by Ania Bo
Cizan, King of the Dvays, cleared his throat, and he shifted nervously in his seat before he interrupted the commotion. It was no wonder the Chancellor had spoken of the Dvays with some respect, Dwade mused. They were massive creatures, towering over the others and barely fitting in the humanoid-sized chair. They had smooth skin that secreted a slick mucus, much like a salamander. Cizan was fearsome but strangely attractive at the same time. His pointy ears were laid back in a defensive pose, and the three digits on his hand tapped the table repetitively as if he was carefully thinking over his words.
Cizan knew what he was about to say would not be received well.
“I think I can identify our problem,” Cizan said. Amel looked at him expectantly, though her expression lacked any form of surprise. “My commander, Hoglem, is no longer under my control.”
“What?” Tellervo exclaimed, her eyes opening wide with anger. The Baresm leader stood and leaned over the table as if by closing the distance between herself and Cizan she might hear something different.
Dwade noticed Tellervo’s outfit was quite revealing. She had a wide strip of leather on the left side of her body covering her single breast, and a short skirt made from strips of leather clinging to her hips. But that was it. He averted his gaze, not wishing to be caught staring at so much exposed skin.
“Nonsense,” cried Sapientes, leader of the Ilih. Sapientes measured only three feet from his feet to the top of his wavy brown hair, but the legs of his chair had been extended, allowing him to appear just as tall as Tellervo who sat beside him at six feet tall.
Everyone waited impatiently for Cizan to provide an explanation.
“As you know, by the will of Creation, each race is paired with another. Likewise, humans provide us with our balance. Their existential energy grounds us to earth and limits our ability to travel the dimensions. But traveling through the dimensions is a precious gift unique to our race, just as the Readers are blessed with the ability to decode the molecules within matter. The existence of humans is like a massive ball and chain latched to our ankles, and I would be lying if I said we do not wish to be free of them. He is convinced the human population should be significantly decreased so the Dvay people may regain our freedom, but nothing he has said implies complete annihilation, and I, as their king, have no intention of entering my people into a war.”
Amel turned her eyes toward Julana, leader of the Jatuk. She extended her hand to indicate she wished him to speak. The beetle-looking man kept fidgeting in his chair because his bent spine made it difficult for him to sit. His garb, made of a material similar to a cockroach shell, was as tough as a suit of armor. He was short and fat, but still looked strong and imposing in his own way.
“We too have no love for humans. There is no reason to hide this. We don’t particularly like anyone, not even ourselves to be honest. So we don’t like humans either.” He laughed to himself while the others tried to figure out where he was going with this. “But what do I care? Shit. In the end, we are producers of negative energy, aren’t we? Unlike you lovely Ilihs.” He gave a wide toothy smile to the Ilih leader, Sapientes. “Yes, yes, my dear friends. You are all on the bright side of this fucking Balance, and we are your dark reflection. A war is brewing? So what! The Jatuks don’t care if we must face you all on the battlefield. I, for one, fully support anyone who wants to fight. War just makes the dull happenings of life more interesting.”
Julana ended his monologue with a burst of laughter, and Amel’s bored face indicated she regretted her decision to let him speak. Julana was like an awkward family member no one really wanted around but had to tolerate. They were all used to his random outbursts and his uncouth way of speaking.
Sapientes didn’t even bother to respond to Julana, while hot-headed Medusa, Queen of the Kree, was angered by his speech. She was always like a volcano, ready to explode even at the smallest sign of conflict. That was how the Kree people were. It came as no surprise Medusa was impulsive. The snakes slithering over the head of the breathtakingly beautiful woman all hissed at Julana, personifying her anger.
“Whoever declares war will have to deal with us. I have always enjoyed the flavor of cockroaches, and I’ll take any opportunity to sate my appetite. King Leo, my dear brother, agrees with me. We’ll eat your people and toss your bones to our animals,” Medusa declared.
Julana stood and was about to retort, but Amel couldn’t handle anymore and pounded her fist on the table.
“Enough! We are not here to see who can be more frustrating, nor are we here to start wars between the races.” She shot a look at both Julana and Medusa. “We are trying to understand and solve the situation at hand, which we have now lost sight of.” The other leaders nodded their heads in agreement, while Julana stuck out his tongue tauntingly toward Medusa.
The leaders talked amongst themselves, and multiple conversations happened at once. With his deep voice, Sapientes brought the room back to silence. “What do you propose we do, Cizan, to keep your commander in line? Would you have us exterminate a portion of the human population? It is clear that Creation is wiser than we are. If the humans multiply carelessly and bind you to earth, there must be a reason for it. Perhaps it is better you are bound and do not go roaming through the dimensions as you see fit. One can hardly say that your rate of reproduction is slow either. Maybe we should exterminate you too.”
Medusa laughed at this and Julana gave her a menacing stare. “I think Zeus should do his part, but you should also pull on the reins of your commander, Cizan. Zeus, why not ban humans from childbearing for a few years? This would appease the Dvays and would keep the Balance intact,” Sapientes suggested.
Zeus sat up straighter when Sapientes addressed him. He wore nothing above his waist exposing his chest. His muscles were so well-defined that Dwade almost believed he was wearing some sort of bodysuit. His wavy, white hair flowed over his shoulders, and his piercing blue eyes sent daggers at Sapientes.
“You want me to tell an entire race to stop reproductive activities?” He gave a low, deep laugh that echoed through the room and made Dwade step back from the glass. “All due respect, Sapientes, but you obviously have very little knowledge of the Elesan. They are nothing like us. Although they believe in the Balance and the power of the universe, they tend to be mildly selfish. Their natural instinct to reproduce and seek pleasure is too strong. I can’t teach hundreds of thousands of people to embrace abstinence in a few days, years even. They are also not like the Readers who will sacrifice everything for the good of all. They are proud owners of free will, and their temperaments vary greatly. What you ask of me is impossible, and even if we could control the human population, I don’t think your solution will be enough for Hoglem.”
Next to the Chancellor, Dwade saw an attractive man who was tall and lithe. He had golden hair that draped down to his waist and covered large shell-like ears. His skin shone silver and appeared moist and slick to the touch. Dwade immediately identified him as Maros, king of the Thae, since he was definitely an aquatic creature.
Upon hearing Zeus’ explanation of the humans, he spoke for the first time. “Cruelty is at odds with existence. I think Zeus is right. What you are asking of him is not reasonable. Humans have a shorter lifespan than any of us. I don’t think we should disturb the natural balance of their existence. We just might make matters worse.”
“Then the only option is to stop Hoglem,” Cizan said, “but this is not as easy as you make it seem. Half of my army is under his command, and they are incredibly loyal to him. I will try to make him see that he is in error, but the last time we spoke, he was quite resolute. And he has a strong belief in himself in a way that I can’t understand. As far as I see it, he already managed to convince a few of you to declare war.”
The Hikar leader, Raiju, was one of the few who listened in silence up until now. For Dwade, the Hikar was the most intriguing of the races, at least in physical appearance. Raiju’s skin at first appeared to be white, but on closer inspection,
he saw tiny flecks of color—blue, pink, green, and red—and it sparkled as if he’d been sprinkled with stardust. He had long hair that was blue and white and perfectly matched his eyes. His face was wolf-like. Dwade couldn’t take his eyes off this beautiful but frightening creature.
“My people are not for war. We have made plenty of sacrifices to protect the Balance, as you all have. The Readers confine themselves to one continent, the Kree do not hunt for sport. None of us live out our true natures. What is balance but limiting one’s natural powers? We are all limiting ourselves, not just the Dvay, and Hoglem should accept this as the way of the universe. I understand it will be difficult to convince him, but it is your duty, Cizan, and if you don’t succeed, he and all his supporters shall know the taste of death.” With his thoughts now in the open, Raiju leaned back in his seat and returned to silence.
The other leaders were taken aback. Raiju was one of the more amiable leaders in the group, and his harsh words made everyone realize the start of war was quite possible, but they were still no closer to finding a resolution.
Dwade sensed their indecision, and he was becoming increasingly restless. “I don’t think Cizan has what it takes to keep his commander in check. We should prepare for our duty, Shasta. Nothing will come of these leaders prattling on.” He left Shasta and Mikhal in the viewing room, exiting the way they’d come in. He had seen enough.
“Smart boy,” Mikhal said to Shasta as he returned to listen to the leaders bicker.
Shasta, uncertain whether she should follow her companion or witness the rest of the meeting, decided to chase after Dwade. She was surprised by his boldness and somewhat irreverent comments directed at the leaders.
Dwade was upset and angry after the things he saw. A group of so-called leaders was doing nothing to save his people. Maybe for the first time in his life, he was grateful to the Balance for choosing him as Protector. I will find a way to save my race. His duty wasn’t about saving any race but the woman who would be the Regenerator.
Shasta found Dwade back in the Chancellor’s room sitting on the floor with a harsh scowl on his face. Violen had accompanied him, and Ivy was there as well. Shasta felt the anger radiating from his body and decided it would be best if he had some time alone. “I need to meditate,” she said. “I’ll be right over there.” She pointed to a chair in the far corner.
Dwade barely acknowledged her statement. He was shocked at how the other races viewed his people. They talked about humans with as much respect as a farmer speaks of his cows. We’re just an accessory, a pest they can’t get rid of.
For the first time in his life, Dwade was hundreds of miles from home surrounded by strangers who thought of him only as an inconvenient life-form. He was suddenly gripped with homesickness. He realized he’d forgotten to say goodbye to his best friend, Zarga, before leaving his village. He wished Zarga or his father had been in the viewing room with him to give him some advice. He had seen these ten leaders, and they were all full of horse shit behind their formidable looks. They’re desperate. None of them wants a war, yet the universe has already called forth the Protector and the Visionary Reader, preparing for the end of a race. Something isn’t quite right, and I am going to find out what it is.
He looked at Shasta as she sat quietly curled up in her chair, her eyes closed. He felt himself calming down and wondered if his emotional patterns were linked to hers. This whole connection thing was really getting bizarre. Shasta stood from her chair and came to stand next to him as if she knew he had settled. Dwade was still searching to see if the connection they shared was romantic in nature. He felt something incredibly strong for Shasta. He was completely secure around her, but still, he couldn’t describe the feeling as love, at least not yet. He gave up thinking about it. He had more important matters in his mind, like saving his people.
He opened his mouth to ask Shasta a question on the subject when he saw Han was coming down the hall toward them with the Chancellor right on his heels looking a bit flustered.
She accosted Dwade as soon as she entered the room. “You left without waiting until the end?”
“There wasn’t much left to hear. That meeting wasn’t going to produce any solutions. Am I right?” The Chancellor’s mouth formed a tight line at his audacious remark, but she said nothing. “It is up to us now. If it weren’t so, the Balance would not have sent for us in the first place.”
Striding toward the table for a glass of water, Amel nodded. “A very wise deduction. I agree with you completely. We’ve wasted enough time with the leaders. We must prepare you both as soon as possible. We must complete your preparations immediately, and then you will begin your quest.” She took a sip of water and then offered a glass to Dwade.
“I hope you don’t mind giving me that bracelet. You need to have a Kama. It is our historical means of transference. If in the future Readers require information from this time period, they may decode our Kamas and witness history. We will need to strengthen your bracelet so it will resist the elements; we cannot risk losing it.” She waited for Dwade to hand it over with her open palm waiting expectantly. “Don’t worry. It will not change in appearance,” she assured him.
Dwade unwillingly handed over his bracelet, the only meaningful possession he had left from home.
Amel swiftly moved on to the next step. “I would like to formally introduce you to Han. He is one of the highest-ranking officers under Mikhal’s command. He will accompany you on your journey. I have no doubt you will have need of his abilities. Violen will also be your escort. She is a skilled Reader and familiar with most of the other lands.”
Dwade noticed Shasta’s eyes brightened when she heard Han would join them. He expected to feel a twinge of jealousy, but it never came. Yet, he still wasn’t happy that Han and Violen would be joining them, Han especially. “Is that a good idea? The fewer of us there are, the less conspicuous we would be,” he said in opposition.
The others were still surprised every time he found a way to stand up to the Chancellor.
“You may be the Protector, but you are still an Elesan, and the dangers you will face are going to consist of things you could only come up with in your wildest dreams. You will have to go through many lands you have never seen the likes of. Violen and Han are soldiers with experience on the main continent. This issue is not up for debate. My top priority is to keep you alive. Han and Violen are the perfect soldiers for the job. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to take care of the preparations. In the meantime, explore Atlantis and become familiar with each other. You will be summoned once the preparations are complete.”
Shasta was glad the Chancellor had won out, and now the thought of traveling to the land of the Zaends didn’t appear as horrible as it had before. Shasta had feelings for Han since she was little. And now she wasn’t only honored with being assigned as the Visionary Reader, but also had the chance of experiencing a journey with Han. Her fears and concerns vanished from her mind.
Dwade and Shasta were alone again as the Chancellor and the two Reader soldiers left the room. Dwade mulled over the Chancellor’s parting words. She was right. He had spoken out of turn and out of pride. With his people now clearly in danger, he felt an even greater responsibility to not fail in their mission.
You should not punish yourself because you spoke out of love for your people, Shasta whispered inside his mind.
Dwade gave a laugh. So you can read my mind and talk to me too?
She responded with a shrug and a warm smile.
Dwade’s grumbling stomach broke the silence, alerting her guest was hungry.
“I suppose it’s almost lunchtime. Let’s eat and then I’ll show you more of Atlantis.”
Dwade smiled. He was excited to see what the rest of Atlantis had to offer, and his heart beat excitedly at the thought of being alone with Shasta and getting the chance of knowing his companion better. He didn’t know why but she was the only person he was comfortable with and trusted.
CHAPTER EIGHT
In the mess hall, Dwade looked around in confusion, those around him doing the same to him. The mess hall, which appeared to be endless, was full of Readers, and Dwade was perhaps the first human to have ever set foot in the room. He started to feel self-conscious as every pair of eyes attempted to burn holes into him.
“Does everyone in Atlantis eat here?” he whispered to Shasta, sticking close to her side.
She smiled, sympathizing with his discomfort. “No, this is one of many halls in the city but probably the largest. In Atlantis, everyone eats at the same time.”
Dwade found this curious. Humans, too, shared similar meal times, but they were not so systematic about it. They could never be so as it was all about finding food to eat. Sometimes they were eating only one meal a day. Sometimes none at all.
Shasta waved at someone in the distance, and he recognized Violen and Han sitting at a table they had to themselves. His heart sank when he saw them. He wasn’t going to spend the entire day alone with Shasta after all.
As they took their seats, food suddenly appeared before Shasta via a strange contraption connected with the table. Dwade stared at it confused then looked down at his own placemat.
“Oh right, sorry about that. Almost forgot.” Shasta reached over and pressed the button for Dwade.
The smell of the food in front of him was better than anything he had back home, and it surprised him that the plate was free of meat. There were some vegetables, beans, corn, and fruit all drizzled with an unknown sauce. Dwade took a tentative bite and gave a pleasurable moan.
Shasta giggled with amusement. “Is it good?”
Dwade nodded vigorously in affirmation, not wishing to stop to answer her. Once his plate was almost cleared, his attention was once more taken by his surroundings. He had noticed the embroidery on the Readers’ robes differed from person to person. “What do those different designs mean?” he asked as he pointed to the suns on Shasta’s own robe.
