The Riddle of the Gods

by Lyra Shanti

  “I'm going to take a walk!” he announced.

  At first, no one seemed to hear him, so he shouted it again. “I'm GOING to take a walk!”

  Srah shook her head, confused about why he was acting so odd.

  “Please, don't go far,” said Vuntu as he dried a bowl. “This territory is far enough from the mining lands, but the Plasma Thieves are never too far away. Be careful.”

  “Are you kidding?” Axis replied, almost sneering. “Do you have any idea who I am? I'm not afraid of any silly Ohrians!”

  Srah looked at Axis, surprised at his cocky bravery. Who was this new Axis?

  Even Axis had no idea. He heard the words come out of his mouth, but afterward, he didn't understand why he'd said it. He felt as though, after becoming Sirini, his brain had changed, and it now filled him with wild bravado.

  Axis wagged his tail, which was rather long, whipping it around from side to side, subconsciously showing off his prowess with it. “I could take on five Ohrian battleships! I could!”

  Srah laughed out loud. She couldn't help it.

  “That's... nice,” said Vuntu, not knowing how to respond. “Just be careful anyway, alright? Try to stay near the camp.”

  Axis huffed and shrugged. He wanted Srah to come along with him, and he didn't understand why she seemed to take no notice after his obvious invitation. She just kept on washing dishes and talking with Granjie.

  Frustrated, Axis threw up his arms, his tail hitting the air, then walked away.

  Srah watched as Axis headed toward the river. She saw him flop down near the bank of the water, pouting and crossing his arms. It reminded her of when Ayn would get upset. She didn't know why Axis was acting so childish, but she hoped he'd soon calm down and return to his normal self.

  Unfortunately, Axis didn't know what his “normal” self was anymore. He felt mixed up, like a combination of many people inside one. It was making his head hurt, and as much as he liked being the same as Srah physically, he yearned to be Sarax again. Changing forms didn't come to him easily, however. So he sat quietly by the river, wondering what would happen to him, and to all of them.

  Later that evening, Axis paced around his tent, like the cat he was only just yesterday. He hated not feeling powerful or in control.

  Kren didn't help things by snoring loudly, as though everything was fine. Didn't he know how unsettled Axis felt, and how weird everything was now? Apparently not!

  Unable to take it any longer, Axis sneaked outside of their tent. He breathed the night air deeply into his new Sirini lungs, and it felt exceedingly good. His head felt clearer, but he also felt fiery and excited. He couldn't help but think about Srah, and he found himself crawling over to her tent, gracefully and slowly, like a wild cat on the hunt.

  Sirini tents were rather large and sturdy and could block out the weather or any unwanted night time disturbances. The tent's hide was made of Zeewah skin, which was ten times stronger and more malleable than any other animal known in the Un galaxy. It had been used in various ways by the Sirini for thousands of years and had never failed them.

  Deep in dreams about climbing the great mountains of Hana-Lo, Srah didn't hear Axis untying the cloth of her tent. Realizing her subconscious state, Axis slid in quietly, carefully re-tying the tent once inside.

  He felt a twinge of guilt as he silently crept into her sleeping cover, but at the same time, his newly acquired lust was taking over his body and mind, making it almost impossible to stop his actions. Looking at her as she slept, Axis felt his heart race and his tail curl. All he wanted to do was lick her entire body. He began rationalizing that he had always licked people before, and they didn't seem to mind. He couldn't imagine Srah wouldn't like it, and so he started with her cheek, and figured he'd work his way down.

  Feeling the wetness of his tongue, Srah slowly emerged from her dream. At first, she wasn't sure what was happening. Was it part of the dream? It felt good, yet strange. Was it raining outside and leaking inside the tent?

  Opening her eyes, she saw his golden hair illuminating the darkness of the tent.

  "Axis," she whispered, slightly disoriented "is that you?"

  "Mm-hmm," he replied as he moved down her chest, licking softly.

  Surprised at what he was doing to her, she gasped a little, trying not to wake Granjie who was sleeping nearby on the other side of the tent.

  "Axis," she loudly whispered, "what are you doing?!"

  Poking his head up from under her cover, he smiled and said, "Licking you!" He then quickly returned under the cover and continued, heading even lower down her body.

  "Axis!" Srah almost shouted. She felt his tail wrapping around her thigh as he licked various, sensual places. He made her feel exceedingly good, but she knew she had to stop him nonetheless. She had the feeling that if she didn't stop him now, she might not be able to stop him at all, and the last thing she needed was to be impregnated by a Sarax! She didn't even know if such things were possible, though she had a gut-feeling they were.

  Unable to think straight as he licked her, she held back from audibly moaning. "Axis," she whispered, "come on, that's enough now... really."

  Underneath the cover, Axis grunted and said, "Nuh-uh," and kept on licking.

  Srah could barely stand it as she nervously looked over at Granjie who still seemed deep in sleep. A few more licks and Srah knew that she'd burst. Unsure if she could hold in her urge to scream with pleasure, Srah covered her mouth with her hand. Soon after, she squealed in delight as Axis used his tongue in ways she had only fantasized about.

  He knew he had made her happy, which made him happy as well. He wasn't sure if he should do anything more, however, for fear that Srah wouldn't like it.

  Going up to see her face, he smiled and sweetly licked the tip of her nose. It made her giggle despite having the urge to scold him for his actions. She couldn't be mad at him though. Not only had he made her body feel intense pleasure, but he had the most adorable smile. She had a feeling there was nothing she could deny him, and that slightly frightened her. It was similar to how she felt with Ayn, although more sexual by nature.

  "Did I make you happy?" he asked quietly while on top of her.

  She nodded shyly while trying to resist the urge to wrap her legs and tail around his waist.

  "What's wrong then?" he added, sensing her emotions were rising.

  "Nothing," she whispered in reply. "I just... never did this with anyone before."

  Axis grinned wildly before saying, "Neither have I... but I want to do it from now on... a lot!"

  Srah giggled and stroked his golden hair, unable to fight his charm. Looking at him closely, she realized he was not like Ayn at all, though they shared a similar spirit. Axis was his own soul, and she loved him for it. She was even starting to feel like she would do anything to be with him.

  Axis felt much the same, and for the first time in his life, he wanted to kiss someone - not like a cat, but the way a Sirini man would do it, with lips and tenderness.

  Acting on their impulses, they found themselves kissing with all the intensity of their souls, forgetting time and space, or even gravity. Axis was now lifting her up off the ground, rising both of them gently past the tent and up into the void.

  Slowly, he made love to her in a world entirely of his own choosing, their wings extended while completely lost in the trance of their rapture.

  –

  Granjie finally woke, but not because of Axis and Srah's lovemaking. She didn't even see them there, for they were elsewhere in another dimension altogether, both physically and emotionally. It was something else entirely waking her up.

  She had the strongest sensation that something was wrong with her grandson, so she put on her coat and stepped outside of her tent.

  Sure enough, she saw him sneaking away from the tent he'd been sharing with Axis. Kren seemed determined as he headed toward the mountains, fully dressed in leathers and carrying two sacks on his back.

  She knew where he was
headed, and she didn't like it one bit. He was undoubtedly going to the mountain of the monster, even though she specifically told him not to.

  Frustrated, she ran after her grandson in the dead of night. Turning him around, she softly slapped his face. "Are you stupid?" she scolded. "Do you want me to lose both of my grandchildren?! Why are you doing this, my bookoo?"

  "Because, Granjie..." Kren said, solemnly, "Kuva would do it for me."

  Not knowing how to respond, his grandmother sighed, then hugged him tight. She kissed his cheeks and reluctantly let him go, not knowing if she'd ever see her only grandson again.

  Chapter 4: Back to Kri

  As he slowly opened his eyes, Pei came to consciousness and soon realized where he was. Looking through the cockpit's window of the ship, he could see the vast, blue oceans of the islands on Kri. How pristine and tranquil the planet seemed to him from far away.

  Wait a minute, he thought. Why are we at Kri?

  Groggily, he sat up and saw Iliya next to him, staring at him with her wide, blue eyes.

  “Are you thirsty?” she asked. Before he could even answer, she shoved a cup of water into his hand and continued talking. “Here, you must be thirsty. I tended to your wounds, by the way. You had a cut on your arm and a big bruise on your shin. I put bandages on them. I know first-aid. I'm going to be a doctor when we get to Kri. I've already figured out how to give oxygen to someone. I saw the kit for it, and Reese helped me give it to Jin. I think it helped him.”

  Pei was dazed as he listened to her go on and on. She didn't seem to take a breath.

  “Do you want some oxygen too?” she asked as she tilted her head, looking worried.

  “No,” he said with a tired smile. “I'm fine, thanks.”

  “Iliya,” said Reese, grinning as she walked to the seated area that Pei had slept on, “are you bothering my sleepy priest?”

  “No,” Iliya replied with a pout, “I'm helping him!”

  Reese smiled and rubbed Iliya's cheek. “I'm just teasing, silly girl. I know you're helping. You just can't help yourself, can you?”

  Iliya shook her head. “Do you want something to eat?” she asked Pei sweetly, ignoring Reese.

  “No, thank you,” he replied, still dazed.

  Mentally replaying what had happened the night before, Pei was still shocked about it all. Had he actually seen Meddhi-Lan come back to life? Did he really find out that Yol Notama was his biological father with his mother having been Queen Pira of Kri? He just couldn't wrap his head around it.

  While thinking about his old teacher, it dawned on him that the new Meddhi seemed to be missing.

  “Reese? Where is the man we saved – the man that had the bandages on his face?”

  “Oh...” Reese replied after drinking water from a bottle, “he's actually at the helm with my brother. He offered to take my place for a while so that I could rest. It seems he understands how to fly and operate a class 4 plasma-ship like this. I was surprised, but... this has been a night, and now morning, of surprises.”

  Stretching, she leaned back in her chair and sighed. Pei thought she looked absolutely radiant.

  They sat on comfortable, large chairs with a smooth, beige cloth-covering on them. Pei smiled at her for a moment, caught up in her sensual glow. He couldn't help but notice her full, round breasts slightly peeking out from her tight, rose-colored top. He didn't want to fall in love with her, but his heart began to race with the rest of his body reacting much the same.

  “See something you like?” she teased with a smile.

  Pei smirked at her, then turned his head toward the cockpit of the ship. “Why didn't you ask me to take over for you, if you needed the rest?”

  Reese shook her head. “Pei... don't be silly. You were exhausted, and you needed the rest more than I. You did a great job with the plasma re-filler last night though.” She then went over to Pei, and gently sat on his lap, making his body race with blood even more. “I'm proud of you, my priest,” she said as she kissed behind his ear.

  “Alright, Reese, that's quite enough,” he said, suppressing an embarrassed laugh. “I mean, Iliya is right here... and your brother is just a few feet away.”

  “So?” she laughed.

  “So?” he replied. “You don't care at all?”

  “Well,” she said, petting his silken, shoulder-length black hair, “I wouldn't take your virginity right in front of them, but...”

  “Virginity?” he scoffed. “What makes you think I'm a virgin?”

  “Oh, please,” she said with a laugh, “of course you are.”

  “I am not!” he protested. “I'll have you know that I lost that on Kri during my training.”

  “What?” she said with a grimace, slowly getting off his lap. “My priest lost his virginity during his training? What, did Baran take you to the Dryndi or something?”

  Feeling naked, as though Reese had just ripped off his clothes in front of everyone, Pei's face turned completely red. Reese couldn't help but bellow out a hearty laugh. “He did take you there, didn't he? That dirty little bastard! He soiled my perfectly pure priest! How dare he?”

  Pei shook his head. He knew she was just kidding, but it still annoyed him. “Reese, honestly, I'm not a priest anymore. Do you have to keep calling me that?”

  “Yes,” she replied, still grinning at him. “Yes, I do.”

  Aggravated, and rather horny, Pei got up and headed for the bathroom.

  “Oh, by the way,” he said before leaving the room, “I'll have you know, I didn't just lose my virginity there. I saw a vision of my true path and who I am supposed to be. I received my own Coismir there, given to me by the High Priestess herself! So before you laugh it off or call me a priest again, just know that I am much more than that, and I have a higher destiny. You'll see.”

  As he left in a huff, Reese was caught a bit off-guard by his proud words. She didn't know how to tell him she only called him that because it was a term of endearment to her. She didn't know how to tell him she had fallen deeply in love with him, and that she was just so happy he was alive. Plus, she had secretly hoped she would have been the one to take his virginity. Damn it, Emelanthia, she sat thinking to herself, you better have had a good reason for giving him that Coismir thing.

  Iliya had no idea what any of their conversation meant, but she didn't care. She was much more concerned with checking up on her patient. She had no time to think about Reese and Pei's silly arguments. Jin was the first Dei priest she had ever encountered up close. She felt sorry for him and didn't want him to die. The fact that she couldn't save her mother and father, or any of the people who died that horrible day, made her stubborn about saving at least Jin. She would make sure of it!

  “I'm going to check on Jin,” she said, darting up. Reese thought it was sweet, but she was a bit worried. She didn't want Iliya to become too attached, only to watch him die. He had lost a lot of blood, and they had no idea what blood type he was.

  She didn't understand how Dr. Hessen could have let that happen to him, though she figured he didn't have much control over Yol and his cruel henchmen, all of whom probably hated The Dei priests more than anything else. Unfortunately, they seemed to take everything out on the poor kid, much more than they did with Pei. It looked to her like Jin didn't have much of a chance for survival, but she was most definitely not going to tell Iliya that.

  Coming out of the bathroom, Pei looked at Reese for a moment with a stern face, still resentful about their prior conversation. He then headed to the cockpit with Meddhi and Hynfir. Reese sighed, lying across the chairs, unable to figure out how to reach him.

  “So,” said Pei, leaning over their pilot's chairs, “if you don't mind me asking, why are we at Kri?”

  “Because,” Hynfir calmly replied, “not only is it the nearest planet to Deius, but it is where both Reese and I originally come from, and it's where her king ordered her to return to once she had finished her mission. Isn't that right, my dear sister?”

  “Ye
p,” she said, resting on her back with her arm over her head.

  “So,” Hynfir continued, “it seemed only right that we go there to rest. Jin and you both need to heal, and I need to speak with King Atlar immediately... about everything.”

  Pei shook his head. “I don't need to rest, I'm fine.”

  Meddhi looked at Pei with a doubtful glare. It made Pei feel uncomfortable – the way it used to when Meddhi was his Lan. Meddhi wasn't his teacher anymore, though, and Pei had to remind himself of that fact.

  “You still need to rest,” Hynfir replied as he lowered the ship for docking. “We all do.”

  “No, you don't understand,” said Pei in a dire tone, “I need to save Lius' children! I promised him that if I escaped, I would find his kids on Xen and-”

  “Requesting permission to land,” Hynfir interrupted, speaking into the overhead communicator. “I am Lord Hynfir Astire, and I'm here with Lieutenant Reese of the Lirhan Warriors. It is imperative that we land safely. We also carry with us two injured Deiusian priests, and a small child from the Shiva royal line. We seek refuge, and clearance to have an audience with King Atlar.”

  Pei was astonished by Hynfir. He didn't look in the least bit sleepy, even though he'd flown their ship the entire night through. He had also taken painful hits to the face and stomach from his fight with Yol. How he wasn't showing any signs of pain or exhaustion was a complete mystery to Pei.

  “Permission granted,” came a woman's voice. “You are to land directly at the palace per Minister Baran's command. He will meet you at the landing bay. Over.”

  Hynfir looked back at Reese for a moment, but then replied, “Thank you. Understood. Over.”

  Reese walked over and said, “Minister Baran? What the hell does that mean?”

  “I don't know,” replied Hynfir, scowling as he turned the ship toward the palace's landing area, “but I don't like it.”

  “Neither do I,” said Reese as she grabbed Pei by the collar. “Come on, priest, time to buckle up for the landing. You too, Iliya. Jin will be alright. Get over here, and put on your buckle.”