TWELVE
After dinner was finished, the guards alerted us that the sky was beginning to darken signaling night in Pearu. Kiowa retreated to her quarters after bidding Dyos and I goodnight. I was left alone with Dyos who was sitting in a chair rubbing his stomach.
“I don’t understand why you wish to leave this place so much Aristaeus. You have all the riches and best served meals than anyone I know in Pearu. I’m thinking about asking the King if I can move in and become his adopted son.”
I rolled my eyes at Dyos. “I’m sure that will go over smoothly with the King. Besides one adopted son is enough.”
It slipped out before I could catch it. Dyos sat up and gave me a look of confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
Dyos continued to stare at me. He didn’t believe me. Clearing my throat I said, “I’m headed to bed. You’re welcome to reside in my quarters or the guest quarters.”
I got up before he could say anything else. Two guards flocked behind me as the rest stayed to accompany Dyos. Once I arrived at my quarters I turned to nod at the guards. I’m sure they wanted to follow me upstairs and even guard me while I was sleep, but I wasn’t going to have that. They could guard me with their life when I am King.
I shut the main door to my quarters and headed up the steps to my room. Entering my room, I saw that the servants had already pulled back my sheets and brought in fresh clothing and towels for the morning. I stripped down to my shorts and tossed my clothes on the bench in front of my bed. I undid my ponytail holder and tossed it on the stand beside the bed before climbing under the sheets. Leaning over, I blew out the candle encasing me in darkness. Folding my hands behind my head, I lay on the pillow and stared at the ceiling without really seeing it. I couldn’t get rid of the thoughts of my mysterious birth. I thought like my father, that Grethen had brought me to the palace because he knew the trouble Kiowa was having conceiving a child. But his disappearance proved otherwise. Grethen knew my father was on to something, so he disappeared. But what? Grethen couldn’t have been a part of Eris company could he? It could be possible. He did disappear away from the lands of Pearu like Eris did. However, the vision of the newborn and the Kampe seemed to continue to break into my thoughts. I shook my head to rid myself of such thoughts. There was no way, is what I told myself. I needed to find more answers before I acted on anything. Until then, that vision proved nothing. Closing my eyes, I relaxed my breathing as I fell into a slumber.
I don’t know how long it was when I closed my eyes that the usual blackness that accompanied me when I slept disappeared. It was as if a curtain was being pulled back and I was staring through a window into another world. My eyes like a camera zoomed around the room before I spotted her. She stood in the middle of the room holding a cup, looking very much alive than when Lilith removed her head. Shock went through me and I felt myself move. The Kampe turned in my direction and for a moment I thought she saw me, but she simply looked away. She raised the cup to her mouth and sipped as she continued to stare out the window that was across the room.
Suddenly, she placed the cup down on the table and walked over in my direction. Without knowing, I felt myself moving to the side out of her way. There was a door behind me that I hadn’t noticed when I first entered the room. The Kampe headed towards the door, wrapping her fingers around the black handle and opening it. Bright sunlight shined through the door as I found myself squinting my eyes. It was weird. I was like I was actually here even though physically I wasn’t. The sunlight was one that was similar to the one in the mortal world, but this world had a different feel to it. It didn’t feel like the mortal world.
The Kampe stepped through the door, her hands clutching the brown dress she wore. She followed a cobblestone pathway and every now and then she would stop to enjoy the breeze. It was weird seeing a Kampe or even a Creature of the Damned enjoying the beauty of any world except theirs. A butterfly landed on her shoulder as she smiled and continued her way down the pathway as it led down a hill. Birds chirped above to the point it seemed like they were actually singing. I wanted to turn around and assess the scenery some more, but my attention wouldn’t let me. It was stuck on the Kampe.
Her walk finally slowed as she came towards the end of the hill. I could smell what seemed like the sea. I was proven right at the sight of the beautiful blue water stretched out in front of me. The Kampe came to a quick stop that if I had actually been behind her, I would have collided with her back.
“You’ve been out here a while now.”
I felt myself stare at the back of her head in confusion. Was she talking to me? Did she actually know that I was here and she was just entertaining me, and then I thought about what she’d just said. She couldn’t have been talking to me.
“I needed to think.” A voice came from in front of her. The voice was so soft that I barely heard it. The softness reminded me of Astraea and I found myself trying to look around the Kampe to see the person in front of her, but just like I couldn’t see the scenery, I couldn’t see who the voice belong to. I was sure the person was a woman. That much I was sure of.
“You’re always thinking. Sometimes I ever wonder if you even sleep.”
The woman laughed at the Kampe’s comment.
“Are you worried about whether or not you can still trust me?”
“I trust you Kithara.” The woman answered. So the Kampe’s name was Kithara. The name wasn’t familiar to me, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t search around to find out any more information on her. Someone in Pearu was bound to know of the Kampe. “I’m just worried that I’m sending you on a fool’s errand.”
“It’s not a fool’s errand. What you’re doing is going to be for the greater good. Someone has to stop Eris before she destroys everything.”
Eris? They were talking about Eris? I tried once again to peer around at the woman but it seemed like an imaginary force was pushing me back behind Kithara. Something didn’t want me to see the woman’s face.
“The greater good huh. I’m glad you see it like that. I hope the Gods will as well.”
Kithara scoffed. “Those Gods know nothing. They’ve turned a blind eye to the happenings in Pearu a long time ago. If they would have paid as much attention to the world of Pearu as they do the mortal world they would have seen what Eris was planning and could have stopped her.”
“The Gods have a lot on their plate Kithara. They have their duties.”
“And yet, they haven’t found Eris. How is it she is able to disappear from their sight?”
“How is it that I am able to disappear from their sight?” The woman replied. “Eris might be a cruel creature, but she is still a clever one. She has an army of supporters. We must not underestimate her.”
There was quiet between them as they both stared out at the sea. A couple of gulls flew by as Kithara raised her hand as if to wave to them. The woman in front of her seemed to laugh.
“What so funny?” Kithara asked.
“It’s cute how childlike you seem at times. Every time you see a seagull you wave, every time you feel breeze of wind you stop to enjoy it. It’s like you’re seeing everything again for the first time.”
“I can’t help it.” Kithara said leaning her head back. I could see a smile around her face. “I love it here. It’s so beautiful, so peaceful. Not that Pearu isn’t beautiful too. It’s quite gorgeous actually. It’s just this place…this place put at my ease. I’m glad I’m here.”
“And I’m glad you’re here as well. You can stay as long as you wish.”
Kithara dropped her head from the sky and stared at the woman in front of her. Her feet moved nervously across the grass. “I never thanked you for saving my life. If you hadn’t been there when you had…. I don’t know what would have happen to me.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that.”
�
�But I do. You were someone we were often told to hate. You were the enemy, but yet you saved me when no one from my world could care less what happened to me. My own parents turned their backs on me when it came to what the Queen wanted. They didn’t even fight for me.”
“I’m sure they had their reasons.” The woman softly. The tone in her voice however stated otherwise. She like Kithara knew the truth about the betrayal of her parents. I found myself sympathizing with Kithara. It wasn’t exactly unknown in the world of Pearu where parents often betrayed their children for the throne. Children in Pearu didn’t last long with their families before they ended up venturing out on their own. Sometimes it was their decision and sometimes it wasn’t.
“I know you’re just trying to comfort me. It’s okay. I’ve overcame their harshness. Thanks to you, I still have a chance to become someone decent, someone worthy. You’ve gave me more than anyone has ever done for me in my entire life, and in return I shall repay you with my allegiance.”
“I’ve told you that you do not have to repay me for saving your life Kithara. So if that’s why you feel you must do this for me, you can forget it. I’m not going to force you to do this for me. I’m also not going to kick you out if you do not this. Surely, you do not think of me as such a cold hearted creature.” The woman said almost sadly.
“Of course not! I could never think of you like that. I just want you to know that I will never betray you. I will do this for you because I want to and I believe in your cause. I just wanted to thank you that is all.”
“You are welcome and thank you for believing in my cause.”
“Many will believe as well. Just give it time. Once this is done, many will come to believe you like me and all the others do. This will work.”
“Do you remember what you are to do?”
“Yes.” Kithara said nodding. “I am to return back to Pearu and wait two days after Zeus issue the sentence for Zobyverth. In that time I will have stolen the blood from the Queen and delivered the message to your allies in Pearu. Once you have broken the gate, I am to teleport to the Atlantic Sea in the mortal world where I will find the lost world of Atlantis. Once there I am to find the box and the set of instructions you have left for me.”
“Correct. You have only a limited window. Once the Gods notice the Gate has been broken, they will flock down to find exactly how it was broken and who it was that escaped. They will be on you in a matter of minutes so I will try to the stall the best way I can. Teleport to different places so they cannot pinpoint your exact location. You may end up getting caught.”
“Don’t worry. I am aware of the repercussions and I am ready to take them. I will keep my lips sealed about everything I know. The Gods won’t know a thing.”
“Do not forget the Gods can read your mind. They can see everything you ever done in your entire life. You won’t be able to keep secrets from them.” The woman said.
“Well how I am supposed to keep them from learning about this or even you. They’ll figure out everything before our plan can work. They’ll end up killing us all.”
“Let’s hope that it does not to come to that.”
“Are you sure your guy will be there to finish the task? I mean do you trust him.”
“Yes, I trust him. He has proven himself to me well in the past. I do not doubt his loyalty just like I do not doubt yours.”
The two of them were silent again. Somewhere nearby something howled as Kithara shivered.
“You should get ready to leave. The time is near. You have to arrive in Pearu before the assassination of the mortal Adolf Hitler.”
“Are you sure that this is going to happen?” Kithara asked. “Are you sure the Gods are going to step in? They usually don’t involve themselves with mortal affairs.”
“They will this time. They have orders coming from someone higher above.”
“The Creator. So he’s real.”
The woman laughed. “Your Pearu side is showing. I guess you have Eris to thank for the lies you have been fed about the Creator. He is real. Just as you and are breathing.”
“Have you ever seen him?”
“If I had, do you think he would let me tell you that?” The woman laughed again. “For you to not like mortals, you are you surely thinking like the.”
“What do you mean?”
“You seem think as the mortals that God is a He. Why is that?”
“I don’t know. I guess I am thinking like a mortal.” Kithara glanced off to the side her hair blowing in the wind. Turning back to the woman she said, “I should get going.”
Kithara turned away from the woman and I found myself turning too. I tried to divert my attention to the woman but failed again. I felt like I was stretching my neck back. I would see this woman’s face, not today.
“Kithara” The woman suddenly called.
Kithara paused and turned to stare back at the woman. At the moment I could slightly see her. If I was physically here, I would have fallen over in shock. It was like I was mortal who’d looked upon an Angel. The woman stood near the edge of the water dressed in a white gown that seemed to blow with ever breeze of the wind. Her hair was a deep black as it came down to the end of her elbows. Strands of it blew in the wind as the sun shined brightly behind her, blurring her face out. It was the only part of her I couldn’t see. The image standing in front of the sea with the bright shape of the sun behind her was something out of painting. If only, I could see her face.
“Yes.”
The woman stared at Kithara for a long in time and in that second I understood. She knew Kithara would not come back. She would die out there by the hands of Lilith. She knew that which was why she was trying to keep the image of her in her head.
“I love you.”
Kithara eyes blinked and I could see tears form in her eyes. She cared deeply for this woman as if she was her mother. It was similar to the feeling I had for Kiowa.
“I love you too.”
With that Kithara turned and walked away, the woman fading away in the distance.
The vision I was seeing began to disappear as the faint sound of someone screaming came to me. My eyes opened as I sat up quickly in the bed. Tossing the sheets to the side, I climbed out the bed and hurried over the window. Staring down out the window, I stared in horror as the guards were engaged in hand to hand combat with other creatures of Pearu, and in the midst of them was Lilith. Sensing my presence, she stared up at me a hint of a smile on her face. More screams sounded in the palace as I finally realize what was happening.
The palace was under attack.
Sacrilege Page 10