Home of the Forgotten

by Rayne W Grath

  Aarik grabbed Kiya’s hand enthusiastically, forgetting about their potential deaths for a moment when he replied, “More than ready.”

  Kiya laughed at his enthusiasm and then squeezed his hand. It was all the encouragement he needed to follow Morri and Dag into the mist, pulling her along with him. When they reached the other side, Aarik looked about in confusion. Expecting to land in an apartment similar to the one they used earlier, his mouth dropped when, instead of a metal spaceship, they found themselves in the middle of a colorful forest.

  “Damn. We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto!” Kiya whispered in awe, before adding, “Which brings about the questions of where in the universe are we?”

  Searching for the culprits responsible for their current predicament proved useless. Morri and Dag were nowhere to be found, but a snicker could be heard in the distance, right before Morri answered, “Different universe actually. We made a detour. Figured the two of you could use some alone time. Head fifty yards north and you’ll find a lovely little abode. Don’t mind the mess, haven’t been home in ages. Make yourselves comfortable. We’ll come back for you when it’s time to leave.”

  “When will that be?” Aarik called out in the direction Morri’s voice came from at the same time Kiya yelled, “Leave where?”

  “You have a couple hours to kill before the results are announced. I must warn you though; time is different in this dimension, sometimes it goes fast and other times slow. We suggest you use the time wisely,” Dag replied from further away. Aarik could barely hear Morri’s muffled response, “Home, of course!”

  “Which way is north?” Kiya said crossing her arms like the scarecrow as she pointed in all directions with a frown. “Couldn’t they have pointed us in the right direction first?”

  “It’s this way,” Aarik replied suddenly, feeling nervous about what they were about to do.

  “How do you know? Do you have a compass in that brain of yours as well?” Kiya asked with a giggle.

  “Simple deduction. The growth on that mountain is thicker and greener on the north side, facing away from the sun, whereas the sunny side is not as populated. If it’s anything like Earth, plants tend to be more abundant where they get less sun. If you don’t believe that line of bullshit, it helps that I can make out a house in the distance over there.” Aarik explained with a chuckle, pointing in the correct direction. Kiya huffed in response and stomped off in the direction of their new home, for the next couple of hours, muttering under her breath as she passed, “Smartass.”

  Aarik followed behind Kiya, plucking a few flowers along the way to present as a peace offering when they arrived, only to come up short when Morri and Dag’s home came into view. Spanning a football field, and twenty different trees, stood the most elaborate tree house Aarik had ever seen. Vined walkways connected the living spaces from one tree to the next, with flowered trellis’ covering the majority of them. Turrets and spires sprouted out of trees at the corners of the establishment. The trees were one with the building, not as if the house was added onto the trees, but as if were a part of the trees.

  Approaching the front door, Kiya jumped when it swung open on its own. One could either feel welcomed or creeped out by the gesture, but realizing they were in a place more alive than dead, Aarik guided Kiya into the house with a hand at the small of her back. The inside of the giant tree revealed a set of stairs on the interior wall, spiraling up to the main house. Walking to the middle of the tree, he gazed upwards and marveled at how the building and tree were one. Like a bonsai tree, it was shaped meticulously. Anxious to see the rest of the house, he dragged Kiya with him up the stairs.

  “Woah! What’s the big rush?” Kiya yelped from behind.

  Aarik stopped abruptly when he realized he was taking the steps two at a time and said, “Sorry. The kid and the archeologist in me are both excited to see this place.” Scooping her up, he grinned when she squealed in response. Sprinting to the top of the stairs, he stood there and reveled in the moment. Taking his time, he lowered her to the ground.

  Placing her hands on his chest, she took a small step back, looked up at him from under her lashes and said, “What are you more excited to see?”

  Her hands dropped to her hips as she moved to remove her belt, pausing when Aarik stopped her and said, “You of course, but please let me.”

  Kiya stilled his hands looked into his eyes and asked, “Are we alone?”

  Surprised he’d forgotten about Enki, Aarik closed his eyes and had just started the chant to banish the seer to some far corner of his mind, when a vision entered his mind of Kiya dying by a poisonous dart. The scene was fleeting but it showed them standing in the same location when several darts shot out from the wall. One found a target and embedded into the right side of Kiya’s neck. Her eyes widened in response and then she crumpled in his arms. Dropping to the ground, he cradled her in his lap. With his name on her lips, she turned blue and exhaled her last breath on a shudder.

  Aarik pulled Kiya to the floor the moment he was back to the present and not a second too soon. They hit the floor as a gorgeous red flower to their right, opened with a flutter and launched several barbed darts. Barely missing their heads, the darts embedded into the opposite wall with a twang. Caging Kiya in his arms he raised his head and scanned the room for more flowers or potential threats. When nothing else seemed to stick out as dangerous, he studied the red flower closely. The culprit started pulsating like it was about to vomit, and when it began growing more barbs, Aarik panicked and searched for somewhere they would be safe while he assessed their options. The flower looked like it was searching for something as its petals tasted the air, looking for a direction to send its barbs. Kiya chose that moment to whisper yell, “What was that!”

  It didn’t take long for the flower to zero in on Kiya’s voice and as it reared back to shoot another round of barbs in their direction, Aarik rolled them further into the room. Six darts littered the floor they just vacated. Raising his head one more time, he stared their floral assassin down as it once again started producing more barbs. Using the water in the air to coalesce around it, he froze it in place. Aarik popped up to a crouch above Kiya and nearly toppled over when he came face to face with a tiny blue pixie. Hovering near his face with her hands on her hips she said in a tiny voice, “Morri said she warned you the place was a mess. Good thing you knew what to do to get rid of them. Pesky little buggers. The masters should have sent word sooner that we were having visitors. We would have removed the Dartimas plants from the entrances before you got here. We like to keep them around as a security measure for unwelcome visitors when the masters are not in residence. I removed all the new blooms from the other areas; you should be free to roam the rest of the abode worry free.”

  “You call that a warning? She told us the house could be a mess, not that our lives could be in danger from an unsuspecting flower! Worry free! Ha! We nearly died!” Kiya blurted out in exasperation.

  “You didn’t though. Gah...It’s been so long, I’d forgotten how dramatic humans tend to be. Ugh...Moving on to more important things. I’m sure they informed you time runs differently in Duadon, so it’s our job to make your stay here enjoyable while it lasts. My friends are cleaning the rooms in the southeast tower. You may choose any room you wish. We’ll bring in hot water so you can take a bath. Someone will lay out fresh clothes, while we prepare you a tasty meal.” explained the blue pixie, curtly pointing them towards a trellis covered in beautiful flowers leading to the southeast tower.

  Aarik shook his head and said, “Are we to assume those flowers are harmless?”

  “Unless you’re allergic,” the blue pixie replied before adding, “If you have no further questions. I’m needed in the kitchens.”

  Taking the lead, Aarik walked toward the flowers with a small amount of trepidation. Passing underneath, he knew he’d never look at a beautiful flower the same again. Entering the arched doorway of the southeast tower, Kiya gasped, pulling Aarik to a stop, “Wow.
I didn’t expect it to be so beautiful.” A glass-like floor allowed them to see that the southeast tower was made of four giant, hollowed out, trees with a river running down the middle. A chandelier that looked like it was made of thousands of glass flowers illuminated the room in a kaleidoscope of colors.

  Aarik tugged Kiya forward and, when they stood shoulder to shoulder he looked down at her, knowing she had to tell the truth and said, “We’ll have to talk Morri and Dag into letting us come back when we have more time. Shall we go find a room?”

  Kiya returned his smile and said seductively, “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kiya

  Kiya shot up in bed, cradling the sheet to her naked chest as the bedroom door crashed open and a voice she thought she’d never hear again said, “Wakey wakey...eggs and bakey! Well, at least they told me it tastes like bacon, sure didn’t look like no pig to me!”

  “Grams…” Kiya cried out, scrambling out of bed, she pulled the sheet along with her to cover herself; completely oblivious to a squawking Aarik behind her as he moved to cover himself with a pillow. Blinking to see past the tears gathering in her eyes she pulled her Grams, still holding their tray of food, into an awkward hug.

  “You’re smothering me, child. Let me at least put the food down,” Grams grumbled from under her hair.

  Kiya released her grandmother, wiped her eyes and said, “Not that I’m not ecstatic to see you alive, but what are you doing here?”

  “I couldn’t wait a moment longer to get a chance to see my grandbabies,” Grams said with a smile.

  Aarik, red from head to toe with embarrassment, coughed an incoherent response as he scooted to the end of the bed. Reaching for the nearest garment, he grabbed something from the floor to cover himself. Kiya called out a wolf whistle when he stood up to excuse himself. He blew her a kiss over his shoulder and sashayed from the room wearing her robe.

  Looking back at her Grams, she said, “Very funny, Grams. You wanna scare him off so easily?”

  “Oh hodge podge. You two are more than married now, and my grandbabies need to be able to recognize my voice,” Grams replied, taking a step forward to place her hand on Kiya’s belly.

  Batting Grams’ hand away playfully, she hissed, “So not funny! Knock it off! Are you sure you’re okay? You’re acting kind of out of it.”

  “Never been better. I feel fit as a fiddle,” Grams replied with a grin, placing her hand on Kiya’s belly once again.

  “Enough with the old clichés, Grams! I was only kidding when I mentioned grandkids. I wanted to trick you into coming back to me and it worked! What are you doing?” Kiya exclaimed, looking down at her belly quizzically as Grams got down on her knees and began whispering to it.

  “You conceived last night. In fact you’re going to have twins. A boy and a girl. Congratulations are in store,” Grams replied looking up at her with a goofy grin.

  “Alright, Grams, you’re creeping me out. Are you trying to tell me your powers are so advanced now, you know not only that I’m pregnant, but I’m having twins literally hours after we got together. Get real, Grams,” Kiya said jokingly, pulling her grandmother up by the armpits, just as Aarik emerged from the bathroom completely dressed.

  Her soul rejoiced at seeing her other half and when he eyed her state of undress like a hungry lion she barely held back a groan. Eyeing her grandmother, she gave her one more hug. Biting her lip she excused herself, “I’m so glad to see you. Let me get dressed and then we’ll talk.”

  Kiya rushed to get dressed and prayed her grandmother didn’t start ranting nonsense during her absence. If Aarik thought she was pregnant, he'd never let her fight in the upcoming war and, whether he wanted it or not, they were meant to face it together. She placed a hand over her abdomen and tried to imagine two small peanuts forming, as she stood there looking at her reflection in the mirror. What they had shared had been soul shattering and it felt like it took forever to find which part of her soul was hers and which part was his. In the end they stopped when they felt whole, even though they had pieces of each other’s souls in their own. Kiya thought that was how they were able to become more powerful together because they were made whole. Their faults and advantages counter balanced each other’s souls to make them the best version of themselves.

  Aarik’s soul called to her from the other side of the door. Shaking her head to derail its current contemplation of what the topic of babies could mean, she took a deep breath and left the bathroom. Kiya barely missed a step when she found Thad, Morri and Dag had made themselves at home in her absence. Seeing as it was Morri and Dag’s home, she couldn’t really complain, but she was glad she had changed before they got there. Glancing at the tray of food, she was thankful her appetite flew out the window at the mention of babies when she noticed the eggs and bacon were nearly gone. Everyone froze mid-bite and looked down at their plates guiltily.

  “Geez, I was only gone for a couple minutes, max. You couldn’t have at least left me some bacon?” Kiya joked, hoping to relieve the tension as she made her way to Aarik’s side.

  “You should have grabbed some when you had the chance,” Dag teased, as he shoveled the last two pieces of bacon into his mouth.

  “Noted. Not sure if I missed it, but what was the final vote? Are we on our own?” Kiya asked the group, raising an eyebrow at her grandmother, who stood at the back of the room pretending to cradle a baby in each arm.

  ”With the stellar performance the two of you put on, 90 percent of our people voted in favor of going to war,” Thad answered around a mouthful of food.

  “I thought we needed a unanimous vote?” Kiya uttered in a panic, giving Grams the evil eye.

  “That’s normally the case, but seeing as we had some traitors in the mix, we had another vote to absolve the unanimous vote rule and, go figure, everyone approved it. Well, there could have been some tactics used to change a few minds there in the end,” Thad replied rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

  “And you said most votes could take weeks, looks like we broke that norm, too?” Kiya responded with a smile.

  “It did. I was in a coma for two of those weeks. Once I had my strength back it was time to come pick you up,” Grams replied with a knowing smile.

  “Weeks,” Kiya squeaked out. Time was a funny thing, to Aarik and Kiya, less than twelve hours had passed since Morri and Dag dropped them off. “Wow, what else did we miss?”

  “We received word from Ashryn; the king and his allies are enroute to Earth,” Thad answered. Standing up, he swept his hand toward their hosts and added, “Thanks to Morri and Dag, the majority of our resources are awaiting orders in a dimension on Earth. Our ships are enroute and will make it in time, thanks to our newfound allies, the Greys. They opened a shortcut that spit us out from the blackhole in the middle of the Milky Way Galaxy. We could have some stragglers show up late, but those could be the boost we need if we are losing.”

  “Did anyone communicate this information to Commander Rais or anyone on Earth?” Aarik asked, while absentmindedly rubbing Kiya’s lower back, like he had all the time in the world.

  “That’s why we came to get you,” Thad answered with a grin.

  “So let me get this straight. Every known species will be in one space for a Universal War, and you want me to notify my people the battlefield is on Earth?” Aarik asked incredulously.

  “Sounds about right. With time being all wonky here, we should probably get going. Our fleet is hiding in the asteroid belt of the Lotahairian Solar System and await my word. We thought it might complicate our relationship if our ships had to fend off friendly fire. So we didn’t want them too close,” Thad replied after thinking about it for a moment.

  “Lotahairian?” Kiya questioned curiously.

  “That’s what everyone else calls your solar system. Named after your sun, Lotah,” Thad explained. Looking over at Dag and Morri, he asked, “Vos’rok?”

  “Sure. Origins or terra locke?” Dag ask
ed with an eyebrow raised in question to Aarik.

  Kiya glanced up at Aarik to catch his reaction and was surprised when she was able to feel him enter the AZOK. After linking their souls in the Kh’izmet ceremony, she also knew exactly what he was doing. Without second guessing herself, she followed and found Aarik in front of a projector screen lounging in a recliner he had manifested. Everything was on fast forward as he flipped through channels playing the same scene only with slight differences throughout and vastly different endings. She reached for him telepathically and asked, What are we looking for exactly? If all those versions could happen...how do you know which one will eventually come to fruition?

  I came in originally to find out where Rh’ael is at, to save us some time, but it's hard to not to check back in. Minute changes rarely create big changes in the outcome. Like for instance a person could be seen wearing different colors of the same shirt but end up having no effect on the outcome, whereas if the outfit changes to a dress instead of pants the end could be a completely different future. The trick is recognizing what will matter and following that loop and the loops that branch out from it. Pinpointing the trigger that sends the future in the direction you desire takes practice, so I’m told, Aarik answered with a shrug.

  Huh. That’s a lot of loops to keep straight, Kiya stated in contemplation as Aarik put his hands on the armrest preparing to push himself up from the chair. Just a thought and you’ve probably already thought of this, but why not start at the end you want and then follow the loop back to where we are now?

  You make it sound like there are only two ends; one where we live and one where we die. When in actuality there are multiple ends where we win and just as many where we don’t. The real question we should be asking is...what is an acceptable win? Aarik replied solemnly pushing himself off the chair, he stood up.

  Is there a version where we defeat the king and Th’ael and nobody on our side dies? Kiya questioned, knowing she was asking for the impossible.