Resolution

by Douglas E Roff

  “This God is more powerful than the Creator?”

  “Infinitely so. My Lord communes with the Immortals such as Niona and Fionna, but not with mortals. I am an exception because of the existence of the one who is pure evil incarnate. The being that inhabited the lady Alana for many years. The one who seeks our destruction and plays with the Gens of the Collective, feeding them with lies and deception. Fionna needed to be protected from this evil and remain in mortal form. She will be returned to Immortality now. Her punishment was but a ruse. But until she regains her strength, she in vulnerable. We must extract her and my children. They are children of God, touched by His divine grace. Their destiny is unseen by me, but not for long. We must make haste. What do you suggest, Hecate?”

  “Tar should go to the south side of the residence and draw off the bulk of the Gens guards. There are thirty-three, seven whom guard Fionna and the twins. Three are within her room, four in the hallway outside. They have orders to kill Fionna and the twins should any rescue be attempted. Once Tar engages the other guards, I will enter the room where Fionna is kept and quickly dispatch the guards within. You and Orsin should breech the north entrance and enter; I shall mark the route to Fionna. You must move quickly and neutralize the four guarding the hallway. Time will be short. I suggest you transform to Gens and move with haste. Orsin?”

  “Yes, my love?”

  “Leave none alive. Do not wait for the Manti.”

  Adam said, “And what is my role, Bossy McBoss?”

  “Crash through the door, scoop up your mate and children and allow me to take all of you, including Orsin, to the City. Tar, once engaged with these guards as a feint, fall back and head into the forest. They will not pursue you; their orders are to remain at the residence. I will be back in seconds to return you home with me. Unless you prefer to walk.”

  “I pity my poor apprentice Orsin. He will have to contend with you as mate for an eternity.”

  “He adores me. I am his sole weakness in this world, and he is content. Prepare yourself for flight. I will provide snacks.”

  “You will give the signal?”

  “I will. Make loud noises and Gens insults. Challenge them to fight out in the open. When they appear, I will move as will Orsin and the Manti. Now take your positions; we have no time to waste.”

  When Hecate disappeared, Adam turned to Orsin. “She has become formidable. Beyond even my ability to comprehend her. Are you sure of desire to mate with one so powerful?”

  “She performs only for effect. In the privacy of our residence she is gentle and caring. Her mockery is just her having fun with the Gens who are so filled with rectitude and a sense of self-importance. She is a loving woman, and if I am blessed to be her mate. I accept this fate with great joy and happiness.”

  “You are worthy in every respect, my young friend. You have both chosen well.”

  They moved quickly to the north entrance, and when signaled, the Manti and Orsin in Gens form crashed through the heavy oak doors. They saw the path to Fionna in a glowing light, and as they turned the corner, saw the four guards in human form, armed and preparing to fire upon them. The Manti led the way, but Orsin was shot twice as he attacked the guards. He finished his work quickly, then collapsed, bleeding and in great pain. Hecate rushed to him and was gone in an instant. She returned to find Adam with Fionna and his twins in his massive arms, Fionna crying and clinging to Adam. She did not fear for her life, but for her newborn children.

  She looked up at Adam and through her tears said, “I am so sorry for my ingratitude. My Lord God has spoken to me and I now understand his plan for us, and for our babies. This ruse was but for my protection and for our children. I shall never again act as I had before. I will be exemplary in all matters as should the mate of the Manti.”

  Adam said, “The wife of the Manti, the mother of our children, and the savior of our planet. Our children shall become the light of this world; they shall contain both mortal weakness and Immortal strength. The Lord our God has commanded it.

  “Your burdens and responsibilities will be great, but your strength and wisdom a blessing to us all. I was saddened to hide this from you, and to have been so harsh with my tongue. But your safety was more important than transitory anger with me. Besides, I’m used to playing this part. Everyone bristles at my ignorant behavior; you had every right to be upset with me. But that is in the past, and it is time to depart.”

  “You fail to recognize the love of your women and your people. We don’t always understand your ways, or why you act as you do, but we love you in spite of our weakness and yours. We all are weak, selfish and wish to be heard. You are not alone. Herding your wives, strong women who do not fear to make their opinions known, is a task requiring your skills in patience. I shall endeavor to be more of a blessing than a curse. But these human, mortal emotions. How do you live with them? They confuse and complicate my senses and being.”

  “Welcome to my world.”

  “With joy.”

  Hecate whisked the four away, returned to collect Tar and his men, then went directly to Orsin’s bedside. He was in grave condition, but his condition had not worsened.

  ***

  When Fionna was again strong enough to attend to Orsin, she intervened in time to heal his wounds. Hecate was overtaken by emotion at the news.

  “I am forever in your debt. I love this fool and could not bear to live without him. Sad for an Immortal, I know. But true.”

  “We are sisters now, and no debt but that of love and family is needed. I am again mated to Adam, and I shall never leave his side. And we are all of us now family, which pleases me greatly. He loves you, and your mate. Let us rejoice in what the Lord our God has given us.”

  ***

  Adam came to Misti’s room, expecting a torrent of vitriol. Surprisingly, there was none.

  “You are angry with me?”

  “No, husband. I now know what burdens you carried and accept the wisdom of your actions. You were ... rough with me; but I have attempted worse with you. We should move past this and take pleasure that we have all come home alive. And I have news.”

  “Yes?”

  “Perhaps there is something in the water; perhaps your fishies are industrial strength. But I am again with child.”

  “Truly? I am blessed again and could not be happier. I shall make up for my rough treatment with tenderness and great attention to pleasing my soulmate.”

  “There is more.”

  “Oh?”

  “I bear triplets. Our house will be raucous.”

  “I expect no less from my marriage to you. I hope you will stay and be content.”

  “With six, where could I go? I shall remain, make peace with your foolishness, and be wife to the Manti. Just remember, I knew you when. You may fool the others, but I know you in all your moods and quirks. And I can still take you.”

  “My children will protect me.”

  “Don’t be so sure. I’m the Mom.”

  Chapter 28

  Over the next weeks and months, the St. James world began returning to a new normal; the wives were all on board with their work and their children. Past recriminations were forgiven and forgotten; the sudden change in fortune for Fionna with the birth of the twins was a lesson that things were not always what they seemed, and that the burdens carried by Adam might not always need to be shared. As a group, they decided to avoid rankling him less and supporting him more. Hecate was a constant reminder that both Adam and Niona were not going to enjoy a long life. Fionna, now fully engaged with her mortal sisters, suggested they needed more time to learn what Adam saw for the future when he and Niona were gone. And that each had a special duty to lighten their burden.

  Adam did not ignore his duties, nor his training with Hecate each day on the martial fields; Orsin was now brought to training too. Adam had designated both Tar and Orsin to be the leaders to care for his wives and especially his children when he was gone. Though they felt it an honor, it was also an a
wesome responsibility. Adam spoke to the two men in private about one matter in particular.

  “It will change everything. But you must be steadfast in your resolve to protect my kin. They, and all of us, may be hunted and shunned. The cure for the world will be unpopular and, to many, as bad as the disease. Draconian measures will be taken. We cannot let the dream die. My actions will be understood in context in time, but not right away. You must hold strong until I am vindicated.”

  The “village” was in charge of all of Adam’s children; Gens matrons were brought to nanny and teach the toddlers Common Tongue and the ways of the Gens Nation and culture. The Gens themselves had splintered into camps; those who continued the ways of traditional Gens of the Gens Germania, and those who adopted human form, and seldom transformed. Some decided to forgo transformation, preferring to remain in human form. All could transform who had the knowledge; there was a movement led by Akira that all with the knowledge, human, Gens or Nobilus, should be trained in the culture and martial ways of all species.

  Inter-species marriage was encouraged as a commitment to the future of the planet. Those who had the genetic makeup of the three species plus the gene would be singled out for special training. This cadre of children would need to be proven to Liara, lest she deem the experiment a failure and destroy the planet. It might take hundreds of years, perhaps thousands, for the world to convince Liara to leave the planet alone. But it began now in Paraiso, and the road ahead would not be easy.

  Humans would be resistant. But Adam, Misti and Fionna had an idea, a plan that they believed would appeal to the young and more receptive youth of the planet. It was bold and brash. But they would begin with these first bold humans and await the results.

  Young men and women of all species with the gene, some with additional human, Gens or Nobilus bloodlines, would be given the knowledge and taught how to transform. Special new cities and towns would be created everywhere for these pioneers, and the brightest among them would venture out into the world to demonstrate the advantages of experimenting with a new reality.

  Youth would lead the way and drag their elders into a future they knew their parents would resist. Vera was brought into the plan; it would be her job along with Bitsie Tolan to design the rollout of this scheme once Adam went public revealing the existence of the Gens and Nobilus to the world of humans after he defeated Paulo.

  Paulo. Paulo was an afterthought to everyone other than Hecate. She grew impatient with her Guardian and her mate who found more excuses to goof off than to train seriously. She decided to act.

  As Adam and his new BFF approached the martial fields laughing and carrying on, they were confronted with Hecate, all the wives and children, Tar, Akira and a host of human, Gens and Nobilus leaders from the City, Paraiso and Nabataea. Even the King attended.

  Suddenly, neither Adam nor Orsin were laughing.

  “Something funny, gentlemen?”

  “Not anymore. A few minutes ago, was a different story. Can we leave now? I think I hear my mom calling again. Orsin too.”

  Hecate said, “Not funny. You are both buffoons and need to be confronted with what is at stake not just for you two, but all of us. The fight with Paulo is coming up in a couple of months. We have dangerous missions ahead of us. Both of you will lead when we go to battle. And how do you spend your time preparing? By fucking around as if defeating Paulo will be as easy as just showing up. He has thirty or forty years of Immortal training. You’ve got months to prepare. So why are you being so stupid?”

  “Overconfidence. Stupidity. Arrogance. You can stop me any time now.” Adam laughed, mocking himself.

  “No keep going. You owe us all here an apology for your witless actions. And you Orsin, are an enabler to my idiot Guardian. You will cease this foolishness or find a new mate. Don’t test my patience or that of those assembled here now. You have obligations to us all and to each other. If you don’t care about yourselves, care about our families. You are our leaders and we repose all our confidence and our lives in you. I will not allow you to harm our cause or let us down. Fail me again, and I’ll leave you to your own devices. Now take this day off to apologize to all here assembled, and do so humbly. Then walk the streets of the City and see the faces of all who love you and worship the ground you walk. Be worthy of their love, trust and loyalty. I will see you here tomorrow morning early at sunrise. You, Orsin, may sleep alone tonight to think over your ignorance and for dishonoring me. I will not have this conversation twice.”

  Hecate disappeared. She went to visit Marie and Francois and their two children. She hated what she had just done and was heartbroken. She loved Adam and Orsin madly and could not bear the sadness of dressing them down in front of all who loved them most. She wept in misery as the couple tried to console the no longer teenage Hecate. Her growth to maturity was not all she thought it would be. With maturity came responsibility, and with responsibility, sometimes pain. Pain that would be experienced by her and those she loved most.

  ***

  In the morning Hecate looked for both Adam and Orsin but could not find them. They were not at home, and nobody had seen them since the previous day. She visited Tar at home early, and all their favorite spots to disappear, as if she couldn’t find them, but still no sign of the men. An hour after sunrise, she decided to check the martial field.

  Adam and Orsin were seated on the ground, a small fire warming their tea, fully dressed and prepared for the day. Lined up in long rows were water bottles filled with various teas and herbs to ease pain or hydrate the body. They had small amounts of food used by the Gens in battle which, while nutritious, tasted foul to the palate, even to the most hardened Gens warrior. None feared death, but the food was sufficient to motivate any army to victory.

  She appeared.

  Adam said, “We’re ready. And you’re late. Let’s get started.”

  “You camped here last night?”

  “Not your concern.”

  “You need not …”

  “You need not chatter on. I will not be able to talk Paulo to death. What is your wish for training today?”

  Hecate said, “Orsin?”

  Orsin said nothing but stared back intensely. “What is your command?”

  They trained hard and well into the early evening. As night fell, they moved off the field to a small hut they had constructed and sat crossed legged around a small fire, cooking some rodent they had caught the previous night. They boiled their sun-dried rations in a small pot and ate hard tack softened by steam.

  Hecate watched the pair, then approached. “Orsin, may I have a word?”

  “No, you may not. You may leave me in peace and rejoin us at sunrise if it is still your desire. I look forward to another day of hard training as today. Many thanks.”

  Hecate looked at her Guardian, whose face was looking down at the fire as he stirred the pot. He too said nothing.

  Hecate departed.

  ***

  The next day Alana received an unexpected pair of visitors at the residence, the woman well known to her but who she had not seen in many months. She had mated and moved out to a small farm on the outer edges of Paraiso, growing fruits and vegetables, raising chickens and ducks for those who still ate meat. She was heavy with child and both she and her husband were attired in simple peasant outfits. At first, Alana barely recognized her.

  “My Queen, I am so delighted you have come to visit. Please come in. You are welcome guests. Can you stay long?”

  “That is why we are here. We wish to discuss a small change in lifestyle and ask your permission to reside here in the City. We understand that space is tight, but we have come with an offer and an idea.”

  “You shall stay with us. We have plenty of room and we would not have you go anywhere else. Besides, Fionna and Niona the healers are here, and can assist when your time approaches. Have you had care?”

  “None but the local midwives who check in on me from time to time. But I am fine. Their remedies are very eff
ective; my time has not been difficult. And my husband is my greatest blessing. This is Tanner, my mate of the past year.”

  “I had not heard …”

  “Nor had anyone else save the Manti. We wanted quiet and no connection to our former lives. Tanner is from the Black Forest, but we had never met until we both came here. He had no idea who I was, or had been, and I did not tell him until after the wedding. I wanted him to love me for me; not for being Queen Carolyn. I am Carolyn of Paraiso. Farmer and wife to Tanner. We are happy but concerned. We wish to help. Is the Manti in residence?”

  “The Manti? He’s just Adam to both of you. He will be delighted to see you both again I’m sure. He is training at the martial fields with Hecate. But he is camped there while he trains, so I will send a messenger to ask him to return tonight. He has need of spending time here with us and his children and to plan our next missions to recover the remaining six Great Libraries of the Gens. The Alexandria library looms large too.”

  “You have captured one?”

  “Yes. The one in America. With Enzo dead and Paulo behind bars, we are hoping the others will put up no resistance. But we cannot be sure.”

  “I may be able to help.”

  “Then you are truly welcome, and we shall get you settled quickly. We have a nice apartment right next to Princess Kendra’s, though she, like you, does not use the title. Still, many from the Black Forest still honor you both.”

  “I should like to see her again. I hear she has borne a child to the Manti.”

  “She has. Our Master has been prolific in the dissemination of his seed. Many are the wives in the City who have suddenly surprised their spouses with the blessing of a child.”

  “Does this not cause dissention?”

  “The customs have changed. In the City, this oddity is not only permitted, but expected of Adam. Not that he minds, but it is accomplished quietly and discretely. None are the wiser.”

  “How does he fair?”

  “At times well, at times not. His burdens are sometimes greater than his ability to hide them behind his smile. Then only his wives know he is in pain, though he never admits it. He wishes no worry for his wives or children, nor the people of Paraiso whom he loves.”