The Esoteric Design: Civilization Lost

by A. R. Crebs

  Dovian agreed. Why this was suddenly part of his responsibility, he didn’t know. For now, he wasn’t going to argue. He needed to support Lita. Though Petey was a hazard, Dovian was pleased that the beast wouldn’t be put down.

  “Good. Go now. I want this done quickly.” Sir Gaius then mumbled quietly to Dovian, something that was unheard by Lita. The girl quickly homed in to see what was said, listening to her cousin’s mind, but Gaius blocked her out.

  “Yes, sir,” Dovian quietly stated.

  Gaius slapped his hands together. “Great! Azera, release Petey. Dovian, I will teleport you three now.”

  Before Lita could object, Dovian hauled her to his side, his other hand planting against Petey’s snout just as the lizard was released. The world swirled around them as their surroundings changed. The musical tones of the chimes and the distant sound of chatter quickly turned to silence. A harsh wind blew past, kicking up a cloud of dust. Lita shielded her eyes as Dovian stared ahead at the entry to the caves.

  “I’m going to release my hold on him. You have only a short while to say goodbye, Lita. We cannot linger,” Dovian said.

  Lita breathed in slowly and bobbed her head. Dovian eased his palm away from Petey’s snout. The lizard snorted and backed away, his head moving right and left.

  “Petey,” Lita barely whispered his name.

  The lizard quickly looked to her; his expression was heartbreaking. He knew he was in big trouble. Unfortunately, he had no idea how bad of trouble he was in.

  Lita ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I love you, Petey!” she whimpered into his neck flaps. Petey’s tail flopped against the sand as he groaned beneath her touch. “I never wanted this to happen, but you…you are so b-bad!” she fought against her sobbing.

  Dovian placed a hand on her shoulder. Already? So soon? She barely had time to say goodbye.

  Lita quickly pulled away, planting her hands on either side of his snout. “You listen to me! You be good! You must be good, Petey! There…there are others here so that you won’t be alone.”

  Petey snorted, looking confused for a lizard.

  “Yeah! Want to make new friends?” Lita asked, struggling to sound excited. She clapped her hands. “Do you want to make some new friends?”

  Petey yapped, stomping his feet.

  “They are in there, Petey!” She pointed to the cave.

  Petey turned and halted, his golden eyes watching the dark entry. He looked back at her.

  “Yeah! In…in there!” Her fake smile twitched as tears fell from her eyes. “Oh, come on, Petey! Just go check it out! They may be hiding! You remember playing hide and seek? It’s like that! There are other lizards in there. Like Hector! They need someone to take care of them and keep them entertained! I thought you would be perfect…perfect for the job!”

  Petey slowly moved toward the cave.

  “That’s right! Go on! It’s okay!” Lita waved him forward. Petey complied, moving closer and closer toward the entrance. Her voice cracked. “You’re going to be alright!”

  As Petey entered the cave, Lita held her breath. Soon, he was out of sight, surrounded by darkness. Dovian suddenly rushed forward. An enormous boulder sat to the side of the entrance. With a clap, Dovian’s palms lit up with blue light, and he used his power to heave the rock in front of the entry. Lita screamed and dashed to the entry, pushing on the opposite side.

  “No! What are you doing?!” she screeched.

  “Lita! Move!”

  “No! You can’t lock him in there! He’ll die!”

  “He’s not going to die in there! There are food sources aplenty in those caves, even areas with water. Those tunnels connect the entire desert. It may not be what he’s used to, but if he uses that tiny brain of his, he can survive!” Dovian focused harder, fighting against Lita’s strength. “Now, move! Before I crush you!”

  Lita ignored him, trying to fight back. The struggle was useless. Dovian easily overpowered her. As the stone ground toward her, Lita jumped to the side, allowing it to roll into place. Staggering away, the young woman hopped in the air to gain sight through the space between the boulder and the top of the cave. It was far too small for Petey ever to fit through. He was trapped.

  In seconds, there was a loud howl and vibrations as Petey rushed toward the entrance. The boulder shook as he ran into the blockade.

  “Dovian! Let him out!” Lita screamed.

  “He will have to find his own way out, Lita! We can’t have him rushing home after us! He has to stay behind!”

  “This is too cruel! It’s too cruel!” The sounds of Petey’s cries and the shaking of the earth beneath her feet only further broke her heart. Petey sounded awful when he cried. He was scared. Petey was her baby.

  “Would you prefer I kill him?” Dovian asked.

  Lita glared at him.

  “It must be this way,” he said in a gentler tone.

  Her expression fell into an ugly scowl. “This is the worst night of my life!”

  “I’m sorry, Lita.”

  Petey howled again, and Lita remembered him hatching from his egg. It was one of the happiest days of her life. After so many failed experiments, Petey was her first biological creation. He was hers forever. To abandon him in this way was heart-wrenching. Unforgivable.

  “I love you, Petey!” Lita bawled. “I’m so sorry!”

  Dovian hopped onto the stone, placing his hand on the creature’s snout. “Shut up; you blasted fool! This is of your own doing! You understand? You will survive in these caves! If you are good, we will visit you, understand?”

  Petey remained silent. Dovian released and dropped to the ground, glaring at Lita. There was one thing he wanted to know.

  “Lita?” He folded his arms. “How did you create him?”

  Lita sighed in defeat. “Your DNA,” she answered simply.

  Dovian shook his head in confusion. “My what? Do I even want to know how?”

  “I used your DNA because I couldn’t produce enough light.”

  “Well, that explains my strange connection to him.” Dovian peered at the gap. A golden eye watched them from behind the rock.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Lita whispered.

  “Fine.” Dovian wiped the dust from his hands. “We must leave.”

  Lita eyed the cave. Thanks to the moonlight, she could see Petey’s eyes on the other side. It started her tears once again. Dovian knew she wouldn’t move, so he locked elbows with her and grabbed her tuner. Petey made a quick roar, his talons scraping the rock.

  “Can I stay?” Lita asked.

  “No,” Dovian coolly replied.

  Petey yelped once again, and Lita tried to run toward him, but Dovian held her back.

  “No! Please, Dovian! Don’t do this! I need him! He needs me!”

  Between Lita and Petey’s cries, Dovian himself was beginning to feel emotionally drained. He tugged her away from the cave, twisting his tuner.

  “PETEY!” Lita yelled, reaching out. “I love you, Petey! I will always love you! Don’t you forget!”

  Petey howled again in double beats. It may have sounded like noise to anyone else, but to Lita, it was his way of calling out to mama. She tried much of his beginning years to get the lizard to say ‘mama,' but this was about as close as he could emulate the sound. Lita’s weeping intensified. She gazed upon Petey’s shimmering eyes as he roared, the world swirling around her. Moments later, she was back in her room. Lita screamed, shoving Dovian out, and slammed and locked her door. Spinning, she hopped onto her stomach on the bed, burying her face into her pillow, wailing with pain at the loss of her child.

  It was the worst night of her life. Lita’s baby was gone.

  "Saying Farewell"

  Chapter 19

  “A little more to the left.” I’Lanthe squint her eyes, waving her hands as she instructed Dovian where to move the heavy furniture. He scooted the seat, the wooden legs scraping against the stone floor, then gave the woman a questioning look.
“Perfect.” She clasped her hands together, smiling.

  The two of them were putting the finishing touches on I’Lanthe’s vacation home. It was far east of the city of Ives, past the desert even. Grassy plains surrounded the cottage, a curving valley on the horizon that often filled with fog in the mornings. The area received a lot of rain, one of I’Lanthe’s deciding factors for building there. Though Ives was known to be peaceful and somewhat quiet, it was always crowded and not entirely private. Living for so long, Sorcēarians had many friends and family. Social gatherings were a constant, making it difficult to have an extended period alone. Because of this, many had homes away from home to allow solitude.

  Outside of social festivities, there was the responsibility of dealing with war and council meetings, and I’Lanthe often craved privacy. To have a getaway this far from Ives was something she had dreamt of for many years. Finally, she had her own home. It was a place she could find peace with herself or bring Dovian along for romantic getaways.

  A loud clanging came from outside followed by the disgruntled mutters of an irritated Lita. I’Lanthe and Dovian both leaned to look out one window. Lita fussed with a tangled wind chime. One string had wrapped around her wrist, the metal rod clinging against the others.

  “What on Earth?! How?” Lita snarled.

  “Need help?” Dovian asked with a smug grin.

  “Shush! I…got it…I…grrr!” Lita ended up slipping her wrist from the trap, nearly ripping the wind chime apart. After a second, she brushed her hair out of her eyes with a huff. “There.” Carefully, she suspended the item on the overhang of the front porch not far from a supporting pillar. A gentle breeze rolled by, and the metal rods musically clinked together.

  “Perhaps I should make dinner,” I’Lanthe whispered.

  Dovian palmed his stomach, noticing a slight rumble. They all could use some good food. “Sounds delightful.”

  “Pasta?” she asked, slipping into the kitchen area. “I’ve got chicken and vegetables as well. I could even make some brownies for later.”

  Dovian closed his eyes. “Hmm. Yes.”

  “I’ll get it started. Would you like some wine?”

  “Yes, but I will wait until dinner.”

  I’Lanthe nodded, opening a bottle. She poured herself a glass and had Dovian bring a second to Lita.

  Karter occupied one of the back rooms, busying himself with painting the walls. The man was very particular about colors. I’Lanthe allowed him to handle the paint choices while she and Lita chose the furniture. Dovian was the heavy lifter. He didn’t mind helping decorate and move furniture as long as he wasn’t expected to make any important decisions.

  As I’Lanthe cooked, Dovian finished placing the woman’s books upon the bookshelf—one of her favorites being of Tadhg Rioradahn’s anthology of poetry and lessons on life and love. Dovian had heard the tales many times over. Admittedly, the book was boring to him, but watching I’Lanthe’s eyes glisten as she read in the evenings put him at ease. Tonight, no doubt, she would be reading to him. Whether it was another one of Tadhg’s tales or one belonging to another, Dovian didn’t care. He would hold her, comb his fingers through her hair, and eventually doze. If sleep were not to come quickly, then he’d merely distract her with random kisses and light, feathery touches until she recognized him beside her once again. Then they could continue kissing under the moonlight between the sheets. It was one of his favorite activities.

  As dinner finished, I’Lanthe set up the table with intricately decorated porcelain plates and a bouquet of flowers from the garden she had planted outside. Each member had a glass of red wine. Freshly made bruschetta sat in the center for all to share. A pile of pasta covered each plate along with colorful veggies, a large piece of breaded chicken on the side. As they all dined, brownies baked in the oven, teasing their nostrils.

  “And so I said, would you tell your mother, sister, or daughter the same?” Karter pointed his fork as he spoke. “And the man was speechless. Angry, but speechless.”

  “And what happened next?” I’Lanthe asked.

  “Oh, I’m not positive, but there were rumors that his wife was much happier the next week. She had followed through with her plans to pursue her dreams. I heard that she became successful, and just this past weekend, someone had mentioned that he had taken over caring for the children during the day.” He swallowed a piece of broccoli. “Had plans of homeschooling them even.”

  I’Lanthe laughed. “How lovely!”

  Dovian smirked. His icy gaze set upon the somber Lita. She forced a smile and stabbed a piece of zucchini and bowtie pasta with her fork. It seemed her appetite wasn’t as strong today, but she had no problem finishing her glass of wine.

  “Oh! I’m stuffed!” I’Lanthe said, her hand falling on her stomach.

  Karter sniffed the air. “But I smell dessert!”

  I’Lanthe gasped and quickly moved to the kitchen to prepare the treat. She rummaged through her freezer, ordering a half gallon of vanilla and chocolate swirled custard from Lucinda’s. In a minute or two, her order had arrived within her refrigerator. I’Lanthe happily scooped generous amounts of the creamy mixture upon the freshly baked brownies.

  “Any news on the relics?” Karter asked as I’Lanthe divvied the dessert.

  Dovian frowned. “No news yet. They are still missing from the vault. All nations have been investigated.”

  “Did they finally get to Scandinavia?” Karter smiled in thanks to I’Lanthe and spooned a bite of his treat.

  “All nations.” Dovian ate a piece of his own.

  “And none of them have it?”

  “None are aware, even when placed under the scrutiny of the Truthseers. Either nobody truly knows, or humanity has perfected the art of lying.”

  They all looked at each other in silence and then shrugged. It was a possibility. Humans were always adept at lying.

  During the time Euclid took over Sarkov’s identity, thousands of ancient artifacts had gone missing during the war. Thought to be destroyed long ago, rumors recently stirred about evidence of the artifacts still existing. The Sorcēarians were called upon to unveil the truth. It had proven to be quite the project for Sir Gaius. So far in their history, this mission had taken the longest. Search missions often were solved within hours to a mere few days. This one had been in progress for nearly a month with no signs of completion anytime soon.

  “Hopefully it gets resolved quickly. I heard that people are beginning to question Sir Gaius and the Elders’ involvement in the disappearance,” I’Lanthe said between bites.

  “They would,” Lita mumbled.

  The other three gaped at the young woman who idly swirled her ice-cream around the last chunk of brownie.

  “Lita, are you alright?” Karter asked.

  Lita lightly shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “Um, just a little tired. I’m fine.”

  Ever since Petey’s exile, Lita had been uncharacteristically down. Karter felt that Petey was only part of the girl’s problem. He wasn’t sure what it was, but Lita was hiding something.

  “Perhaps we should retire early?” he suggested.

  Lita gave a half-heartened smile. “Don’t trouble yourself over me. You guys go ahead and have some fun. I’m going to get into my nightclothes.”

  She stood and carried her dishes to the kitchen.

  “I’ll clean them, Lita. You get some rest,” I’Lanthe spoke up.

  Lita hesitantly set her dishes aside and moved toward the back of the house. Karter’s smile cocked to the side.

  “Perhaps I should help her,” he whispered with a fake yawn.

  Dovian waved the man away. He didn’t want to think about Karter and Lita in bed.

  “Help her into or out of her nightclothes?” I’Lanthe giggled as she sipped her wine.

  “Whichever she’ll allow me the pleasure,” Karter quickly spouted as he speedily made his way down the hall to the guest room. A second later came a shrill scream from Lita followed by laug
hter.

  “They’re cute together,” I’Lanthe softly spoke.

  “Perhaps,” Dovian shortly replied.

  The woman eyed him humorously. “Oh? Is there anyone else you’d prefer?”

  Dovian wrinkled his nose. “Why make me ponder over it?”

  I’Lanthe laughed, planting a kiss on the man’s forehead. “He makes her smile all the time. I can’t think of a better person for her to have.”

  “She’s been off lately.” Dovian rose from his chair, helping clear the table.

  “Understandably,” I’Lanthe sighed. She whispered a spell to the dishwasher to take care of the chore work. Afterward, she snagged a book from the bookcase and dropped onto the couch.

  “And what are you reading me tonight?” Dovian asked.

  I’Lanthe twisted the book so he could read the cover.

  “Ah, not again.” He covered his face with an arm as he sank beside her.

  She snickered, expecting his reaction. “It’s my favorite.”

  “Sometimes I think you love Tadhg more than you do me.”

  Pouting, she leaned forward, pulling Dovian’s arm away from his face. “No, not in the slightest. If anything, you should be grateful to him.”

  Dovian’s eyes glimmered in the pale light. Straddling him, I’Lanthe ran her hands through his hair. His lips parted as he anticipated her kiss.

  “His words are what made me realize my love for you. That’s why his poetry is my favorite.”

  Dovian chuckled against her lips. “He makes a good wingman.”

  “That he does.”

  Soon, the book was forgotten as I’Lanthe found interest in her partner. The cool spring air sent the cream curtains fluttering. The chime dinged in alternating tones as thunder rolled in the distance and a sweet humid scent overtook the room. Dovian would forever be a fan of thunderstorms, the scent and sounds reminding him of his beautiful, brilliant, seductive love. He rested his head on the back of the couch, his hands reaching inside her clothing to trace soft lines up her thighs. Before long, they lost self-control, not bothering to move to one of the bedrooms.