Home of the Forgotten

by Rayne W Grath

  “My name is Lan’don Karillion, a loyal guard of Th’ael, God of Darkness, and this is my concubine, Mia,” replied Aarik shaking the hand of the sprite firmly before he stepped back and wrapped his arm around Kiya. Layering his voice with a touch of persuasion, Aarik said, “Th’ael instructed me to stay behind to spy on the humans and the Earth portal. He gave me the code for this entrance and told me to report back to him when I discovered their plans. I forgot the time and only realized how late it was when we arrived to the light of the moons. Magnificent colors, don’t you think? Earth only has the one as you know and nothing so extravagant.”

  “We are partial to the green one, but it makes no difference. They’ll be gone once they’re mined for their precious stones,” Spiritus replied, looking up at the green moon with reverence.

  Kiya was a sucker for Aarik’s chocolatey voice, without the power upgrade, and found herself melting in his arms in response. She shook her head to clear the fog from Aarik’s enchantment and spit out the first thing that came to mind, “Excuse me. It seems my bladder and bowels did not handle the portal jump well. Are we free to go? I need to visit the little girls’ room.”

  “We were never told of your arrival, but then again no one bothers to tell us anything until the last minute, if at all, so it doesn’t surprise us. Since we are only here to prevent people from leaving via this portal without authorization papers, we see no reason to detain you further. Although with most of the castle asleep it would probably be best to wait until the morning to deliver your news. The queen is an early riser so the kitchens will be fast at work if you were looking for something to eat while you wait. Tell them I sent you if they give you any guff,” advised Spritus with a wink, before she broke apart into the thousands of tree sprites of which she was composed. They each eventually drifted back to the barren tree shrubs to resume their watch as leaves on a tree.

  “Many thanks, Spritus. We’ll be on our way and out of your hair; I mean twigs...or...moss….um... regardless, we’ll be going. This way, Mia. I’ll show you where the bathroom is,” Aarik responded, stumbling over his words while leading Kiya towards the exit of the maze.

  While the ground of the maze was covered in soft grass, the garden was paved in black stones with an opal spiral inlaid every ten feet that matched the design of the medallions used to power the terracrafts. The pathways were lined with flowers unlike any Kiya had ever seen and the smell wafting through the air as they passed reminded her of cotton candy, bubblegum and watermelons. She couldn’t be certain of their colors because of the light of the artificial moons, but they looked dark in contrast. The fronds of the plants were giant and reminded Kiya of some of the plants in the Jurassic era on Earth.

  As they headed west towards the castle, Kiya glanced behind her and witnessed tiny phosphorescent bugs flying behind them. Their movements reminded her of dolphins riding the wake of a boat, but instead of water they were riding the air currents Aarik and Kiya created as they walked. When she stopped abruptly, Aarik whispered, “Wait till we get inside.”

  “No. Look!” said Kiya quietly while pointing to the colorful show behind them.

  “Cool, I see them. Now let’s go,” Aarik urged in a low voice, increasing his speed while dragging Kiya behind him toward the doors to the palace.

  “Geez, I feel like you’re going to rip my arm off. Slow down a little. I’m coming. What’s the hurry all of the sudden?” complained Kiya in a hushed voice increasing her pace to keep up with Aarik’s long purposeful stride.

  Flipping around, Aarik continued to walk backwards at the same pace while motioning with his hand for Kiya to zip it. Turning back around without missing a beat in his step he added, Pretty please. I’ll explain it later.

  Kiya relented and said, Well since you asked so nicely. How can I refuse? Squeezing his hand for reassurance, she caught a whiff of coffee in the air and kicked it into high gear, passing Aarik and tugging him toward the life giving juice. Kiya could drink coffee at any hour of the day, but usually refrained after dinner unless she needed to burn the midnight oil for studying. She considered an espionage mission during the middle of the night an exception to the rule and urged Aarik on, Hurry up. I smell coffee!

  Chapter Three

  Aarik

  Aarik realized he wasn’t giving Kiya much of a choice as he dragged her along behind him, but couldn’t quite bring himself to slow down. The smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls filled the air and no matter how much he tried to stop and enjoy the foliage and uniqueness of the garden, he felt compelled by the need to have his favorite pastry. As he watched himself silently tell Kiya to shut up without stopping he started to wonder about where his insatiable desire for a cinnamon roll was coming from. That seed of doubt only intensified when Kiya practically sprinted past him for the smell of coffee.

  Hold up. How can you smell coffee with the overwhelming aroma of cinnamon rolls permeating the air? Aarik asked in confusion.

  Kiya smelled the air dramatically and replied, Nope, I don’t smell cinnamon. More of a nutty dark-roasted brew. It’s so strong I won’t need a map to lead me to the kitchens. I’ll just follow my nose.

  Kiya we need to stop. Something is luring us to the kitchens and I have no control over my feet. Can you resist? Aarik asked in desperation.

  Stop? Why would you want to stop? You obviously want some cinnamon rolls and I need coffee if you expect me to stay up all night long for this excursion. I don’t see an issue with fulfilling that need. I would have brought a thermos with me if it would have been concealable, but alas there’s nowhere to hide it wearing see through lingerie, exclaimed Kiya, talking faster the longer she spoke.

  I was perfectly fine until I came across the smell of cinnamon rolls...my favorite scent. It’s only obvious that your favorite smell is coffee. Doesn’t that seem odd to you? We each only smell our favorite aroma and not the other. The fact that I want to stop and I can’t is a GIANT red flag. I’d love to say wake up and smell the COFFEE, but that would be an oxymoron, pleaded Aarik in a panic.

  When silence followed, Aarik could tell Kiya was trying to prove him wrong by stopping herself and after her attempt failed she simply said, Well shit. At least we have control of our thoughts. I’ve been blocking my mind ever since we encountered the sprites so it can’t be mind control. Does the AZOK have any infinite wisdom to offer?

  Aarik felt like an idiot when he responded, Um...I’ll have to get back to you on that. Hoping he didn’t trip while accessing the zone in motion, Aarik asked Kiya to lead the way. You’re my eyes and ears now. Try not to mess up my pretty face.

  Not that you couldn’t use to be humbled a bit, but I’ve grown attached to the one you have. I’ll try my best to steer you in the right direction and will even protect you in the event we run into an issue, joked Kiya half-heartedly, as they entered the castle.

  Aarik, trusting in Kiya, closed his eyes - entering the AZOK as their speed picked up, taking them towards the kitchen at a half-run. Seconds later he snickered at the answer and wanting to get a rise out of Kiya said, How thoughtful of you. I feel so much better now, knowing you want to keep my face out of harm's way.

  Kiya snapped back at him in warning, Quit stalling! We need a way to stop this madness. I didn’t look at the map so I have no idea how close we are to the kitchens, but it can’t be much further, the aroma is stronger now.

  All we need to do is sneeze, my love, replied Aarik with a smirk.

  Great! I can’t make myself sneeze. What the hell am I going to do! admitted Kiya in a panic.

  Think of something naughty, Aarik replied and then proceeded to imagine them during their eventual bonding ceremony, which prompted a quick sneeze, releasing Aarik from the mindless race. Pinching his nose to stop it from happening again with one hand, he scooped up Kiya in the other and held her close to his chest.

  What!?! How the hell is that supposed to make me sneeze? Kiya asked in confusion while she struggled to get free.

  Sexually induce
d sneezing, commonly referred to as honeymoon rhinitis was first documented in 1897 at the British Medical Association. If it doesn’t work, I’ll take you to the kitchens under my own devices and get you some pepper or something. Just try it, begged Aarik, as he rested his chin on Kiya’s shoulder and tried to will her into submission.

  Moments later a cute sneeze erupted out of Kiya and she ceased resisting his hold. She began giggling until she snorted and then said, Well I’ll be damned!

  Supposedly it’s genetic, so I was taking a gamble it would work. I think we need to be extra careful when we pass by the kitchens and be on the lookout for anything suspicious. I’m not sure how long the sneeze will break the spell so either plug your nose or start daydreaming up your own sexy romance novel, starring moi. On second thought, we might need both hands for something, so sexy thoughts might be a better option for both of us, answered Aarik with a wink when Kiya looked up at him with a glare.

  If you want to walk around with….with unfulfilled desires all day, be my guest. Personally I think it’s a bit uncomfortable. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for a male. No. I’ll use my ingenuity and plug my nose with this, answered Kiya ripping off a swatch of the medical bracelet that was supposed to seal any hole. Aarik watched as she licked it and applied the bandage under her nostrils. It didn’t take long before the cloth attached itself, creating a vacuum tight seal in seconds. She looked over at Aarik and said in a nasally voice, “Cool. Not sure if this is what Anna had in mind when she gave these to me, but I’m sure she’d love to know the reasoning behind it. Want one for yourself?”

  I’m sure she’ll add it to the list of positive attributes these babies have the next time she doles one out, but I have a better idea, replied Aarik with a broad smile. Using a similar chant like the protective barrier he erected when facing off against Th’ael, Aarik created an invisible odor barrier on his and Kiya’s nose and mouth. The barrier allowed them to continue breathing in and out, but it trapped any odor along its membrane. Now they wouldn’t sound all stuffed up when they faced the watchers and tried to convince them they were to be taken seriously.

  Aarik wanted to celebrate his ingenious creation with Kiya, but when he attempted to rip off the bandage from under her nose to show her, he unintentionally pulled Kiya towards him instead. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, “Ow! What’d you do that for?”

  I put up an odor blocker so we wouldn’t sound like nasally sicklings and wanted you to revel in my awesomeness, answered Aarik with a sly grin.

  “You could have warned me. Gosh, Anna wasn’t kidding when she said these babies will seal any hole. Do you happen to remember if she mentioned how to get them off?”

  Yeah she said they needed to be dry. Just a second, I’ll see if I can pull the moisture from the cloth, Aarik stated with a look of concentration on his face. He reached for the band-aid again and before he had a chance to pull it off it fell on its own and landed in his palm. He crumpled it up, but when he opened his palm to drop it on the floor Kiya said, “Wait, give it here. We shouldn’t leave any incriminating evidence behind.”

  Aarik tipped the cloth into Kiya’s outstretched hand and said, Don’t forget to use your inside voice. At least until we get outside, please. We don’t need to draw any more attention to ourselves than necessary and your voice, although lovely, ruins the facade of our disguises. Defeats the whole purpose of going incognito if you ask me. What are you going to do with it?

  I’m sorry I should know better, but sometimes it just slips out. I’ll try and be more careful from here on out. I’ll tie it onto the original cloth and dispose of it when we’re safe. What or who do you think was the cause of that little fiasco? Kiya responded with a penitent look on her face.

  Aarik surprised by Kiya’s sincere contrition barely heard her last question regarding the cause of the smell altogether and was only reminded when she said, Did you hear me? Is this connection working?

  Yes, I can hear you. Sorry, I was trying to memorize the date and time, teased Aarik before he quickly added, It’s not very often you agree with me. I need to memorialize this moment because I have a feeling it won’t happen very often.

  Especially after that comment, replied Kiya with a wink.

  You know I was just kidding. In regards to your question I don’t have an answer, but I’d wager to bet the person or people responsible for that smell spell did not have honorable intentions. Our best bet would be to steer clear of the kitchen, but unfortunately Rh’ael’s map has us going through there to reach the servant’s passageway. It’s the only way outside without going through the front doors of the castle, which I’m going to assume we want to avoid. Anna mentioned the WEDs worked better outdoors; I don’t want to risk being caught indoors. We’ll go stealth again when we reach the outside, insisted Aarik, yanking Kiya to a stop as they approached the last hallway before the kitchens.

  Aarik poked his head around the corner and pulled it back quickly when he witnessed someone exit the kitchen carrying twenty-four serving trays of food. The feat would have been remarkable except for the fact that the being had twelve arms and the face of a monkey without all the hair. Kiya followed suit and flattened herself against the black stone wall before she said, He’s coming this way, isn’t he?

  I think so. How do you know it’s a he? Aarik asked, while he tried to think of an escape plan or at a minimum a reason they were near the kitchens in the first place. A prince would have servants to fetch food from the kitchens.

  I don’t know. Maybe it was the arms, they seemed a bit too muscular to be a female or it could have been the clothes. Yeah…the suspenders and naked chest were probably the biggest attribute that lead me to my conclusion. How did you not notice? Kiya said sarcastically.

  I kinda got hung up on counting the number of arms it had and by the time I was done the monkey-like face caught my attention. Speaking of which, he’s almost here. Got any bright ideas? Aarik replied with concern bleeding into his thoughts.

  No, but when I do...you’ll be the first to know, answered Kiya with one eyebrow raised in thought.

  Worried the servant would sound the alarm once he determined they were imposters, Aarik pulled Kiya in for a passionate kiss, hoping the over the top romantic display would buy them more time. He knew the only flaw in their plan was their inability to speak the Ah’naki language and used the time to access the AZOK for a quick lesson. Determined to find a way to download some version of a How to Speak Ah’naki for Dummies straight into his brain, Aarik poured everything he had into his request for knowledge. Gasping out loud at the intense jolt of knowledge he received from the download, Aarik inadvertently pulled back from Kiya just as the servant passed by.

  “Master Th’ael? What are you doing here? I told your father you were on your way minutes ago!” exclaimed the monkey man in a deep guttural voice, lowering his arms so he could see the couple more directly.

  Aarik prayed the download worked when he opened his mouth to answer, “I had hungers that needed answered, if you know what I mean.”

  The being snorted and mumbled under his breath, “Insatiable and insufferable! Never did care that Ben’ath would be the one to pay for their failures.” Speaking up he said, “Let me deliver these to the dining hall and I’ll escort this young mistress to your sleeping quarters so that you can make your appointment with the King in his quarters. We wouldn’t want to anger the King. Unless you think the old woman would take offense at your promiscuity?” Throwing his hands up, the dishes he was holding launched into the air. Aarik stepped back, all the while guarding Kiya as he waited for the dishes to shatter all around them, but instead they disappeared before they could hit the ground.

  Ben’ath swiped all six pairs of hands clean before he pointed towards the dining room and said, “Never gets old hearing the staff complain when I make stuff appear out of nowhere. At least Cook will have nothing to complain to me about this evening. I didn’t break a single plate this time around. What w
ill it be? Your quarters or a guest room, Master?”

  Aarik chuckled in response to the sound of a bunch of maids swearing at Ben’ath’s trick and said, “My rooms will be fine. Tashina is sleeping at the moment in the ensuite and shouldn’t be disturbed.”

  “Very well. This way please,” acquiesced Ben’ath with a nod of his head as he led them past the kitchen to a hidden elevator.

  “I’ll tag along if you don’t mind, I forgot something in my rooms,” stated Aarik light-heartedly, before he added, “I promised my father to bring it with me, but was a little preoccupied. Thank goodness I remembered and thank you Ben’ath for stopping us. I’d hate to anger my father over my forgetfulness.”

  Aarik began to worry he used the wrong word when Ben’ath looked up at him with trepidation and said, “Yes that would not be beneficial, when it comes to rebuilding your standings with your father after being gone for so long.”

  The words Ben’ath said were in and of itself nothing to worry about, but his body language spoke of distrust and uncertainty. Scrambling to read his thoughts in order to determine if they were in immediate danger, Aarik was interrupted when Kiya dropped to the floor and flopped around like a fish before she went rigid and started moaning in low tones. Thankfully, Aarik was already in Ben’ath’s mind when Kiya pulled off her Grammy-winning performance, because the monkey man’s first thought was to take Kiya to the infirmary.

  Having no idea where to go, but hoping the diversion was enough to make Ben’ath forget his earlier suspicions of Aarik for being too nice he scooped up Kiya and said, “I’m taking her to the infirmary. My father can wait.” With a touch of persuasion in his voice he added, “I could use your help with the doors.”