Janus and Oblivion
Page 28
She sighed. She hated how soft she was getting. “Fine! Fine!”
They’d probably sleep off half way through the story anyway. She reached for the story book, but stopped halfway. Her gaze lingered instead to the textbook she was reading for her exams. Maybe...
“Alright! Listen up! This is a retelling of the Prince’s tale.”
They huddled underneath the blankets, eyes wide and excited, giggling to each other, she rolled her eyes at them. Yaki and Yaji were so opposite at times, but when it came to listening to stories, they put aside their differences.
“Once upon a time, there was nothing but darkness. A big, scary, infinite darkness that spread throughout all the universe, throughout all the dimensions and worlds. You know the usual. Ages and ages passed, and this darkness... it started to think!”
She spooked them for emphasis, watching them flinch.
“Darkness, after gaining a personality, felt bored. I mean, I can’t blame her. The universe was she, and she was the universe. Not much variety. So, she decided to spice things up. She took on the gender of female – the most awesome gender, as you girls know – and gave birth to a son that would hopefully make things interesting. She named her first child – light.”
“Wait, but – if she was the mommy, who was the daddy?” asked Yaki.
Niha opened her mouth. “She was also the daddy.”
“How can she be the mommy and the daddy?” asked Yaji.
That was a good question. Niha hoped it didn’t come out in her exams. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
“But –”
“Anyway...” she cleared her throat. “Darkness started feeling really good about herself, and her son was cool too. Seeing as how they were the only two things in existence, Darkness started calling herself a Queen, and Light, being hers son became the Prince – the Prince. After a while, Light got bored and went on to create cool stuff. Galaxies, stars, worlds, and everything else that’s bright and cool.”
“Light is cool! I wanna be like Light when I grow up!” said Yaki.
Niha’s lips twitched. “I thought you wanted to be like me when you grow up?”
“I can be like both of you!”
“Best of both worlds eh? I like that.”
“Continue the story!” said Yaji.
“Alright, alright. Anyway, Light loved the things he created, and soon he began to fill them up. He created the race of mankind and beastkind, of treekind and waterkind and Evalkind Dwarfkind and more. Before long, a complete world was created, in worship of the Prince called Light... and like a badass, the world was named in his honor: Alamir – The Prince.”
“Coooool!”
“Shhh! She’s getting to the scary part!”
She cleared her throat. “Ah, but Queen Darkness didn’t like all the things her son created. She realized that the more he spread his Light, the weaker and weaker she became. And so, they fought.”
“Are there really parents that fight with their kids?”
Niha froze at the question. Yaki and Yaji stared at her, waiting for an answer. “No – not – not the good ones. Don’t worry – if – when, you get adopted, I’ll make sure nothing like that ever happens.”
“You’re the best Niha!”
She smiled at them. “Of course I am. That’s without question. Anyway, Light and his mother Darkness fought – and Light won. He banished darkness to the furthest reaches of the universe, to far, far away, where she would not be able to destroy what he created. But before she was banished, Darkness let slip a portion of her power into Alamir, she took legends and fables and creatures that were meant to be happy, and she turned them dark. Corrupted them, and told them that their sole purpose was to ruin the peaceful dreams of the people of Alamir. For that reason, they were called – Nightmares.”
“The Nightmares created by Darkness were in the billions, more than stars, more than the grains of rice in Father Shiga’s bowl.”
“That’s impossible!” Yaki said.
“Yeah! The rice in his bowl is too many too count!” Yaji said.
“Well, that’s how it was. The Prince knew he could not stop them all, so, in a last ditch attempt to save Alamir, he sealed away the vast majority of darkness along with himself into another realm, far away from our reach. To help battle against the enemy left behind, he created Nine Companions: the Healer, the Protector, the Champion, the Visitor, the Procurer, the Engager, the Saint, the Hierophant and the Sycophant.”
“Hey that’s us!” Yaki cheered.
“West Sycophant Church worships and honors the Sycophant and asks for his blessings. We’re the underdogs you know. Most people in Alhamis worship the Champion or the Protector. In Maris they cream themselves at the Saint. They’re so obsessed with the Saint they say all the other Companions are blasphemers and hate anyone who worship them. Crazy fu – fumblers.”
That was close. She almost swore.
“What does cream have to do with anything?”
Niha swore underneath her breath. “Er... it’s an old expression. Just don’t use it near Kuri, or near any of the Fathers.” She cleared her throat. “Where was I?”
“You were at the Prince! When he created the Companions!”
“Ah, right.” She ruffled through her papers. “So, the Nine Companions of the Prince fought back the majority of the nightmares, and they began granting the people of Alamir the power to fight too. Of course, many – many people kind of didn’t get the hang of it early and er... died. The original descendants of the Nine were the ones who eventually created Kingdoms, and Alhamis itself is said to be created from a descendant of the Champion and a descendant of the Saint. Though...”
She stared over the papers. “It’s... kinda controversial. I’m not really sure why.”
“Niha.”
She flinched at the sound of an elderly voice. An elderly bald man in long ornate robes stood behind her. The spectacles resting on his nose rose as did his eyebrow.
“Father Goma!”
“What are you doing Niha? It’s lights out.”
“I – I was just telling a bedtime story to Yaji and Yaki –”
She gestured to the girls. The two girls who had their eyes closed in a really, really convincing expression of sleep. They even slightly left their lips open, just as they do when they were actually sleeping.
Traitors!
“Well, I was telling them a bedtime story... but I don’t think they need my stories anymore. They’re almost eleven years old... too old for stories.”
They didn’t even twitch. She hated how good they were at this.
“Go to bed Niha.”
“I – I will.”
Father Goma nodded. “I heard from Kuri that you signed up for COMMA’s Stop Courses.”
She resisted the urge to grit her teeth. Kuri you bastard –
“I – ”
“As long as you are not involved with the Lusty Mare anymore. The rumors about you were troubling Niha.”
“I’m not a whore.”
“I never said you were Niha.”
“You don’t have to say it.” She said. “It’s always been clear what you think of me. I’m sorry I stopped being your innocent little fairy. Stopped being the poster-girl for the Church.”
She hated the way he looked at her. With sadness. With so much sadness. Because what? Because she did what she wanted? Who she wanted? Why was that so wrong? Why did he have to reject her because of something that simple?
“Prepare well for the COMMA Stop Courses. May the Sycophant flatter your allies and lead astray your adversaries.”
“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
“Goodnight Niha. I wish you the best.”
He departed as silently as he left. His feet never made noise in the church, never indicated or announced his presence. She found her stomach bubbling. Boiling. She wanted to punch something, hit something, anything.
“Niha?”
She turned to the twins
. Yaji and Yaki were staring at her.
“Is everything okay?”
She balled her fist, gripping it tight. Slowly, she released it, and took a breath.
“It’s fine.” She said. It was. It would be. Once she finally left this place. Once she didn’t have to look in the face of the man she considered her father and see the pity in his eyes.
“I’ll feel better tomorrow.”
The future would come for her, and she would go along with it.
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