The Riddle of the Gods

by Lyra Shanti

  Mystified, Ayn still managed to catch the name she had spoken so casually.

  “So... you come from the Hessens? I am good friends with Doctor Lius Hessen, you know. He actually took me in when I was hiding on Xen – even adopted me. He’s a great man and teacher. Unfortunately, he’s being held against his will on my planet. I am praying he’s still alive.”

  “He is alive, yes,” she once again spoke in a cool, calm voice.

  “He is? Can you feel his presence? Is he alright?” asked Ayn anxiously.

  “No, I wouldn’t say he’s alright. His spirit is in pain,” she replied, “but yes, he’s alive. I can feel his energy. He is my uncle, though I’ve not spent much time with him. He and my mother were close as children, but when she chose to become a Dryndi high priestess, my grandmother disowned her and forbade him to see us. For a while, he obeyed his mother, but when he met his Sirini wife, he changed. He grew stronger and broke with his mother in order to be free. He went to stay with his father, for my grandfather had always been understanding of our spirituality, being that his own bloodline had come from Sri Unda herself, but that is another story.”

  Completely mesmerized, Ayn hadn’t even touched his salad.

  Ona too was intrigued, though she was beginning to feel a slight pang of jealousy. She told herself that Ayn was hers alone, but Emelanthia was very beautiful and poised. She feared the connection to Doctor Hessen only made her seem more attractive to Ayn.

  In reality, Ayn felt something very different for the high priestess. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt as though she was not only connected to Lius Hessen, but to him. Something, or someone, inside told him that she was his long lost sister. Whether or not she was his sister in spirit or if she was his actual, physical sister, he couldn’t discern. It felt true either way, and he just couldn’t shake it.

  “Em… may I ask you who your father is?”

  She looked at him, stone-faced and said, “My father was a Dei priest. He lived on Kri only for a few short years before returning to Deius, but he loved my mother during his time here. Shall I name him? I think you already feel who I mean.”

  Ayn was speechless. There was no doubt in his mind. She meant Meddhi! Of course! How could he not realize it before?

  “Wait,” said Baran who overheard them from across the table, “your father is Meddhi? Is he aware of that fact? And why did you never tell me that before, Em?”

  By the way Baran spoke her nickname, Ayn gathered the minister and his sister were already friends, if not more. Ayn didn’t know much about Baran, and he hated to judge people so quickly, but at the same time, what he did know about him made him uneasy. To Ayn, Baran seemed overly self-assured and too war hungry. He also didn’t like how the cocky minister sometimes looked at Ona, as if she were meant to be Baran's somehow. Despite Atlar’s prior wish for their betrothal, the idea of Ona with such a prideful man seemed absurd. In Ayn’s mind, Baran came off like an arrogant, selfish man with too much power at his fingertips.

  Little did he know that the new minister thought of Ayn in almost exactly the same way.

  Emelanthia looked at Baran and calmly said, “I’m sorry, Minister, but I’m a private person, especially about my heritage. As for what Meddhi is aware of, I am not sure. My mother was even more private than I.”

  Baran gave a slight smile, then said, “I understand, but I suppose I’m just surprised. You must be even more so, Shiva Bodanya.”

  “Actually…” Ayn replied, “I’m not. The more I learn about my father, the more I realize I never really knew him.”

  “Wait,” Baran said, shaking his head, “your father? Meddhi is your father as well? I thought he was merely your teacher.”

  “He was my teacher, yes,” said Ayn, “and he is my real father. He revealed that fact to me only very recently, to be honest. He kept it hidden from me when I was a child… to protect my mother, I assume, as well as his own position within The Dei.”

  Ona held Ayn’s hand under the table to give him support.

  “I can’t imagine how that must have felt,” said Baran, suddenly feeling sympathetic toward Ayn. “That must have been quite shocking.”

  “Yes and no,” replied Ayn. “I always thought of him as my father anyway, so I guess it made sense. I just wish he had told me right from the start.”

  “Yes, but if you had known the truth as a child,” said Baran after sipping a cup of wine, “it might have been even harder to accept his death... well, his temporary death, that is.”

  “I don’t know,” said Ayn quietly. “I’ll never know.”

  Baran nodded, trying not to think about his own father. “So… you and Em are siblings then? That is at least something for us to toast to!” Raising his glass of red wine, he added, “Here’s to family! May we all stay connected henceforth and be like a family to each other, whether by blood or by friendship!”

  Everyone raised their glasses, even Iliya who was still trying to accept that her idol, the high priestess, was actually her cousin. Everyone drank and smiled, trying not to show their true emotions.

  After dessert, which was a delicious baked cream dish Mair had made herself, and which everyone praised, Baran motioned for Ayn to speak with him privately toward the back of the dining room.

  Ayn didn't really want to talk alone with Baran. He much preferred the idea of staying by Ona's side, all night, if possible. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't avoid Baran, and so he walked to where he and Reese stood.

  “Ayn,” said Baran, “I know tonight may be the wrong time to discuss such matters, but we really must talk about what we are going to do about Notama, and our strategy for taking Deius back for your reinstatement as rightful ruler. I've called for a meeting to be held in the Lirhan training room. You see, Meddhi has a plan, and he's requested you be there. I'd like you there as well, since you play an integral role.”

  Ayn didn’t know what to say. Part of him wanted Deius back more than anything. Another part of him was already war-weary and didn’t want to have anything to do with their plans. However, he knew he had to rescue Lius and reunite him with Srah. To do that, there would have to be an invasion of some kind. Ayn hoped whatever Meddhi’s plan was, it involved the least amount of bloodshed as possible.

  “I’ll be there,” said Ayn. “When is this meeting?”

  Surprised at Ayn’s compliance, Baran said, “Oh, well, we had planned it for after dinner tonight.” Baran looked nervously at Ona and added, “Though I’m sure everyone would understand if you need some time to rest.”

  Ayn looked at Ona, then back at Baran. “I’ll be there, but in the morning... right after breakfast. I'm sorry, but tonight, I must console the princess.”

  “Of course, I understand. I'll tell Meddhi. I'm sure we can reconvene in the morning,” replied Baran with a half-bow.

  Baran then looked at Reese who politely smiled in return. She then said to Ayn, “I know you don’t want to go to war, Your Holiness. I can tell. Honestly, I don’t want to either. But we must do what is necessary, no matter how terrible it is. We warriors pay the price of morality. Sometimes we have to leave our hearts behind for the sake of the greater good.”

  Ayn nodded. He understood what she meant, though he wanted to say he wasn't sure he was actually a warrior. He certainly hadn't been bred to be. At this point, however, Ayn was letting the universe guide him. He'd be whatever The Un wished, even if it meant becoming a hard-edged warrior like those in The Lirhan. It seemed to be the path Meddhi was choosing, though Ayn never thought such a thing would happen. After everything he had experienced in his life, Ayn was now willing to let go of the preconceptions of the past in favor of seeing wherever the universe took them, for good or bad.

  Remembering an old Dei proverb, Ayn said, "The hills and mountains along the winding pathway of life may take you farther than expected, yet closer to the truth."

  Reese and Baran didn’t quite know what Ayn meant by those words, but they smiled and nodded politely nonetheless. B
aran then said goodnight to Ona, Emelanthia, Arna, and Iliya who blushed profusely when he bent over and kissed her small hand.

  Reese really didn’t know if Baran was under some sort of spell or if it was the experience of losing his father, but something seemed to be making Baran behave the way she had always wished he'd be. Even his sweetness with Iliya made Reese wonder if Baran would make a good father. She had not had these kinds of thoughts since she was first enamored with him in her teen years. It made her feel good, yet confused.

  Ona caught Reese’s eye and walked to her. Extending her hand, Ona said, “My friend… my dearest, oldest friend. May we start again?”

  Reese nearly burst into tears, but kept composure as she gently took Ona’s hand.

  “Yes, my dear friend,” she replied, “I’d like that. I’m so sorry about how I-”

  “Don’t worry about any of it, Reese. We were silly children, and we both misunderstood each other. Let’s just start again, alright?”

  “I’d love nothing more, Your Highness.”

  Ona smiled, then gave Reese a soft, loving hug. “My father adored you, Reese, and I see now that you gave him what he needed during a time when he could have given up. You were a light of hope to him. I’m so sorry I was too blind to see that before.”

  Reese worried she’d fall apart, so she pulled back and wiped the tears uncontrollably falling down her face.

  “Thank you, Ona. I loved your father deeply. He was my idol, my hero. I was - I still am - very proud to have served him.”

  Ona looked at Baran, then said to Reese, “You and Baran made my father extremely proud, and you gave him strength. I am certain as Kri’s High Minister and First General, you will both continue to make him proud from wherever he is now.”

  Reese didn’t think she could handle much more, so she gave Ona a small, parting hug, then caught up with Baran in the hallway. Hand-in-hand, they headed toward the Lirhan training room.

  Unbeknownst to Reese and Baran, Pei watched their closeness from the training room. He had come there with Meddhi and had been discussing strategies with him and Hynfir. He expected Baran and Reese to arrive together, but not quite so intimately.

  Catching Pei’s jealous eye, Reese immediately withdrew from Baran. Heading into the training room, she tried to touch Pei’s shoulder, but he turned away angrily. She knew she’d have some explaining to do later on, and she didn’t look forward to it.

  Meanwhile, Ona and Ayn said goodnight to Arna and Iliya, and of course, Emelanthia, promising to talk to her soon, not only about personal matters, but about the future of Deius, as well as her possible involvement in the reconstruction of the Holy Temple. Ayn envisioned the new temple to be more like The Dryndi’s free-thinking spirituality. Ayn had no idea what the future held, but if he became Deius’ leader, he wanted to build a bridge between the past and the future, bringing religion and science together as one.

  The idea seemed to please both Emelanthia and Ona, which made Ayn feel good. Strangely enough, Ayn was feeling warm and somewhat happy. What started off to be a terribly depressing day was now ending with newly found family and hope for the future.

  “Do you think my father is at peace, Ayn?” asked Ona as they entered her room.

  “Yes, I do, Ona,” he replied as he helped her undo her long, black dress.

  She had been itching to take it off ever since she had put it on. All she wanted was to lie in bed with Ayn, warm and naked.

  “I hope you’re right,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling his cheek with her nose. “Do you really have to go to that meeting in the morning? Can’t you just stay here with me? Let Baran plan his war, and keep us out of it. I just lost my father, for Gods' sake. I’m sure they’d understand.”

  He smiled, looking down at her in her black slip and said, “Believe me, my love, I want to stay more than anything, and I promise I’ll be back right afterward. But I have to hear what Meddhi has planned. Something tells me time is of the essence. I feel as though I must be there, as if our destinies depend on it.”

  “Well, I can’t argue with destiny,” she said with a smile. “But for now, stay with me here... in bed.”

  Ayn couldn't resist her request, though he was anxious about his ability to keep his desire for her at bay. Holding her close as they lay, he could sense her fluctuating, raw emotions.

  “Please don't leave in the morning without waking me first, Ayn. I fear…”

  “What is it, beloved?” he asked, raising her chin.

  “Nothing…” she said as she cuddled into his chest. “It’s nothing. But... once the meeting is over, come right back to me.”

  Ayn nodded, looking directly into her eyes and said, “I will. I promise. Even the Gods couldn't keep me away.”

  Chapter 19: The Eve of War

  Srah felt completely overwhelmed as Granjie placed a laurel of Saras branches on the top of her lavender-haired head. They were the last branches from the last Saras tree, the very tree she was standing in front of as the remaining Sirini clans watched her crowning as their queen. She felt the significance of those branches deeply, especially since the Saras tree was a holy tree to her people. The legend of how the first Sarax gave seeds to the Sirini from the fruit of the Saras tree was a story even Srah had heard growing up on Xen.

  Adding to the significance was the recent burial of Raxas, whose ashes had been placed underneath the holy tree. In the old Sarax’s final days, he had grown increasingly more ill since attempting to heal King Atlar, rendering him unable to move. It seemed to Srah that Atlar and Raxas had somehow become linked, and when one passed, the other followed soon after.

  Axis found it very difficult to burn his grandfather’s remains. He had only just found him and wasn’t ready to let go yet, but tradition made it unavoidable as the dead were required to be burned and buried within two days after a person's passing. Srah kept assuring Axis that Raxas’ spirit would go on forever in the afterworld, but it didn’t help Axis feel much better.

  While Srah's mind struggled to accept the emotional weight of her crown, Joh chanted sacred Sirini words about the undying bond between the Sarax and its children, and how their queen would always be the proof of that promise. It made Srah a little weak in her knees, but she held herself together and stood tall for her people, and for her father, who she hoped would be proud of her once they were reunited. She felt in her heart that he was still alive, though unhappy and trapped.

  Because of Hessen’s situation, and because of Ayn being on Kri without them, Axis had spoken the night before to Srah about possibly joining Ayn to fight alongside him, should there be a war. He didn’t want to leave Srah, but his gut told him Ayn needed his help.

  Srah didn’t like the idea of Axis leaving so soon after she'd been made queen, not to mention newly pregnant with his child. However, she had the same gut feeling about Ayn’s need for Axis. She instinctively felt if Ayn didn’t have Axis by his side, both of them would suffer. She wasn't sure how, but she sensed it was a pivotal point in their connection, and she didn't dare break their bond.

  Srah felt as though she could sense everything more clearly now. Whether it was because of her pregnancy or being crowned queen, or both, she did not know. All she could tell was she was even more sensitive to her instincts and intuition than she had ever been before. She was also beginning to have visions of the future; little flashes that came into her mind from somewhere unknown, then would soon return to the ether.

  She recently had such a flash about Ayn and Axis, together on Deius, standing on a mountain peak with the power of the sun coming from their eyes. It was as if they had melded into one being and were calling on the spirits of the mountain to help them win back The Holy Temple. It was a powerful image; one that Srah did not wish to diminish.

  The vision only solidified that she couldn't stop her new husband from going to Deius, even if she wished he could stay, especially since many of Sirin’s lost tribes were still finding their way back to thei
r homes.

  Axis had been helping Joh’s tribe with finding all remaining Sirini who had wondered aimlessly without a home since the Ohrian occupation. Axis used his Sarax form and flew around the planet in a matter of hours. He had found several in hiding and brought them back to the holy mountain. Most of them couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw a real, live Sarax before them. When they realized they'd been freed, and a new Hana had been chosen, it was almost too much for them to bear. There were many tears shed, though happy ones.

  Axis, however, was itching to leave. He tried his best to keep his composure, but his entire life felt like it was spinning out of control. After Ayn left, he lost his grandfather, and felt somewhat alone inside. He loved Srah with all his heart, but just a few days after Raxas died, they were married, and now she was being crowned queen. It was all going so fast!

  Plus, he wasn’t quite sure what he was to his people. They looked at him as an oddity: a God of some kind that shouldn’t be in Sirini form, nor walking and breathing among them. Their attitudes made him highly uncomfortable. He was the last of his kind, as far as he knew, and even though the Sirini were kind and generous, they were also a people who spoke their minds. Many of them, especially children, came up to Axis with astonished faces and said things like, “Why are you here? Why aren’t you in the sky with the other Sarax?”

  He knew they meant well, but it hurt him nonetheless. He had no answer for them except, “I’m here because your queen and your people need me.”

  It wasn’t a lie.

  However, as Joh chanted, Srah stood in front of the Saras tree, making Axis feel like his heart was thumping out of his chest. Part of him was extremely happy, but the other part was miserable, and for some reason, without Ayn by his side, he felt as though he couldn’t breathe.