by Lyra Shanti
Yol sneered at her, causing her to sneer back. Silence passed between them for a moment until Yol finally said, “Go ahead then. Leave! Leave me before you see the greatness our planet will become. I don't need you.”
Snorting, she said, “Oh, I can see the greatness our planet is becoming. It's becoming more and more a planet run the same way it always was! There are more schools and hospitals, yes, but they're all run by the rich nobles who want things to be the way they've always been. Except now, they expect you to provide them money to do these new projects. 'Course, now that the money you took from the royals have run out, you're forced to do underhanded deals with shady people, like the Xen governor and Octian of Kri.
“Yes, I know what you've been doing, Yol. Sterek and I have known everything. You've been more concerned with revenge against Atlar than you have been about freeing the slaves of the world or reconstructing Deius! You're not a visionary, you're a liar! You're a complete hypocrite, and The Tah won't stand for it. Without Hynfir, and with you hiding in the lab all damn day and night, the soldiers don't know who to follow. Between them and the nobles, you will find yourself without many friends, and you will have wished you had not been so cruel to Sterek and I. Mark my words, you will regret everything!”
After a small pause, Yol somberly walked to the door and said, “I already do.” He then exited, leaving Fola to swallow her tears in the strange, dimly lit laboratory. She knew she had to leave, though she knew it meant she could never return. Nodding decisively, she walked out of the room, silently vowing to find her brother while planning to take as many Tah along with her as possible.
Cutting off to his betrayed feelings, Yol walked to the throne room, hoping to hear some good news from an old friend.
He found Thotwa in the center of the room, alongside one of his most loyal Tah soldiers, Heber, though Yol was beginning to wonder if any of his followers could truly be trusted.
Shrugging off his worries, Yol walked up to Thotwa and shook his hand. “My old friend, how have you been? I had thought you died that night when so many were captured. It's good to see you alive and well.”
“Alive, yes,” said Thotwa, “but not particularly well.”
“Why is that?” asked Yol as he led Thotwa to the oblong table in the throne room.
“Well,” said Thotwa, who sat down with Yol at the table, “besides the fact that I was forced to be a slave for the governor of Xen for roughly ten years, I was recently beaten quite badly by something even worse than slavery, something I didn't even think existed in our universe.”
Yol raised his eyebrow. “I'm so sorry to hear you were sold into slavery. I was afraid of as much when I heard you had been taken by the Ohrians. I can see you've been clipped too. I'm deeply sorry, Thotwa.”
Shrugging, Thotwa merely replied, “It is in the past. I am more concerned with the current horror before me.”
“What horror are you referring to, if not the horror of slavery? Is there anything worse than that?”
“Yes,” said Thotwa coldly, “and it is called The Bodanya.”
“What?” Yol said with a sneer.
Thotwa nodded. “The Bodanya is real, Yol, and despite your efforts to destroy him, he is very much alive. I saw him with my own eyes. I actually did more than see him. I felt his power when he hit me with his plasma. I can't explain how he does it or how such immense power comes through a young, confused boy, but it's real. It's no myth. The Great Adin lives again... and I believe it's just a matter of time before he comes after you.”
Yol shifted in his seat uneasily. After a moment of shock, Yol asked Thotwa all about Ayn and how he lived at Seith's mansion, as well as about Thotwa's entire experience being the governor's head slave. It fascinated Yol, but frightened him as well.
“So... Hessen's boy is really The Bodanya,” said Yol. “He was under my nose the whole time, and I didn't know it. How... ridiculous.”
“It makes one believe in the Gods, doesn't it?” Thotwa asked, almost rhetorically.
“No,” Yol said curtly, “I refuse to believe in Gods who allow so many tragically evil things to happen in this world. As long as slavery and illness exist, I will not believe that Gods are real. If they exist, and yet turn their backs on innocent people, then they are disgusting, and not worthy of our belief. No, this boy – this Bodanya – is not a god. He is merely a child with strong mental abilities which was cultivated in his childhood by insane, myth-obsessed priests. Let this Bodanya come to me, if he wishes. I will destroy him with my own hands this time, if needs be. I'm not afraid.”
Thotwa looked at Yol with both wonder and skepticism. “How can you be so sure you will defeat him? I told you that I could not do so. What makes you think you can?”
Yol stood up and grinned. “Because I have science on my side. With access to the greatest Ohrian weapons, we will prevail. Not even a psychically skilled child can overtake an Ohrian V-Class ship, armed with the strongest plasma-guns in the entire universe! Let him come, I say. We will be ready.”
Thotwa nodded, hoping Yol's presumption was correct. “I would like to help you, my Fah. “What can I do?”
“You came at the right time,” replied Yol. “I need a new general; it's a position I believe you were meant for, especially after having to endure something as lowly as slavery for so long. How do you feel about leading my Tah warriors, and helping to train them for the inevitable war ahead?”
Thotwa smiled and nodded. “I feel good about it.”
“Do you still fight as well as you used to? Are you up to the task?”
Thotwa's smile widened. “I may be a little rusty with a plasma-gun, but I remember all The Tah forms of battle as if it were yesterday. You can count on me, my Fah. I won't fail you.”
“Good,” said Yol as he grabbed Thotwa by the arm, “I believe in you. Now take Heber with you and train until you are strong once again. You used to be wondrous with a plasma-axe, I remember it with fondness. It was always an honor fighting by your side. Now, together, we will stand against this fake, would-be God, as well as anyone else who threatens our freedom to think scientifically and with reason.”
“Thank you, Yol,” said Thotwa before leaving the room with Heber.
Yol felt both anxious and excited. If it was true he would soon have to war with The Bodanya, and possibly Kri's army as well, he wanted to be ready for it, mentally and physically. If only his mind and body wasn't so caught up with Pira.
“Please, my love,” he quietly prayed to her spirit, “please, come back to me. I can't do anything more without you. I need you by my side... the way we were meant to be from the beginning.”
For a moment, he thought he heard her voice whispering back to him, but it was short lived and only teased his heart.
“Please, my beloved Pira,” he said as he sat down on the throne, “come back to me and stop my mind from collapsing! I need you so I can face this strange child with God-like power. Help me remain strong by waking up to say you still love me.”
On the verge of sobbing, Yol couldn't take the pain any longer. He got up and raced to the room of the one person who could actually do something to make his dreams come true.
Bursting into Hessen's room, interrupting the doctor's sleep, Yol declared, “That's it, Doctor. No more playing around! You will either bring Pira back to me, or I will kill your daughter! I know where she is, and I can order her death in a heartbeat. So... what do you say? Are you ready to unravel the riddle of death or do you want me to add your daughter's life to that riddle as well?”
Hessen looked at Yol, wishing with all his might that the Gods would suddenly strike Yol down with all the plasma in their cosmic fingertips.
Chapter 13: Connection
Meddhi couldn't stop himself from entering the training room. After having dreamt the night before of fighting as one of The Lirhan against an army of Ohrians, he felt as though he'd been called there. It was an intensely realistic dream, one in which he could feel the weight of the Viha in
his hands. He could even sense the plasma that coursed through it, and through his whole body. It felt as if he had become one with the sword, and when Meddhi woke, he was overwhelmed with the feeling that he'd been in the Krian palace before.
Everything was a blur, however. He still didn't remember much about his previous life or why he was brought back from death. Pei had told him they had been Dei priests together, and he had once been the High Priest, but Pei didn't say much more. It took the little Deiusian princess, Iliya, to bluntly tell him he'd been murdered by a Tah assassin, and that the person who ordered the assassination was the same man who ordered Meddhi's regeneration. It was greatly confusing, but he was determined to understand.
Meddhi would have asked Iliya more about what she knew, but the young princess was busy helping the healers with the heavily injured priest, Jin, who seemed familiar to Meddhi, though not enough to jog any particular memories. Pei was much more familiar to him, but Pei appeared rather busy and didn't seem too open when it came to divulging about the past.
Meddhi soon discerned he was on his own when it came to discovering the truth, as well as forcing his memories to come forward, whether they wanted to or not.
In the training room, with gold and black Lirhan symbols and other relics hanging on the walls, Meddhi felt strangely at ease. He felt as though he had once spent every day in this room, practicing movements which made him feel alive and honest.
Wanting to recreate the feeling, Meddhi began searching instinctively for something he once had. Strongly compelled, he rummaged through the weapons cabinet, which was in the rear of the room. He saw plenty of Viha swords, as well as other weapons, such as fighting staves and plasma-whips. The guns, however, weren't there. Again, he somehow knew the guns were kept in a dedicated gun-room, located further down the hall.
Oddly enough, Meddhi remembered where everything was. He found it strange that he couldn't remember his own name without help, nor any of the time he supposedly lived on Deius, but he could remember with clarity where he had once stored his guns in the Krian palace. He was certain his previous life had lived as a Lirhan warrior, though no one had told him much about it.
Picking up a Viha in his hands, it felt right. It was a rather large one with a lion's face on the side and a golden handle to support the sword's weight. It didn't feel like the one he had used himself, but it still felt good to hold it.
Almost as if in a familiar dream, Meddhi began slowly moving with the sword in his hands. His right foot stepped out while his arms moved along with his feet, slowly and gracefully. He was sure he had practiced these movements before, but when? Like a dance, the sword in his hands moved in time with his body as he circled around the room.
Watching in the doorway, Pei stood, surprised by what he saw, yet entranced as well. “Wow,” he said as he walked in, snapping Meddhi out of his dance. “Baran wasn't kidding when he told me you were once Atlar's Lirhan General. You really seem to know what you're doing.”
“Ah... barely,” said Meddhi as he lowered his sword.
“It looks like you're quite familiar with a sword to my eyes,” Pei said as he walked closer to Meddhi. “Listen,” he added, “I don't want to leave you like this, but I have no choice. I am flying out this morning on a mission to aid General Reese on Sirin. She is possibly facing several Ohrian ships with only her troop of twenty men, and she needs back up. As usual, she left without taking proper precautions.” Sighing, Pei looked at Meddhi with a guilt-ridden face. “I'm sorry, Meddhi. I promise we'll talk soon... about everything.”
Meddhi nodded, feeling awkward and uneasy.
“It's so strange, isn't it?” asked Pei with a hint of a smile.
“What is?” replied Meddhi.
“It's just... our roles being reversed like this. I mean, you were usually the one telling me you have to do things and that we'll talk later. It feels so bizarre saying that to you. A part of me still feels like your student.”
“Well, you're not, and I'm not your teacher,” said Meddhi as he nervously gripped the sword in his hand.
Noticing the golden lion carved on the sword's hilt, Pei asked “Is that Atlar's sword?”
Meddhi shrugged. “I don't know. It's just the one I pulled from the cabinet. I hope I didn't choose the king's sword. That would be... inappropriate.”
Pei pointed at the hilt and said, “It has the king's emblem on it - the lion - so it might be. Or it might be one of the swords he used. Don't worry about it though. I'm pretty sure Atlar wouldn't mind his old general and best friend using one of his swords.”
Meddhi nodded, then asked, “I was good friends with the king, huh?”
“That's what I heard, yeah,” Pei replied anxiously, hard-pressed for time.
“I was first attracted to that one on the wall over there,” said Meddhi, “but I don't know how to reach it.”
Pei didn't know at first which sword Meddhi was talking about, but then remembered from his training with Baran the sword he meant. Looking at the old Viha mounted on the wall, he said, “Yeah, that one is special, but it's more of a relic than a usable Viha.”
“Really?” Meddhi asked as he lay down his sword against the corner of the wall. “It looks like it was once used in battle.”
“Maybe it was long ago,” Pei replied, “but it might have been used too much. Baran said its blade is rather dull. It's quite pretty though, isn't it?”
With silver and gold on its hilt and a mysteriously iridescent hue to its blade, the Viha shone on the top of the wall, like a proud tribute to Lirhan history.
“I think...” said Meddhi in a hushed voice, “I may have used it once.”
“Really?” asked Pei, astonished.
“Yes, I think so,” replied Meddhi, “except I couldn't contain its power. The plasma within it tried to fuse with my own, and I... couldn't focus my strength. I seem to remember it being part of why I left this place and returned to Deius. I think I may have accidentally hurt people with it.”
“That's terrible,” said Pei, now fully aware he was running late. “I'm glad you're remembering things now, and I really want to hear more about this when I return, I promise. But I really must go now, I'm sorry.”
“Of course,” said Meddhi with a forced smile. “I'm sure your mission will be successful. May the Gods be with you.”
“And you,” Pei replied with a half-bow. He had the urge to hug Meddhi tightly, but wasn't sure if that would be appropriate. “I look forward to making up for lost time. Oh, and Meddhi... I think it's a good thing The Lirhan is instigating your memories. Maybe you should join us, or rejoin us, as the case may be.”
Meddhi nodded, a little dazed by it all. “Perhaps,” he replied, “though I think I need more time to remember my life. But... yes, I think I'd like to join you.”
“You'll need your own Viha though,” Pei said with a smile. “I still need to make my own. Baran was going to teach me how, but there wasn't any time.”
“You seem very busy,” said Meddhi, still a bit dazed.
“Yeah...” Pei replied, not knowing what more to say. About to leave, he watched Meddhi do something he never would have expected.
Walking toward the Viha on the wall, Meddhi waved his right hand, looking like a wizard conducting a spell. He then closed his eyes and chanted, “Ebrunah wendeezlah Adin Siya-Rah.”
Pei, still conscious about how late he was running, couldn't turn away from what he saw; he was too amazed at whatever Meddhi was doing. Is he actually conducting a spell? Pei wondered. The chant sounded to Pei's ears as if it were an old Deiusian language, yet, it had hints of Krian dialect. It seemed like a language that existed long before their languages mixed to become the one unified language for their Un-Ahm Galaxy.
Then, much to Pei's surprise, the relic Viha actually moved. Without opening his eyes, Meddhi stood with his hand slowly wavering. The sword continued to wiggle, which made Pei fear it would fall off the wall and crash to the ground. The last thing he wanted was Baran blaming him
for allowing Meddhi to destroy Adin's once great sword.
“What are you doing?” Pei nearly shouted.
“I... don't know,” replied Meddhi as he opened his eyes, shocked by his own behavior. The sword stopped moving, as if completely controlled by Meddhi's thoughts. Shaken out of his trance, he added, “I felt as if the Viha spoke to me. It wants to be used, Pei. I can feel it wants to be in the thick of battle once again.”
Pei shook his head and scratched his forehead. “Well,” he replied, confused and a little annoyed, “it's just going to have to wait. I mean, it's not even sharp.” Still amazed by what he saw, Pei temporarily forgot where he was supposed to be. “What in the world was that language you just spoke? It sounded... very old.”
Meddhi shook his head, unable to answer, for he had no idea where the words came from. He only knew they had suddenly appeared in his mind. “I don't know, Pei. I think it's what the sword wanted me to say.”
“What?” asked Pei, sneering.
“It has plasma residue from the past,” said Meddhi. “It was Adin's sword; I can feel that. I had tried to use it once, when I was young and foolish enough to think I could do it. How silly. And here I am trying again. No, I won't do it, no matter how much it may call to me.”
Turning away from the ancient sword on the wall, Meddhi saw someone out of the corner of his eye looking at him from the doorway. It was a young man with long, black hair, and there was something very familiar about his aura.
Ayn stood in the doorway with a stunned expression on his face. “Pei,” he spoke with a sneer, “who is this man, and why does his face look so much like our beloved teacher?”
When Pei turned around, he saw Ayn's blue eyes widen with intensity. He didn't have the time, nor the patience to explain everything to Ayn at that moment. Heading for the door, he said, “I'm sorry, Ayn, but I can't do this right now. I have to go. I'm late as it is already.”
“Yes,” said Ayn. “In fact, Lord Hynfir stopped me on the way here to say that you're needed at the ship's docking area for departure. So... you're leaving?”
