For the first time she noticed how quiet it was, just the sound of water dripping into pools, and splashing against rock. This was, with any luck, the last time she would ever visit Earth, and she felt strangely sentimental about it. Back in the universe where Taren was from, she changed planets like clothes, and so had never grown very attached, but she had lifetimes of memories and entanglements with this place. She had recollections of experiences in ancient Sumer, Atlantis, China, at the Gathering of the Kings in the 21st century, and of her life in ancient Britain, where her first time leap had stranded her. These lives and times were already written in the ancient future of this universal scheme, however. Thus it was high time she turned her thoughts to the challenges that awaited her once she returned to her rightful universe and time.
‘Ready to go?’ Telmo prompted.
Only now aware of his return, Taren snapped out of her nostalgic contemplation and teleported herself to a seat on her transport back to Kila. ‘Ready when you are?’
‘I was ready before we got here,’ he commented back with a grin, ahead of hurtling them both forth to Kila.
18
RETURN TO KILA — PART 2
As Telmo and Taren dismounted, they were greeted by En Noah. ‘Welcome back to Kila, Telmo, Jiang Hudan.’ He referred to Taren’s outward appearance.
She grinned. ‘It seems I am to be Hudan a while longer.’
‘Yeah, and I’m the oldest looking person on the planet!’ Zeven grumbled, to the amusement of everyone present.
‘I’m glad you are in such good spirits,’ Rhun entered the vault where the chariot was stored. ‘If you would be so kind as to follow me to my office.’ He vanished and they complied with the request.
Once in the grand governmental office on Kila, the timekeepers felt immediately at home, and Zeven was overjoyed to see a lounge. ‘Hallelujah, I can sit my arse down.’ He plonked his aging person upon it.
‘I forgot what a great view this room has.’ Jazmay wandered out through the open balcony doors, to look down upon the pristine gardens of central park.
‘I shall advise Nin Sybil, or our re—’ En Noah was offering, when the lady in question entered.
‘I never need to advise her of anything,’ Rhun acknowledged her arrival with a grin that she returned, until she noted they had extra guests — a couple of whom appeared to have arrived directly from ancient China. ‘You brought people from the ancient Earth here?’ Sybil’s mind was boggling at the trouble this could cause.
‘It’s okay, really,’ Zeven spoke up for the governor. ‘We all died first.’
‘I don’t know that that really helps,’ Sybil was courteous to the guest, but then looking at him more closely, she felt an inkling of recognition. ‘You remind me of someone?’ Her eyes narrowed as she mused this, and then parted wide when the answer came to her. ‘Brian Alexander, the last governor of Kila.’
Zeven grinned. ‘So I’ve been told.’
Sybil looked from the body Zeven was in, to the body Taren was in, and then to Telmo. ‘Oh my goodness,’ she gasped, seeing in them some of the greatest ascended masters that the Chosen had ever known. ‘These souls are not even of this universe any more!’ She looked back to Rhun. ‘Let alone, this time and planet … have you completely lost your mind?’
‘That is still open to debate,’ the governor conceded.
‘Does Avery know about this?’ Sybil sank into a trance state a moment, and having a psychic flash, she looked back to her husband. ‘Why will Avery be so angry at you?’
‘Please.’ The urgency of Rhun’s appeal startled her, so he smiled before continuing more calmly. ‘Please don’t say his name a third time.’
‘Give me a good reason,’ Sybil challenged.
‘That will take longer than we have to explain.’ Rhun appealed for her patience and trust yet again.
‘I can vouch for our governor’s good intentions,’ Noah put forward, hoping to speed her cooperation. ‘If anyone is to blame for this mess, it is me … I have been advising him the entire way.’
‘Actually, we are to blame,’ Taren stepped into the debate. ‘We caused the timeline mutation here, and the governor has been aiding us to correct the damage caused by the accidental involvement of the timekeepers in this universe.’
‘You are the timekeepers,’ Sybil was enlightened as to their connection to this instance, ‘the ones the Dracon are here seeking?’
‘The very ones,’ Taren smiled, glad to have taken some of the heat off Rhun.
‘That still doesn’t explain why Avery will be so mad,’ Sybil said without thought to Rhun’s earlier request, and seeing her husband’s pained expression she gasped, unable to take it back.
When the Lord of the Otherworld appeared to find everyone looking so stunned, he was naturally curious as to why. ‘What’s going on?’ He was surprised to see so many of the timekeepers had already been collected and delivered back to Kila. ‘I seem to have missed several legs of our mission.’
A chime sounded from the reception room to notify them someone had arrived at the unattended desk.
‘It’s Asher,’ Sybil stated without needing to check. ‘You said you’d brief him before you meet with Vugar.’
‘Vugar!’ Avery was alarmed. ‘He is here?’ The Lord of the Otherworld began seething, as the last time he’d seen the Draconian in question, the creature had murdered his wife.
Rhun held up a finger to postpone Avery’s answer, so that he could speak with Sybil. ‘Keep Asher in reception, I’ll brief him en route to the landing pad.’
Sybil nodded and left the room — the door vanished only long enough to allow her passage before immediately materialising in her wake.
‘You’re inviting Vugar down here?’ Avery objected.
‘It might be better if En Noah and I handle this negotiation,’ Rhun advised his brother, ‘why don’t you go home for a bit and see your wife?’
‘After you tell me what the hell is going on!’ Avery directed his frustration at Rhun. ‘Why didn’t you summon me back when you first got here?’
‘I’ve been a little busy!’ Rhun snarled back.
‘Gentlemen,’ Telmo stepped into the middle of the dispute. ‘I can assure you that any precarious situation will not be made easier by discord among the ranks. If you could put personal disputes aside, before we lose our one chance to straighten out this entire quantum fuck up, that would be truly appreciated.’
Rhun took a big breath, and calmed. ‘You have to trust me on this —’
‘I don’t,’ Avery insisted.
‘Good that you don’t get a choice then! You rule the Otherworld, I rule Kila!’ Rhun reminded him. ‘Dismissed, dismissed —’
‘That won’t work,’ Avery chided, ‘as you are not the one who summoned me.’
Rhun drew breath to call for her, and she entered of her own accord. ‘Sybil, my love and loyal secretary, would you kindly dismiss my brother.’
‘No, he’s up to something,’ Avery appealed, serving Rhun an accusing look. ‘I can feel it.’
Though she hated to buy into a disagreement she knew nothing about, she felt she had to side with the governor. ‘I’m so sorry, Avery. Dismissed, dismissed, dismissed.’
When his brother vanished Rhun gave a great sigh of relief, although the dirty look his wife was serving him was not at all welcome.
‘That won’t keep him at bay very long,’ Telmo advised. ‘Once he catches up with his wife, Fallon … he’ll just get her to summon him back.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Rhun said confidently.
‘Nin Fallon is here to see the governor.’ Sybil folded her arms upon realising that Avery’s suspicion was right on the money.
Telmo shook his head at the governor’s underhanded insurance measure. ‘Fallon was the business you had to see to upon your return here,’ he guessed, and Rhun winked in response, looking back to his wife.
‘I have a few things to see to first,’ Rhun outlined, ‘but it is very importan
t I speak with Fallon, so could you make our dear sister-in-law some tea and ask her to please wait.’
‘As you wish,’ Sybil was beyond wanting to know what the plot was.
‘You should all stay put. The less of the Chosen who discover you are here, the better.’ Rhun advised the other timekeepers. ‘I shall suss out Vugar before I bring him to meet you.’
‘Would our other guests like something while they wait?’ Sybil suggested half jokingly, as everyone seemed to be taking this event rather casually.
‘Tea would be lovely,’ Taren took a seat on the lounge.
‘Buhula!’ Zeven cried — this was a local brew, the name of which meant ‘deadly joy water’.
‘After,’ Rhun vowed, denying the request.
‘Tea all round then?’ Sybil suggested and departed the room ahead of Rhun and En Noah.
‘Let’s go,’ Rhun cued Asher to come along as he passed through the reception room. The governor acknowledged his sister-in-law, who was seated waiting — she was complementing his plans by looking particularly stunning today. ‘You look fantastic.’
‘Thank you,’ she accepted the compliment graciously. ‘I —’
Rhun held up a finger to beg her patience, as he had to keep moving. ‘Don’t go anywhere.’ He walked out of reception, with Asher and Noah in tow, and into the long curving corridor that led to the government’s private landing facility. ‘The Dracon are on their way down, I take it?’
‘Not as yet,’ Asher brought him up to speed. ‘For although they were happy to accept our invitation, they would not allow their leaders to attend completely unarmed.’
‘Fair enough,’ Rhun granted.
Both his advisors were perturbed. Noah spoke up first. ‘But what if …’
Rhun knew he feared that the Draconians were carrying the DNA-destroying weapon that had crippled Kila in the last timeline. ‘When I have no armour,’ Rhun shared his reasoning, ‘I will make benevolence and righteousness my armour.’
Noah nodded to concede the point, although Asher still looked concerned, as allowing an unknown race of beings to bring weaponry straight into the hub of government was a huge breach in protocol.
‘I have to object —’ Asher began.
‘They are our guests and whatever they need to feel their safety is assured, must be allowed for.’ Rhun ended the matter.
‘And shall we be armed?’ Asher knew better than to ask.
‘We shall not.’ Rhun instructed.
Asher was not happy, but noted his long-time mentor, En Noah, seemed in agreement with the governor’s decision.
For Noah understood, as Rhun did, that if the Dracon planned to make war, nothing was going to prevent that. The Chosen had no defence against the genetic regression technology so they had nothing to lose by awarding the Dracon the benefit of the doubt. Shyamal had a primary weapon that could take out the entire city at once, and if that was the case and intention in this instance, Kila would be in ruins already.
‘When I have no divine power,’ Noah quoted from the same ancient verse that Rhun had quoted, finding it particularly poignant in this instance, ‘I shall make honesty my divine power, and understanding my means.’ He nodded in conclusion and agreement. ‘So that is how you wish to play this?’
‘It is,’ Rhun informed. ‘I’ve had enough theorising, strategising and speculation … let’s try something completely new and just let events unfold as they may.’
‘What a novel idea.’ Noah grinned in approval.
Once clearance to land had been given to the Dracon, the governor, Asher and Noah, stood awaiting their arrival in the sparsely furnished foyer of the government terminal, where they could observe the Dracon craft as it landed.
‘I won’t be kept in the dark any longer,’ Asher demanded, upon finding a window of opportunity to do so. ‘I want to know what is going on here this morning?’
‘This is Grigori business,’ Rhun advised, ‘that’s all you need to know.’
Asher looked cynical. ‘That’s an oxymoron, isn’t it? Causal beings don’t decide what is to be done, only the living do that.’
‘So perceptive,’ Noah commented, proud of his one-time student. ‘But the Grigori were not always purely causal beings.’
‘You never taught us that at the institute.’ Asher had excelled at immortal history.
‘It will be a whole new course of study that will be added to the curriculum, just as soon as we finish creating this chapter,’ the historian advised.
Asher was confused and then concerned by this. ‘What —’
‘Just watch and learn,’ Noah spoke up over Asher’s query. ‘Your father’s forte is not the art of war, but the art of peace.’
‘Thank you, Noah —’ Rhun began, but was distracted by the arrival of their guests, who appeared on the runway — no vessel, just two dignitaries, one male, one female — and half a dozen guards. ‘They can teleport,’ he observed, alerting Noah and Asher to the arrival of the guests. Rhun recognised the female with Vugar; it was Aysel. She had been able to teleport back when they had first met, even with the virus in the equation, so in retrospect, it was really no surprise she still could.
The large transparent doors vanished as the Draconian party entered the foyer, and Rhun approached to greet them. ‘Highnesses, Vugar and Aysel, I am Rhun Gwynedd, Governor of Kila, I bid you welcome to the city of the Chosen Ones.’
The Queen of the Dracon was obviously curious and probably wondering how he knew her name, but said nothing of it.
‘And we know why Enki chose you,’ Vugar proffered, ‘for you are the vehicles of the Grigori.’
Rhun nodded once to confirm this was quite correct.
‘You appear a lot like your Grigorian counterpart,’ Vugar noted. ‘We never caught the name, but we remember you were there.’ Both reptilian dignitaries nodded in accord.
‘Your Majesties, sorry to interrupt,’ Asher came forward to join the proceedings.
‘May I introduce my son, Asher, Kila’s head of defence,’ Rhun gave him leave to speak.
‘You are curious about our weapons,’ Vugar guessed, and with a wave of a claw, one of his guards stepped forward and gave Asher one of the handguns to inspect.
Asher had never seen anything like it. ‘What manner of weapon is it?’ It was fairly bulky, but lightweight.
‘It targets the DNA of your subject,’ Vugar outlined.
Noah looked alarmed.
‘And enhances it,’ the Draconian leader added, to reassure his hosts.
‘What?’ Rhun regretted that he sounded more worried than surprised.
‘We learned eons ago that killing is useless! For you shall only be reincarnating the same wretched souls you send to the grave,’ the Draconian leader reasoned. ‘But enlighten your enemy, and he will be your enemy no longer.’
‘Bravo!’ Noah applauded their reasoning.
‘From all accounts of the Chosen Ones, we understand there is no need to use this technology on you,’ Vugar stated for the record. ‘But it is not often that our royal person performs a diplomatic errand such as this, with no reconnaissance in advance, so we needed to see the situation here with our own eyes. And as we note you were gracious enough to meet us unarmed, I shall have our weapons returned to our craft.’
‘Ah!’ Rhun stopped Vugar, taking the weapon in his son’s possession. ‘Would you mind if I kept this one?’ he requested, noting all present were a little stunned by the request. ‘My science adviser would be most curious to see it,’ he explained the anomaly.
‘Of course,’ Vugar granted, ‘as a token of our goodwill.’ When the reptilian leader dismissed the guards and they vanished, leaving only the leader and his lady companion, Rhun was very surprised.
‘I am overwhelmed and honoured, that you would entrust the Chosen with your safety.’ Rhun could hardly believe that this was the same being who had murdered half their team.
‘There is no risk when we can see the true nature within all, written clearl
y upon your light-bodies,’ Aysel explained graciously.
Rhun smiled as he recalled that Aysel could see auras and had perceived Jiang Hudan’s pregnancy thus. ‘We have nothing to hide,’ he replied winningly.
Aysel seemed not entirely sure of that. ‘Yet still you worry?’
Clearly his discord with his brother was evident in his light body. ‘I have some personal concerns,’ he allowed, ‘but none regarding your visit. Although, you have yet to state your reasons for seeking us out.’
‘Is the one known as Sammael here, on Kila?’ Vugar queried.
‘He is scheduled to leave, but delayed to attend this meeting,’ Rhun confirmed, and Vugar and his companion were both delighted.
‘We should very much like to speak with this Grigorian,’ Vugar requested.
‘Well, like me, he is Grigorian no longer,’ the governor clarified, and both Draconians nodded to acknowledge they understood this. ‘Asher. Please escort our guests to my office. I shall be right behind you.’
Asher didn’t query the governor’s instruction in present company. ‘Please, follow me.’ He led the Draconians out of the governor’s space port and into the gardens located between the offices of government.
As soon as their company were gone, Rhun inspected the gun in his hands. ‘Do you think they are telling the truth about this weapon?’
‘Yes, I do,’ Noah gave his honest opinion. ‘Please tell me you did not intend to shoot your brother with that?’
‘How else is he going to get his wife pregnant?’ Rhun asked. ‘Damn it, why did they have to find God now?’ He flicked a switch and energy began streaming through the weapon’s circuitry, beneath the transparent casing. ‘Whoa!’ He was mesmerised by how beautiful and elegant it appeared, and then took aim at Noah with it. ‘I need to test it on someone.’
‘I have no desire to be mortal again,’ Noah protested his governor’s intention, looking for a place to hide. ‘There must be another way?’
‘We’re pushed for time,’ Rhun maintained his focus on his target.
‘Can’t this wait until later?’ Noah appealed — they had a lot going on a present. ‘I mean what happens if the Dracon are telling the truth?’
Eternity Gate Page 40
