He was still holding her hand, staring into his eyes when she said yes to him, holding him. Sula was not so pleased to be honest, but she had seen it coming, and Felix was coming round to the idea. At least Shazar was leaving, that mattered more to him right now, and he sensed Twello wasn’t the best of friends with his father, so hopefully he wouldn’t be seeing too much of him.
‘He understands me,’ Valera said to her mother later that day. ‘He grew up with a comyenti father. I don’t want anyone else but him. And the best thing is; I’ll be staying here on the farm close to you!’
‘I know, I know,’ she hugged her daughter, sobbing. ‘It’s all so much change at once. Aigle suddenly so mature and leaving to take on powerful responsibilities! You growing up into a responsible woman, falling in love, getting married.’
‘It’s called life, Mum. It’s the natural course of things. We are young birds leaving the nest.’
Sula remembered the soothing words Shazar had said about Fay a couple of days back. ‘But are your wings strong enough yet?’ Sula asked her daughter.
Valera’s face straightened and she looked suddenly older when she picked up her mother’s thoughts of Fay. ‘I can only speak for myself but yes, my wings are, because the roots that carry my wings are strong. Both my wings and heart are strengthened by your love and help, and when I’m soaring through the sky I won’t be looking down upon my own shadow. From now on I’ll be flying into a new stage of my life and I can never return to the same nest. It’s time to make my own but I’ll never forget all that both you and Dad have taught me.’
Sula stroked the girl’s hair. Yes, Sula knew a new phase in her life would come, in both their lives, and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Well, if Valera wasn’t ready, Sula would never be far away to guide her.
‘I’m proud of you,’ Sula said. ‘The path you have chosen is yours to take.’ But is Aigle’s path his own? Isn’t he influenced by his comyenti father?
That afternoon Felix hugged Aigle and neither said much as they were too overwhelmed with emotion to speak. When Sula wasn’t looking, Felix handed Aigle the letter to give to Grobo, who also lived in the east where they were heading.
He doesn’t have Sula, but he has my son. Which is worse? I don’t know yet, Felix thought grumpily at seeing Sula wave to Shazar as he got up onto his horse. Well, at least she didn’t hug him!
Shazar waved back wistfully. Aigle was saying his goodbyes to the twins who were tearful, but Aigle was joking and tickling them to make them smile.
‘You take care of my horse and my father,’ Twello said to Aigle as he climbed onto his steed. Aigle turned towards him. Twello and Valera stood hand in hand, and his parents stood next to them now.
‘And you of mine,’ Aigle joked, nodding to Felix, and they all smiled. ‘Enjoy your holiday, Mum and Dad. You deserve it.’
Felix had his arm around Sula and they were all waving now as the two of them; father and son, almost like brothers, so alike to the outside world, disappeared behind the hills in the afternoon glow of the sun. Felix opened his arms to Sula who was crying now. The twins held their parents around their legs as if they were hugging trees. Valera and Twello were cuddling each other too. The place would feel empty without Aigle.
~~~
‘Do you know where we can find a large cave in the eastern planes?’ Aigle asked Shazar when they were out of ear and eye shot. Shazar looked up at him with a quizzical look.
‘Yes, why?’
‘Because I need to drop off a letter to a giant.’
Shazar raised his eyebrows at that, but didn’t ask him any questions about it. He had learned to trust and respect the boy’s thoughts and actions, and if he had anything important to tell him, he no doubt would, sooner or later. Or so he hoped…
Of course Shazar had his own dark thoughts, about murdering Aigle’s aunt, to hide, so they were pretty much even there. But how long could he keep those thoughts and images hidden from the boy, especially when they were going to start the training which required their minds to be open? Wasn’t he taking a huge risk of exposure this way? If it ever came to light, Shazar no doubt would lose everything and everyone…
All in all, a lot had changed in two weeks’ time, with new knowledge coming Shazar’s way. He had new hope in the form of Aigle and his priorities had changed with it. Without a doubt Shazar could change his mind on the subject of offspring too. Aigle was strong-willed he felt, but surely he would realise once he came to full power, that the comyenti species had to survive, and that having offspring between him and his siblings was the only right way? There is power in numbers…he had heard it on the boy’s mind clearly, so he was thinking in the right direction, he just needed a bit of a push to come round to Shazar’s way of thinking. Shazar’s thoughts shifted to Valera and his heart leapt at the thought of Aigle and Valera having a child together. Shazar would lead Aigle to the rare species of bird whose abilities he himself used to impregnate Sula with at the time.
Yes, it could all end up well after all, Shazar thought.
How extraordinary indeed, that he and Twello had come to Rosinhill just two weeks before, not knowing what they would find. Now Shazar, and his son by birth, Aigle, had left the village he was born in, and his adopted son Twello remained behind there. It was as if the two brothers had exchanged places.
Those two weeks nevertheless, had seemed like a lifetime, almost like an insect’s life entire lifecycle with birth, youth, adolescence and old age all in a short span of time. Looking back, saying goodbye, and then the circle would start all over again, never ending, but never quite the same. A day could hold a lifetime, a week, a month, a year and one life could hold countless lives. What a blessed long life a comyenti had then, what a very long life…
Epilogue
‘I know I won’t grow as old as you will, ‘Felix said, gazing into Sula’s eyes. They were standing on the bridge over the frozen river they had first met twenty-five years earlier. It was the day of their anniversary and the world was once again covered in snow and ice.
‘…and I know you will outlive me by far-’ Sula opened her mouth to say something but Felix placed a finger on her lips which had the colour of a scarlet rose in bloom.
‘What you do with your time after I’m gone is up to you. But I also know that the time I spend with you right now is all that matters.’
Sula’s green eyes welled up at his words, and she held both his gloved hands in hers, and smiled up at him. It was a beautiful, crisp morning with a mauve sky. The sun was trying to break through, but there was new snow building up in the clouds above them. Felix continued, ‘To me it doesn’t matter how long you live. It matters how well you live. What you do with the time given to you.’
She kissed him on his warm lips at that and when they broke free she remarked,
‘That’s well said, love and I agree.’ Sula could feel a lump building up in her throat, preventing her from speaking.
‘I’ll always cherish the moment when I first saw you here, when you ‘supposedly’ fell from this bridge,’ and he chuckled heartily. ‘You managed to surprise me from day one and you have never failed to do so since. It has been an interesting journey so far and I want to spend the next twenty-five years with you to see what is in store.’
‘That… was a lovely thing to say, darling, thank you.’ Her voice broke and she kissed him again. Felix smiled.
‘Oh, but you’ve seen nothing yet. I have a surprise.’
Her eyes were almost orange, they were that warm, but she managed to look astounded. She knew he had been up to something, and that it had something to with artwork. He had been away for many evenings and had taken his tools with him, but she had no clue as to what it could be. She was about to be taken by complete surprise and what she saw next almost took her breath away. Felix had led her over the bridge blindfolded, and they were now both on the riverbank standing in snow. When he removed the blindfold, she thought she was going to faint. For there right in front of he
r stood a huge, at least twenty feet high, wild goose sculpted out of ice so smoothly carved it looked like crystal. Her head was held high, reaching for the skies and her long neck stretched forward, as if she was about to lift off. Her wings stretched out and had beautiful details right up to the tips of them. Even the webbed feet had tiny nails! Sula threw her hands in front of her mouth to still a cry, and was at a loss for words.
Felix wrapped his arms around her smiling, loving her reaction.
‘How did you do this?’ she reached out for him, facing him.
‘I have my moments.’
‘I always knew you had talent, but this is, by far, the best you’ve ever done! What a shame it won’t last.’ She stared at the sculpture again.
‘We’ll come here every day,’ Felix started, ‘and when she melts away in the spring think about my words from earlier; it’s nature’s law to change. Nothing we can touch lasts forever but the soul and the memory of things live on.’
She hugged him close, looking from the ice sculpture of the goose she so loved, and the man who had made it. The goose was her favourite animal and Felix couldn’t have given her a better gift. She loved him even more for it.
‘But that’s not all,’ Felix said after a while. ‘He should be here any minute now.’
‘”He”? Who?’
‘You’ll see.’
‘Another surprise? I don’t think my heart can take it!’
He grinned at that.
They stood looking at the sculpture when they heard a thumping sound in the distance and loud cracking noises. They came closer and Sula let go of Felix somewhat, feeling a sudden trepidation coming over her. Felix smiled at her reaction. For it was very rare to be able to take her by surprise, as she usually felt things coming. Although his heart sank when he saw the look of fear on her face, which was so rare, it touched him. It was something he hadn’t expected. He even felt it through their Heartmerge!
‘Relax, honey. It’s the guest of honour bringing some refreshments.’
A head appeared above the pine trees and immediately she recognised that bald head, she would know it anywhere: it was Grobo the giant. He was wrapped up in fur and in his hands he was carrying something that looked like a replica of the barn he had stolen years before.
Felix started laughing at Sula’s puzzled face.
‘Hello Grobo! We’re here!’
Grobo grumbled at the greeting and clumsily cracked a few more trees on his way over to them
‘Does he have to wreck those trees?’ Sula whispered under her breath, slightly annoyed.
‘Hmm, he is rather clumsy I have to admit.’
Grobo halted when he stood right in front of her. Sula could smell fear on him. A fear that mirrored her own; something she had not felt at all last the last time she’d seen him in the east, when she had visited him.
‘Hello Grobo,’ Sula said hesitantly.
The giant dropped the barn next to him, on the snow.
‘Ah, welcome Grobo! It wouldn’t have been the same without you! And there’s our food,’ Felix started to say and he walked over, ready to open the door of the wooden barn. Next moment a big arm lashed out and pushed him roughly away. Felix stumbled back and fell in the snow. Then Grobo bent forward and lifted him, before he had time to recover, and threw him onto the frozen river! Sula let out an agonizing scream upon seeing Felix fly through the air and land painfully on his back on the hard ice. She felt a sting in her own back at that. And not only that, but the ice was cracking underneath him! Sula attempted to run over to the river, but was overcome by pain and she was soon quickly held back by a huge arm covered in fur.
‘You feelss their pains, don’t you? That iss your cursse. You feelss everyone’s pain,’ he said with a terrible lisp. That made Sula’s skin crawl and finally she looked into the giant’s eyes and realised the reason for her fear: his eyes were dark, almost golden brown, and with vertical pupils!
‘You’re not Grobo,’ she managed to say. ‘You’re ypaka!’
He then smiled and started changing in front of her. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and quickly started chanting before she lost nerve, ‘Your heart, my heart, my mind, your mind, your-’
‘Spare your breath, lovely,’ the beast in front of her said. ‘It’s no use and you knows it.’
He had changed rapidly into the same kind of lizard man she had come across all those years ago. He was big, not as big as Grobo but heavily muscled, with yellow/green dry scaly skin and long limbs. He had covered himself up with Grobo’s furs as he was cold, she could tell as his skin was turning darker. His face and snout resembled that of a komodo and his red tongue flickered through his long, sharp yellow teeth. It was long and curly, and he grinned as he reached out to her with it. She stumbled backwards. His eyes didn’t leave hers for a moment; it was as if they were piercing right through her. She felt frozen for an instant. She swallowed and tried to look away, towards the direction of Felix, who still lay motionless on his back.
Through their Heartmerge she could feel that Felix was in grave danger. She could tell that he had started to slip through the ice slowly, into the dark immensely cold water. Right at that moment, the beast grabbed her by the throat with its powerful tongue squeezing the life out of her, forcing her to look at him whilst he was humming as if going in some kind of merge…
The End
The story continues in Book 3 in this series, Controller Of The Senses, coming 2015
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Glossary
Mindmerge: This is the special merging or linking of minds. Technically speaking a merge between comyenti and anything with a mind. It happens through eye-contact, no touch is necessary. Up until now only with animals; usually mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Only very advanced comyentis can merge with insects in order to gain their super abilities. The more animals they encounter and merge with, the more powerful a comyenti becomes. This requires a life of study and meditation.
It’s a mutual agreement, no one loses anything but both gain: the comyenti gains an ability and the other animal, a life-long commitment of safety and protection if that individual is ever in danger. Of course the older a comyenti gets, the more creatures it has met and the more powerful and understanding he/she becomes. It’s not just the power but an empathy for everything alive; a sense of oneness.
Mindskill: The gained ability of an animal after doing a Mindmerge. The comyenti now has a useful skill to be called upon when needed. They can only call upon the skills of one animal at a time. The skill is used by ‘deceiving’ one’s mind and body to believe it to ‘be’ that animal. A comyenti using a Mindskill whilst in a specific animal-mode, will not lose their identity. They can still think and act humanoid whilst going into a chant to call upon the required Mindskill.
For example, whilst flying using the eagle’s skills, they can do everything an eagle can do, including being able to fly and using their superb eyesight, and have an insulation consisting of imagined feathers. However if an arrow is flying towards a comyenti whilst in eagle-mode they cannot call upon the thick skin of a turtle to protect themselves! They can only use the skills of one animal at a time.
Mindmode: Eagle-mode/ bat-mode/ goose-mode etc. Term used to describe what animal called upon. Which Mindskill called upon and use.
Heartmerge: The very powerful spiritual merging of one mature comyenti with another (or a human). This merge between two lovers is done through sexual contact only. The first merging between new lovers is originally a lengthy ritual and both have to climax in order for their hearts and souls to make the lasting Heartlink. By merging
both adults will experience a powerful, telepathic union.
Heartlink: Is a strong bond achieved after the Heartmerge between two comyentis and is a life-long lasting spiritual bond between two mature lovers. They are able to hear each other’s thoughts and sense one another’s feelings and presence effortlessly. Communication runs smoothly.
It can only be broken if one or both partners fall(s) out of love with each other or if they, or one of them, have lost their heart to someone else. In which case the Heartlink has to be severed before a new one can be created, because having two Heartlinks at the same time is not possible.
Comyenti Oath: Is a powerful promise and not lightly given because it is binding: breaking or forsaken it would cost the comyenti to lose their unique abilities and they will become similar to a human. They have to cross their heart whilst speaking out loud.
Comyenti Weakness: Their own over-sensitivity. Too much sensory input causes their mind to get over-stimulated to the point that they are so overwhelmed they cannot go into a Mindmode at all. It causes them to lose contact with the Mindskill called upon.
References
Life On Earth-David Attenborough
The Living Planet-David Attenborough
Supersense-John Downer
Wikipedia
Also by Natasja Hellenthal:
The Queen’s Curse
Chained Freedom
Call Off The Search (Book 1 in the Comyenti Series)
The Comyenti Series Book Bundle, Volume 1 and 2 (Epic Romantic Supernatural Fantasy) Page 55