“Hiding in plain sight is sometimes the best strategy, but this is not one of those times. Shea’dale was made by the watchers during the last ice age while most Nae’dere residents relocated to warmer planets. It was the perfect opportunity to establish a foothold without them noticing. All exits from the city are outside the palace city limits, except the origin portal, but thankfully many of our members are able to transport here directly and don’t have to tire themselves with the long walk out or worry about anyone following them,” explained Thad'gar as he came to a stop and ushered Kiya and Aarik into a large cafeteria bustling with activity. The dining hall was filled with people in various stages of eating at food laden tables. Metal sconces lined the walls, giving the room a warm homey glow. Long flowing yards of fabric covered the stone walls masking the cold feel of the room with their insulation.
“How many people live here? Do they ever get to see the sun?” questioned Kiya, when she saw a group of children following an adult out of the room in single file.
Thad'gar chuckled and said, “Of course they see the sun. We’re not barbarians and treasure the few children we have immensely. Only mated pairs can have children and since the number of Kh'izmets have declined, so have our numbers. Many say it is the curse of immortality, but recently there has been an insurgence in new matings. None of the people you see here are prisoners. Those children are accompanied by childcare workers that take them outside for regular play time. In fact one of the requirements to be a teacher down here is the ability to teleport more than one person.”
“Fascinating. Could I meet a few of the newly mated couples? I would love to pick their brain on the process. Does this planet have coffee?” Kiya asked as she sat down near her grandfather at the long table near the back of the room. When her grandfather didn’t answer right away Kiya looked over at him to find him studying her closely and said, “Did I say something wrong?”
“I thought you said you possessed no Ah’naki powers,” stated Thad'gar with a frown.
“What? Oh I see...no I meant I wanted to ask them questions about the process. Picking their brain is a figure of speech on my planet for talking to someone about a subject they are knowledgeable in, no harm meant to anyone. I still don’t have any powers because, if I did, I’d have coffee in my hands right now,” answered Kiya, muttering the last part of the sentence to herself.
Thad'gar nodded his head while he considered her answer before he said, “Strange figure of speech. Everything has some sense of truth in its origin. I wonder where the saying originated.”
“I have no idea, but I can look when I get back to Earth, if you really want to know,” answered Kiya, drumming her fingers on the table impatiently.
“Not important, but if you ever find out I’d love to know…Now what was the second question you asked when we sat down?” inquired Thad'gar, as he flagged a waitress passing by their table.
“Do you guys have a drink that gives you energy when you drink it? On Earth we call it caffeine, and I prefer to take mine as coffee. It’s dark in color, rich in flavor and can have hints of chocolate or fruit,” Kiya repeated, with her fingers crossed under the table for good luck. If she couldn’t find a decent replacement for her caffeine fix she might be the one pushing to leave first.
“Cao is a popular drink of choice and could be comparable to coffee. It can be drunk hot or cold depending on your preference. Should I have Brin’lee get you a cup to try?” responded Thad'gar, with his hand in the air as the waitress approached carrying trays laden with food.
“I’ll give it a shot. Something is better than nothing in my book. Hot, if it’s not any trouble,” answered Kiya, as she looked around the table and noticed only one member from each faction had joined them in the dining hall. The waitress Brin’lee placed platters of cheese, bread and fruit amongst them and leaned over to hear Thad'gar when she was done. Kiya could see her nod her head at each of Thad'gar’s requests and when she stood up she was holding a cup of steaming liquid and headed in Kiya’s direction. She placed the mug in front of Kiya and said, “Cao, my lady. Would you prefer it sweet or as is?”
Kiya held up a finger and took a small sip of the hot cao. As it slid down her throat she marveled at the nutty chocolatey flavor and said, “Oh my gods! You are an angel in my eyes! The ability to manifest coffee on demand has to be one of your super powers.” When Brin’lee cocked her head in response Kiya added, “I think I’ll enjoy it just like it is and savor the flavor, but for the next cup I wouldn’t mind trying something different. Maybe you could surprise me.” Brin’lee smiled at the request before she gave a small curtsey and scurried away.
Kiya watched as a tray of bread magically appeared in Brin’lee’s outstretched hand before she reached the next table and said with longing, “Seriously what an awesome gift!”
Looking over at her grandfather she raised her glass in salute and took a large gulp of cao. After a large sigh of pleasure she looked around the room and said, “It’s a little loud in here to discuss our business don’t you think?”
“I suppose you’re right,” Thad'gar answered and then spread his hands out like he was opening a book and said, “How about now?” The moment his hands splayed out like an offering in front of him, the background chatter and noise ceased to exist as if they were in their own personal bubble.
Kiya smiled in response as she watched Aarik stuff another mini sandwich into his mouth and said, “Much better. Now all we need is a microphone for the people on the ends and we’ll be in business.”
“That won’t be necessary. The privacy shield will amplify our voices and no one else in the room will be able to hear our discussion,” Morri replied stoically, while somehow pulling off eating a piece of fruit that dripped juices like a sieve, daintily. Licking her fingers in between pieces she added, “I never could resist Nae’dere fruit. Addictively sweet, almost like the two of you.”
Kiya was taken aback by Morri’s comment and before she could ask what she meant her grandfather interceded and said, “Perhaps I should make it clear now, that under no circumstances is my granddaughter or her mate to be exploited. Let them choose their own path which means I don’t want to see any of your charm peaking through influencing their decisions Morri.”
“You’re no fun, Thad, but I promise to use no persuasion on them. Alas, my words are my own though, and I will make no promises of not using those to cajole them into seeing our side of things. Our enemies would do much worse and you know it, if given the chance,” Morri replied light heartedly.
“Fair enough,” Thad’gar replied before turning his attention to Kiya and Aarik and added, “Be prepared for a bombardment of flattery and bribery in your near future from all of the different factions in the conglomerate. If it goes beyond that please let me know immediately.”
“I will...Sooo...I think we’re both ready to hear what you have to say now,” prompted Kiya, glancing at Aarik to gauge his reaction to the topic. When he reached for a platter of wings, Kiya took that as a sign he wasn’t opposed and added, “Starting with how you think Aarik is your leader guy reincarnated, but seeing as I wasn’t able to view the mind parse I’d like a recap of what you saw while inside Aarik’s mind.”
“I have a question as well. You said every Ah’naki descendant has a birthmark specific to one family line. Case in point Kiya’s raven,” Aarik said gesturing toward Kiya with his free hand. “I am unaware of any markings on my body. What could that mean?” finished Aarik, and then stripped the wing clean in one bite and said with a full mouth, “Yum. Tastes like chicken.”
The bubble of silence surrounding them seemed eerily quiet as Aarik continued to load his plate with wings oblivious to the stares coming from their newfound allies. Kiya cleared her throat and nudged him with her knee to get his attention. He glanced over at her in confusion and without being too obvious Kiya raised her eyebrows and tilted her head slightly toward the others. Aarik seemed to catch on when a look of recognition crossed his face. He droppe
d the food he was holding, wiped his hand on a napkin and said, “I suppose now you are going to tell me, this leader guy you think I’ve come back as didn’t have a mark either.”
Chapter Ten
Aarik
“Enki’s soul was marked but his skin only showed outward signs of his familial line under fire. Before his death, his heart was heavy for having not yet found his mate, but it makes sense now why he left us so early. I, too, would have longed for death if I was forced to wait thousands of years for my other half. With his sight-seeing ability he must have seen the long wait ahead of him and allowed the assassins to take him out. Otherwise he would have foreseen it coming and done something about it. I can tell you after losing Zoya, it’s hard to stay the course when you miss your other half so desperately,” Thad’gar answered sorrowfully.
“I can’t imagine how vast time must seem without her. Forgive me for seeming cold to your heartache, but what did you mean by under fire? In battle his markings would show?” Aarik asked carefully, not wanting to seem like he had no feelings for what Thad was going through, but desperately needing an answer. He’d been under fire twice since his powers showed up and no one mentioned seeing anything out of the ordinary. Aarik found it hard to believe he was anything other than himself. He never experienced a sense of another being in his mind. His thoughts were his own as far as he was concerned.
“Have you ever been burned Aarik?” Prometheus asked beside him.
Aarik tried to recall a single burn in his life and when nothing came to mind he said, “I don’t think so, maybe when I was younger. I honestly don’t recall having one, but I’m sure I have. Why?”
Instead of answering him Prometheus produced a ball of flame in his palm and with his other he grabbed Aarik’s wrist and held his hand under the flames. Aarik tried to pull back and said, “What the fuck! Let go!” Prometheus realizing he would not hold Aarik for long gritted out, “Does it hurt? Do you feel your flesh peeling back from your skin?” Before he released Aarik with a snarl.
Once the initial shock was over, Aarik realized the fire felt warm, even hot, but there was no pain associated with the flames. Turning his hand over, he stared at the flame surrounding his hand in wonder. Curious how he never noticed it before he asked, “I’m fireproof?”
Prometheus closed his fist dousing the flames. He wiped his hands on his robes and with a look of accomplishment said, “Not just fireproof. Enki was a master of the elements. Fire could not burn him, water could not drown him, air could not suffocate him, and earth could not bury him.”
“Then how did he die if he was so all powerful?” questioned Kiya, as she looked around the table for an answer, not at all affected by Aarik’s new gift. The sight of her leaning over her steaming mug of cao, holding it in both hands like it was precious to her, made Aarik smile despite the bubbling seed of worry closing in on him. Her ability to adapt to change was a blessing that he hoped would somehow rub off on him over the years.
He examined his hand for any signs of redness and when a flash of red appeared, he proudly showed it to the table and said, “Sorry to disappoint you, but as you can see I am not impervious to fire!”
“That’s not a burn, Aarik…” Kiya said in wonder.
“Sure it is…” replied Aarik, turning his hand around to look at it more closely. Only this time he jumped back at the sight of tribal-like markings glowing faintly under the surface of his palm where the flames had licked his skin. How could he have gone his whole life not knowing he was immune to fire? The question came as he stared at his hand in shock. The next thought was even more alarming. If he really was some ancient magical Ah’naki reborn, why didn’t he have memories of his former life? It wasn’t like he went through life feeling like an old soul trapped in a child’s mind. Nor had he been plagued with déjà vu moments all his life. He felt like he was on the brink of a mental breakdown as he questioned his very existence.
Kiya brought him back to the present when she placed her hand on his check and turned his face towards hers. She scrutinized his facial expressions and said, “Enough of the self doubt. You are still the same person, regardless of what anyone has to say from here on out. If you are the reincarnation of Enki, we’ll tackle it together and just roll with the gifts as they come along.” Twisting towards Thad, she repeated her earlier question with more urgency, “How did Enki die?”
“Rh’ael beheaded him in a public execution,” answered the Egyptian goddess bluntly. When both Aarik and Kiya’s mouths dropped open she shrugged and said, “Now I believe you will understand why many of us are opposed to working with the wayward prince. And why it will take a lot more than your word to persuade the majority he has changed. Although after they realize you are Enki returned I believe you’ll have a much easier time convincing them to join your fight. They might even consider forgiveness since you obviously have no problem with the murdering bastard. Now that you know who you are that might change. We shall see. I’m Isis by the way.”
“Pleasure to meet you. Wow. I didn’t see that one coming! No wonder he was adamant that we be the ones to go. That shithead didn’t want to face the firing squad!” exclaimed Kiya in disbelief.
“I’m not mad at Rh’ael even though his omission makes me leery of trusting him in the future. I still believe he has good intentions this time around. Love will change a man,” replied Aarik, looking down at Kiya tenderly. Her presence felt like the only thing keeping him sane.
“A rumor has been circling for years that Enki allowed it to happen as a form of suicide per se. He saw everything. Even foiled a few attempts on his life during his younger years,” the Greek god added, like he was contributing a juicy bit of gossip to the discussion. He reminded Aarik of a teenage drama queen stirring the pot. If this was the Greeks’ counsellor, it was no wonder the Greeks’ were always warring amongst themselves.
“Prometheus, while I appreciate your input, idle rumors are not beneficial to our conversation at the moment,” warned Thad’gar with a glare.
“I just thought he should know what the people are saying,” Prometheus countered and then looked at Aarik and said, “I have spies everywhere and will be of great assistance to you in the coming war. I have already sent word to my people to make their way to Zyntese for the convocation. Hopefully, with you back, we’ll be able to stop warring amongst ourselves and come together with a purposeful mission.”
“I’ll take that into consideration, Prometheus, and appreciate your offer to help. What is Zyntese?” asked Aarik, turning his attention back to Thad.
“It’s not a what, but a where. As we said before, the vote to go to war is decided by the people. Zyntese is a neutral planet we use for gatherings of this nature so the vote can be done without any favoritism being played out. Going to war is a big commitment, especially for only one small planet and its inhabitants,” replied Thad, with an apologetic shrug.
“This is a lot to take in and I’m having a hard time accepting something of this magnitude in one sitting. I mean obviously one of my parents had to be an Ah’naki descendant. Shouldn’t I have a marking for that family line? Are the markings always on the thigh? I mean besides the fire thing I don’t think I’m anything special. I’ve never had a premonition in my life outside of the mind parse,” said Aarik in desperation, scrambling for some sense of normalcy in the midst of the revelations they were throwing at him.
“No they can be anywhere. Mine is under the tongue,” replied Isis opening her mouth and lifting her tongue to show a coiled serpent underneath. She closed her mouth seductively and said, “I showed you mine let me see yours.”
Kiya cleared her throat and, before she could rip the Egyptian goddess apart and start a new feud, he interjected, “Flattered, but the only woman I plan on showing anything to is this beauty.” He grabbed her hand from his knee and held it up in the air before bringing it to his lips for a sweet kiss. Swiveling in his seat to face her directly, he said, “Would you do me the honor of checking out my mouth f
or any unusual markings?”
Leaning around him to glare at Isis she replied, “Of course and that goes without saying, I’ll be the one checking out any other areas you need assistance with.”
Isis chuckled and said, “Just feeling out how serious the two of you are, seeing as you haven’t bothered to go through the ceremony to make it official.”
“We haven’t had the time to discuss anything official. It has been one thing after another and besides that we haven’t even been on a proper date yet,” answered Kiya defensively.
“Makes me think one of you is stalling. You’d be stronger as a couple if you didn’t wait!” Isis retorted.
Thad held up his arm and said, “From what we saw in the parse all of this is very new to them. Tell me, Aarik, how did you even learn to access the Realm of Enlightenment without instruction?”
“If you are talking about the knowledge store in my head, it wasn’t hard after I accepted I was something other than human. I concentrated on my breathing and it was like I was floating inside my brain, but instead of spongy brain matter in my view it was filled with the vastness of space; with gateways and tunnels capable of delivering infinite knowledge upon my request. How do young Ah’naki access the AZOK, I mean Realm of Enlightenment?” Aarik asked with a frown.
“AZOK? Wherever did you get such a silly name?” questioned Prometheus.
“It’s an acronym for the Astral Zone of Knowledge which is the name we came up with for the Realm of Enlightenment. Like, you could call yours the ROE. It’s much easier to say AZOK then saying the longer version every time. Don’t you guys give things nicknames?” Kiya answered incredulously as the occupants of their table looked at her with dismay.
“We give nicknames to our people, but nothing so sacrilegious as the Realm,” Thor retorted with indignation.
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