by Kyrja
As grateful as she’d been to Lumas for having rescued her from the polluted planet where she’d once reigned supreme over all the glorious seas, she had resented being tied to this planet for hundreds of years in a role which was entirely boring and could have been just as easily done by nearly any entity – probably even a human. She had given herself to the task willingly enough and had even made friends in various bodies of water throughout the planet. She’d been highly amused when Giya had suggested she visit the seas once she was released from her role as an Ahadi. Where, Borja wondered, had the Earth Goddess supposed the Bahari had come from, if not from her?
Of course, Amphedia hadn’t been as delighted as she would have hoped – she was a perpetually dissatisfied god if ever there was one!
She moaned quietly as she felt the rot moving through her, wondering how she could have missed what Ozahm had been up to for the centuries he’d been imprisoned as an Ahadi. And now he was free. Free to destroy and maim everything ever created on this planet. And he had used her own life essence to create his worst weapon.
Chapter Four – Secret Plans
“I know what you’re doing,” Tyran said casually, as she fell into step with him. Well, Honsa reflected, as casually as she ever said anything, which meant that there was always a note of accusation in her voice. Deciding he would neither sigh nor roll his eyes, he turned his head to smile at her.
“I’m glad to hear it,” he said, putting an extra measure of cheerfulness in his tone. If there was anything that irritated his current companion – and there were many things which did, but this one thing in particular more than most – it was falseness. No matter if it was a small lie, an outright fabrication, a boast, or sarcasm, she was sure to be irritated, he knew. And that would distract her from her current obsession with finding out what he was up to. He knew he could count on her getting mad and stomping off, relieving him of having to evade her a little longer. He didn’t need much more time. Probably only two more days, and then she would miss her opportunity to find out whether her guess about what he was doing was right or not altogether.
“That won’t work,” she said pleasantly in return, causing Honsa to stop in his tracks. She had even mocked him by saying it in a sing-song voice. Pushing down the panic he suddenly felt hammering in his chest, he turned to look at her.
“All right then,” he said calmly, forcing a smile onto his face that he knew looked forced. She couldn’t know, his racing mind told him. She just couldn’t! But his stupid mind wouldn’t shut up, no matter how he tried to convince himself. “What am I doing?”
“You think I haven’t noticed?” she asked, and the accusation was clear in her voice this time. She was pleased with herself for whatever it was she thought she knew.
Please don’t let her know, he beseeched … he didn’t know whom, but he did not want her to come along this time. He wanted peace and quiet, not constant harassment. If she knew, he was absolutely certain she would want to come with him. Putting as much charm as he could possibly manage into the question, he asked, “What could you have possibly noticed?” The words “this time” may not have been voiced, but they hung heavy in the air between them.
“You don’t have to be so prickly about it,” she frowned, obviously getting angry.
“What are you talking about Tyran?” he practically shouted, confused.
“Ordan’s tattoo, of course!” she snapped back at him. “I can see it’s turning blue, as can anyone else who bothers to look!”
“What does that have to do with anything?” he asked, starting to feel angry himself.
“I thought,” she exaggerated the word, “you would be pleased someone noticed and would want to talk about it!” she shouted, throwing up her hands. “But if you want to keep your secret to yourself, then go right ahead!”
Honsa was dumbfounded as Tyran stomped off, shouting behind her, “But don’t ever accuse me of not giving a damn!”
Ordan’s tattoo was turning blue? He had to admit he hadn’t noticed, but … what did that have to do with …? And then he suddenly understood, and felt his cheeks heat as he blushed, even though there was no one there to see his embarrassment. Oh gods … Tyran had been trying to be nice to him! Well how was I supposed to know? he argued with himself. She wasn’t ever “nice” to anyone! He started walking again, more emotional than he thought he might have ever been, and not having a clue what he was supposed to do about it. He couldn’t help but to almost laugh out loud, though, at the sudden smile on his face whenever he thought of Ordan. He’d never really had a lover before. Not a real one. Not one who had accepted him exactly the way he was, without any awkward pauses about what they were supposed to do. He shook his head. He would have to make sure to notice Ordan’s tattoo though; as sensitive as he was, his lover would be hurt if he knew he’d failed to notice it. He thought of taking some flowers to him then, and felt it when his smile fell. No, with the weather – and the soil – the way it had was, there wasn’t likely to be any flowers. Maybe not for a long time to come. Maybe not ever.
Wanting to follow after Tyran to thank her for her kindness, but feeling entirely too awkward to do any such thing, he vowed to make it up to her later. Much later. If there even was a “later.” He sighed, wondering how things ever got so complicated. Never mind, he told himself, I know the answer to that one. He’d gotten wrapped up with a bunch of gods, that’s how. Smacking the side of a tree as he passed it on his way down the hill, he felt his very real worry about what was going on creeping back to the forefront of his thoughts. He knew he needed to get on his way – across the desert once more – there really wasn’t any choice in the matter, but he was dismayed it was necessary. He’d thought once Denit had risen as the Sun Goddess that the world would just go back to “normal.” He was pretty sure everyone had felt the same way. There were enough things to deal with every day when the world was “normal,” let alone when it was poisoned.
There, he’d said it. At least to himself. And he knew he was going to have to say it again, out loud, at least to Ordan. And maybe to others too. He had half-hoped Denit would pay them another visit so he could tell her about it and maybe she would know what to do. Isn’t that what gods were for?
It’s not like he wanted to go all the way back to Nohoyo! Nor was he even certain, given how sick the soil felt, that he would be able to travel that far. The last time he’d been there, he’d been affected by the poison from the barrier. All the Mezhdu had. And it would take a lot longer to get there this time too. Last time, they had invoked their bond, with Nieva showing them where to go. Honsa was pretty sure that even if she showed up on their doorstep, Ordan wouldn’t be likely to accept that particular mode of transportation again! He had died last time, and Honsa knew he was going to make damn sure that didn’t happen again!
That’s when he saw Ordan walking towards him with a shy smile on his face. Honsa wanted to ask him what he was doing here, so near the village. He’d thought Ordan had gone fishing earlier, but now here he was, obviously coming to intercept him. He wanted to say several different things all at once, including how pretty he looked wearing the scarf his sister had once given him. It was his favorite thing of all time, so of course he’d given it to him. Honsa also wanted to shake his head in amazement at having this man in his life. How had he ever gotten so lucky? Instead, he just stood there with a look on his face that was probably ridiculous. And he just didn’t care. He was so grateful to be in love with someone who loved him too. And then he noticed it, and knew he would have to thank Tyran for bringing it to his attention.
He waited until Ordan was just a few steps away, both of them still smiling, still not having said a word, then he reached out, closing the gap between them. As he touched the smooth, soft skin of his lover’s face, he exhaled with an emotion he could only describe as “relief.” They were together again, in the same space. Ordan’s eyes remained closed as Honsa traced the outline of the two, small, wavy lines under his eye. It was turnin
g blue, just as Tyran had mentioned. He kissed Ordan then, holding his face with both of his hands so he could draw him as close as possible. He wanted this moment to never end. If the world would just end right this moment, then he would die a happy man.
Ordan’s quiet voice, calling his name softly; probably not for the first time, brought Honsa back to himself. Reluctantly. He opened his eyes expecting to see the emotions he was feeling reflected in Ordan’s. Instead, he saw concern, and even a touch of fear, if he wasn’t mistaken.
“What is it?” he asked, jerking away from Ordan. For some reason he couldn’t begin to understand, his lover suddenly became shy and withdrawn, looking at the ground instead of at him. Had he done something wrong? Had he overstepped? Maybe Ordan wasn’t ready for all of this. Although nobody was nearby, it was possible anyone could walk up on them at any moment. Maybe he didn’t want anyone to know about them yet. Or maybe not at all. Shoving his hands into his pockets so he wouldn’t be tempted to reach out for him again, Honsa did his best to step back from the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. How would he be able to cope if Ordan was rejecting him?
“Stop it,” Ordan told him softly, reaching out a hand to lay on Honsa’s chest. “It’s nothing like that,” he assured him, smiling with that damned quirk the way he did. Honsa’s heart ached, not knowing what was going on. It was going to be terrible enough having to leave Ordan behind in two days’ time. The last thing he wanted to do was to sow discord between them before he left. He was grateful his lover’s gift was being able to understand emotions, so that he would always know what was in his heart, even if his words or actions said the wrong things.
“You aren’t going to like what you’re going to find in the village,” Ordan told him.
Honsa felt the muscles move as they bent his mouth into an immediate frown and knew his forehead was creased with his displeasure. And confusion. “What am I going to find?” he asked, instantly sorry for his harsh tone of voice.
“Well,” Ordan stalled, inhaling deeply, “You’re not as good at keeping a secret as you think you are.”
“Secret?” Even knowing it wouldn’t do any good to act surprised, he couldn’t help himself. Nor could he make his heart slow its suddenly rapid pace.
“You’re coming to the village to get water, Honsa,” Ordan told him, looking him squarely in the eye. “It’s one of the last things you need before you leave.” He paused, obviously watching Honsa’s face for his reaction. When Honsa lowered his gaze, Ordan added, “It wouldn’t hurt to get another pair of shoes while you’re at it.”
A dozen thoughts raced through Honsa’s mind, none of which were going to help him now. He felt angry for being found out, scared of what Ordan’s reaction was going to be, curious as to how anyone had figured out what he was doing, and angry again that anyone would be watching him closely enough to even care what he was doing. It didn’t matter. None of it did, he decided. He was going and that was that. Except that it mattered very much how Ordan felt. Afraid to look up, he did anyway. He had to know.
“I’m going with you, you know,” Ordan told him, his jaw set.
“You know why I don’t want you to,” Honsa countered.
“Because I died last time,” Ordan snarled, his eyes narrowing. Then his tone soften, “And because you don’t want me to die again because you love me,” he said, reaching out a hand to touch Honsa’s cheek. He waited while his lover kissed his hand, then stepped back, urging Honsa to follow him.
“You were the one who felt the poisoning the worst last time,” Ordan said, as they walked together towards the village.
“What do you mean “last time?”” Honsa wanted to know, confused. Of course he had discussed his growing concerns about the soil with Ordan, but hadn’t realized how closely he had paid attention.
“The last time we went to Nohoyo, Honsa. That’s where you are going, isn’t it?”
“You’ve got this all figured out, don’t you?” he didn’t know whether to be impressed, irritated, or amused.
“So we have to make sure …” Ordan ignored the remark.
“”We?”” Honsa exclaimed, grabbing Ordan’s shoulder so he would stop, making his lover look at him.
“It won’t take nearly as much time to tell you everything if you will just listen,” Ordan said, frustrated.
“Then tell me,” Honsa replied, inhaling deeply, doing his best to just be patient. He was known for his patience, and here he was, not even letting Ordan finish a single sentence. Of course, that was because he was tearing all of his plans to shreds, and he didn’t like it one little bit.
“This is exactly why I came out here to tell you before you got to the village,” Ordan sighed. “Look, there are a couple of dozen people waiting for you. Wait!” he admonished, putting his hand on Honsa’s arm to delay his reaction. “Everyone thinks they are being helpful. So just let me explain. All right?”
Honsa nodded tightly, reminding himself to just breathe. No reaction. Just breathing. “They just want to help. Fine,” he nodded again. “Tell me.”
“The good news is that we have another Mezhdu among us. His name is Gaku. He came here two days ago, looking for you, and … Just wait!” Ordan interrupted himself when Honsa opened his mouth like he was going to say something. “It turns out he can hear what he calls the “Song of the Earth” and he knows it’s being poisoned. Ceirat was the first person he met when he got here, and she was bringing him to you, when Tyran saw them.”
“Great,” Honsa grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Just great,” not meaning it at all.
“And …. You will also meet Vory when you go in there. She is a Diviner. What the Puj’hom, or desert people, call an Undia. That means she can …”
“Call water to her, yes I know. Why is she here?”
“She’s been living in Midbar for a couple of years. She came here from the City by the Sea because she didn’t like being with so many people surrounding her all the time.”
“Why didn’t she go back to the desert?” Honsa wanted to know.
“I didn’t ask, ”Ordan shrugged. “But she’s here now, and she wants to go with us. And I think it’s a good idea.”
“Ordan …” Honsa sighed, feeling as if he no longer even wanted to go to Nohoyo now that it seemed he would be saddled with a horde of people following behind him.
“I know how you feel about this, and you can do whatever you want to, but I wanted to warn you about what you would find when you went to the village.” He paused, looking at his lover, knowing the conflicting emotions running through him. “If you really want to go by yourself, then you can turn around right now and leave and nobody will stop you. Or you can go there and pretend to go along with everything, but still leave. That way you’ll get the water you need. The choice is still yours. But there are other people who are willing to help. And you may even need us. The poison almost killed you last time. What if it does this time?”
“So who else is coming with us? Just the four of us, or are there more in this … party?” he emphasized the last word, injecting it with as much distaste as he could manage.
“Ceirat and Tyran are coming too,” Ordan told him, quietly. Gently. Obviously expecting an explosion of some sort.
“And if I don’t want Tyran to come?” he asked, looking at Ordan, knowing there was a look of defeat on his face and anger boiling in his heart.
He shrugged in return. “You can always try to stop her. Maybe tie her up with some vines like last time?” he chuckled. The reminder of the memory had the desired effect; Honsa smiled a little. Then he smiled more, this time with genuine gladness. Even if that joy was in having bested Tyran by having physically restrained her, Ordan was glad to see the smile.
“Maybe I’ll let her come and wait until we’re halfway there, then tie her up!” Honsa chuckled, shaking his head. This is not how he had wanted things to go. But maybe it was for the best after all. The fact that he could be poisoned by the land was a real possibility, and someone ha
d to find out what was happening. And how to stop it. He still wished Denit would show up. He was sure she would be able to help, or at least give them some answers.
“Come on then,” Honsa sighed once more, “let’s go get this over with.” He was surprised when Ordan suddenly kissed him then held out his hand for Honsa to take. Surprised and deeply pleased. They were going to let everyone know they were a couple. That pleased him more than he realized it would have.
* * * * * * * *
Shio watched as the two men walked away, satisfied that their plans coincided with hers. She had warned her brother, Savaar, about the poisoning right after Denit had ascended as the Sun Goddess, but he had dismissed her concerns as irrelevant. He had been more interested in working with this new goddess, Jahari, and offering his services in making room for the Bahari and other residents of the sea. In the desert! Shio scoffed yet again at the thought. And that would, truly, be a wonderful thing, but it should not have been the first thing. Should not have been. Taking care of the land itself should have been first. Engaging all the people who had experienced the “amazing events” – and accompanying trauma - to help in doing so would have given them all a united purpose.
Well it was too late now. As Savaar would soon find out. Along with many of the Bahari. Unless Honsa and his people could help. She had seen what they could do together, and had been impressed. Never had she seen people so balanced with nature, despite what one’s eyes might see. She had first met these two near where the desert met the mountains of Midbar, at the feet of a giant formation of rocks that looked like fingers reaching out of the sand. They had been with Denit then; she had been the first to tell Denit she would become the Sun Goddess, but she had been too afraid to believe. These two men with the bodies of women had, along with their companions – two women in the bodies of men – surprised her. And then they had amazed her when they had rescued Denit from what would have otherwise been a fatal fall from the skies above the planet.
