on Deius to help Ona with Pira’s revival, as well as to continue the search for the cure to Undaniasis. Part of him wanted to go with his daughter, especially since Axis was still missing. It worried Lius that his daughter was left alone to raise her two children, but he knew that General Kren would help, and so would her entire tribe.
Deep in thought, Lius began to remember his own lost love: his wife, and Srah’s mother, Lea. His heart tugged as he replayed her last words to him as she lay in bed dying. “Lius, my only love, take our daughter to safety… somewhere no one will find her. Keep her safe, and I will be with you both… forever.” She had died with Srah still feeding at her breast. The Undaniasis had taken her, and fast. Lius soon left Deius for the anonymity of Xen, hoping the Ohrians would never find his daughter. He knew if they found her, they would kill her in effort to destroy any chance of a Sirini uprising.
Such strange days I’ve seen… thought Lius, glad his past lay far behind him, and that his daughter, despite her difficult marriage, was now completely free.
“Are you alright, Doctor?” asked Ona, noticing his far away eyes.
“I’m fine, my dear queen,” he replied with a hint of a smile. “I was just reminiscing… and thinking about how far we’ve all come, especially you, my king.” Lifting his glass, Lius toasted to Ayn and said, “To Shiva the Fourteenth and his kingdom of science and faith as one!”
“To the Shiva!” said everyone at the table.
Ayn blushed and thanked them all. Inside, he knew his path as a leader had only just begun, but he was glad for the support of those closest to him.
“Ayn! Ona!” exclaimed a teen-aged boy’s voice as the doors to the dining room burst open. “Guess what? I received five marks of excellence in all of my classes this year! Isn’t that wonderful?!” Quickly realizing his adoptive parents had company, Inda fell silent in embarrassment.
“That’s great news, Inda. I’m very proud of you,” said Ayn, getting up to stand near his adopted son. “Father, I don’t know if you remember Inda, but he is like a little brother to me, though he is now legally my child. “Inda… this is Meddhi. Do you remember him?”
“Vaguely, yes,” replied Inda, sheepishly. “I remember you were with Weema for some time… but then you left.”
“Hello, Inda,” said Meddhi, standing up to shake his hand. “How is Weema these days?”
“I don’t know,” said Inda as he sat down next to Ayn at the table. “To be honest, we haven’t spoken in a while. ‘Course, I’ve been away at school, so…”
Sensing the awkwardness of the conversation, Ona said, “Yes, and while you were away, my mother woke from her deep sleep. Isn’t that amazing?”
Inda looked at Pira and coughed, stunned. “I don’t believe it!” he cried, nearly choking on his fruit. “I would have never imagined you’d actually come back to life! How are you? Do you feel, well, alive?”
To that, everyone erupted in laughter. Soon afterward, Inda’s youthful warmth and humor had broken the ice of the room, and Ayn felt surrounded by family. He missed Axis, as well as Pei, but he knew he’d see them again soon.
“I hate to interrupt, Your Majesty,” said Zasaban as he entered the dining room, “but I need to speak with you. I received General Pei’s message from Ohr. He has made contact with General Fola and Sterek, and they are about to enter Tirlen. However, there is a slight problem.”
“Yes, I’ll be right there,” replied Ayn. “I’m sorry, everyone, but this is important. Please, finish your breakfast and enjoy.”
Meddhi got up and said, “Do you need my help, Ayn?”
“No, Father,” replied the young king with a smile, “Zas and I can handle this. You just got back. Please, eat and relax. I think you can trust the Bodanya you raised to handle a few storms.” Adding a wink before he left, Ayn walked with Zasaban out of the dining room, his smile quickly turning into a serious expression.
Ona sighed and said, “Things are a little tense right now, Meddhi. You see, Pei is on Ohr carrying out a secret plan to find a hidden place called The Dome.”
“The Dome?” repeated Meddhi, confused. Even just th
e sound of it gave him chills. “What is that?”
“We think it’s some sort of underwater infirmary… or a prison. We’re not quite sure.”
Meddhi shook his head and drank the rest of his juice. “And Pei is there with backup?”
“Yes,” replied Lius, “he is there with some of the best Tah warriors, as well as a handful of Lirhan spies. Fola and Sterek are meeting him so they can use Sterek’s specially designed deep sea craft to locate the hidden infirmary. If all goes well, Prime Minister Vax will never know they were there.”
Meddhi shifted in his seat uncomfortably. Something told him Pei needed help. “I should go to Ohr and-”
“No,” said Ona firmly. “I’m sorry, Meddhi, but you are to stay here. That is an order. Ayn missed you terribly, and I will not let you leave when you’ve only just arrived. I know your sense of duty is strong, but I hope you will allow your sense of family to be a little stronger.”
Ona’s words cut through Meddhi’s heart. Nodding, he said, “Yes… you are right. I will stay. Besides, Pei is an adult now - a warrior in his own right. I must learn to trust him and let him be the Lirhan trained soldier he was meant to be.”
Meddhi smiled at the thought of how Pei had grown, and it made him beam with pride.
--
“Damn useless gun!” shouted Pei. Trying one more time to fire his last plasma round, the gun suddenly burst into flame, forcing him to drop it onto the ground. “That’s it!” he yelled to the Ohrian guard as he unsheathed his Viha. “Prepare to meet your maker, you gutless fish!”
The Ohrian guard was not prepared, even if he believed in a creator God, which he did not. Nonetheless, Pei sliced him through, and then turned quickly behind him to face another guard coming from the rear.
He and his small group of Tah soldiers had tried to quietly fly toward the Tirlen Islands, but had been shot down by Vax’s private forces. Pei knew Vax would have heightened his security the minute Zin opened his big mouth about their plans. None of that mattered any longer, however. All that Pei was focused on was how to get to Tirlen to meet Fola and Sterek.
“Everyone!” shouted Pei to his surviving troop. “We’ll use the rougher terrain near the island caves as cover! Follow me!” Pei then led his handful of soldiers across the beach and into the rocky area nearer to the caves and caverns of the Tirlen territory.
Difficult to navigate on foot, and almost impossible to fly through by ship, the caves and cliffs proved a perfect hiding spot for Pei and his troop.
After about an hour passed, Pei allowed his soldiers a moment to rest and drink from their water bottles. Pei then activated his holographic map that projected from his communications arm-band. He saw from the laser-like red line running through the map that he was close to the rendezvous point, though he wasn’t quite sure exactly where they were.
As Pei looked ahead, he saw the vast Tirlen Ocean ahead of him with rocky hills near the shore. Sparse trees bearing an orange fruit Pei had never seen also decorated the beach, and it reminded Pei how hungry he was. He then took out a milk-protein bar from his pocket and ordered his soldiers to eat as well. “We’ll rest here for a few minutes while I wait for Sterek’s signal,” he told his troop. They obeyed and sat on the rocks.
Pei watched as sunset crept across the water. Sterek, thought Pei, where the hell are you?
What Pei didn’t know was that Sterek and Fola had already arrived, but had been captured, and not by the Ohrian Army.
Chapter 7: Time Standing Still
Sobbing with the searing sting of his tears, he wanted nothing more than revenge! If only my mother would let me rip their throats out, I would tear into their flesh like the raging monster they fear I am!
“No, Xam,” he heard his mother say, reading his mind. “We cannot move so quickly. First, we will find the ones who planned his murder, and then we will hunt them all down and destroy their very souls.”
Grief beyond grief curled inside his heart like a coiled snake as he nodded, trying to find the patience within to adhere his mother.
“Time is the great avenger, my son,” she whispered in his ear. “Wait… and soon, not only will your father’s enemies meet their doom, but your father will return to us. You will see.”
“He will be in another body! He won’t remember us!”
“Maybe not,” she replied, softly petting his downy gold fur, “but he will feel us nonetheless. He is The Shiva, my love… and his soul has bonded with ours. He will never forget you, Xam. He and you are forever one being, especially ever since you gave him the sacred Blood Medallion. Your blood has mingled with his, and you will never truly separate. Take heart, my dearest child, all three of us will be together once again. This, I promise you on my very soul.”
“Mother!” cried Xam. “Please bring him back! I know you can time-slip. I’ve seen the elders do it! I know Raxas has done it! Even Irix has done it and she’s not much older than I! Please, Mother, teach me and let us go back together to change the events that led to his death! We can change how jealous Siri became… or maybe how Father challenged the priests! I am sure all of them are to blame! We can fix this by killing them all!”
“No, Xam,” hushed Siya. “Time is delicate, my son, and we must wait this one through. Believe me, I am as angry as you - perhaps even angrier - but we first must find the ones who paid for your father’s assassination. Once their identities are revealed, we can exact revenge.”
“But what about Siri?!”
She shook her wild, red-haired head and calmly replied, “I don’t believe for a second that your father’s brother had anything to do with his murder. He is being framed by the priests… and most likely for a reason, Xam. Someone there is behind all of it, I am certain.”
Xam exhaled, frustrated. “What about Sri Unda? Do you think she-”
“She knows nothing!” snapped his mother. Standing to her feet, she grew a few inches taller and became slightly more feline and fierce. “Do not speak of her to me,” she snarled. “She is innocent; I have already interrogated her. Besides, Sri is posing as a simple priestess on Kri now, hiding and protecting her… children. She cannot, and will not know about any of this. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Mother,” Xam replied, slightly afraid. His mother could be loving and good, but also frightening and proud. He hoped he would be like her someday. As is, even though his body had grown to adulthood, he still felt like a child.
“Good,” she softly said. “Now go to Irix on Sirin… study with your uncle Raxas. He will help you learn patience.”
Xam nodded and changed his form to his fully Sarax state. He stretched his white and gold wings and flew into the sky. Still shedding a few tears, Xam couldn’t think straight as he flew. He loved his mother, but in his heart, he didn’t think she was right to wait.
Why have these powers of time traveling if we don’t even use them? he thought as he approached Sirin.
Seeing the planet in his view, he mentally contacted Irix, his beloved half-sister, and lover. “I’m here,” he psychically spoke to her.
“Did she approve?”
“No,” he said aloud to her as he landed, now in his Sirini form. She too was in her Sirini shape, which appeared gentle and feminine with long and wavy red hair, like their mother’s. “But I care not,” Xam continued as he held her by her waist. “We will have our revenge, Irix, and you will teach me how to do it.”
Irix nodded and held him. “We have to be careful though. If my father finds out we are changing fixed points in time…”
“Raxas won’t find out,” Xam said with a determined glare, “because you and I won’t tell him.”
“But Xam... “she said as she pulled back to look in his eyes, “my father knows things - he always does.”
Xam sighed and held her shoulders. “Help me to go back and stop my father from being murdered, and I will deal with Raxas. Will you help me, Irix?”
She saw the pain in his eyes and nodded. “Of course, I will, my truest lov
e - my everything!”
Looking around her, she didn’t see her father in sight. She then closed her eyes and said, “Focus on the sound of your soul, Xam. Do you hear the hum of your soul’s vibration?”
“Yes,” he replied as he closed his eyes.
“Good,” said Irix as she began to sway with him in her arms. “Now, dance in its light. Can you feel the light?”
“Yes.”
“Now… when you feel the urge to fly into the sky, don’t. Instead, swim.”
“Swim?” he said, opening his left eye a little to look at her.
“Yes, swim,” she said with a smile. “And when you can visualize swimming into the sky, do not actually go into the sky. Go into the light itself… and feel the vibrations of the universe around you, as if it is water. It is the liquid of the universe that we must tread if we are to travel time, Xam.”
“I see,” he replied, beginning to sense the liquid around his wings. “I feel it, Irix! I think… if I just use my wings, I can-”
“No, Xam! Don’t physically move!”
“But isn’t that how we travel?”
“Normally, yes, but not when moving through time.”
“Then how do we do it?”
“You don’t!” came a booming voice, which did not belong to Irix. It was Raxas, and he was in full Sarax form. With his red wings extended, he looked like a dragon of old - like Xam had heard his mother once looked. “You do not time travel when you’re merely a child!”
“Father, that’s not fair!” said Irix. “Xam has a just cause, and he deserves to learn!”
“And I am no longer a child, Uncle!" Added Xam, "I can, and will, change time!”
Shaking his huge head, Raxas replied, “Listen to me, Xam. Your mother is still a hot-headed child no matter her age, and you seem to be following in her footsteps, which is why I didn’t want my daughter to be with you! Now go back to Siya, and tell her I will not teach you the ancient ways. You are not ready.”