* * *
“Come with me.” Mihai was emotionally exhausted as she tugged on Darla’s sleeve, pulling her toward stairs that led high into the upper bleachers. “I need a rest from these well-wishers.” She turned her head to look down at the gathering crowd as the two ascended the steps. “We’ll take a little breather up here.”
“Whew!” Mihai sighed relief, nudging Darla, pointing down toward the main floor. “There, right there, you see where PalaHar and Terey are standing? A trap door in the floor under them allows a person to be lowered out of sight. Well, not just people, but stage props and things like that.”
Darla sat up, asking, “Like what? Why would a council chamber have a trap door for props?”
“Oh…” Mihai smiled. “This wasn’t always a council chamber. Really, it has been that for less than your lifetime. This was the Palace Grand, Mother’s private theater, before the Rebellion, that is. The entire floor was…is the stage, the far wall the backdrop for the plays’ settings. Two and three dimensional holographic scenes would accent the storyline and acting, creating an illusion for the audience, making everything so real.”
She softly stroked Darla’s knee. “There are a vast number of storage rooms and passageways under these bleachers and the many landings scattered about within the seating area. Then there’s the wide upper landing above and behind us that circles around in a horseshoe formation nearly to the far wall. All of those things were originally constructed for the actors’ use, to bring the plays more to life. Oftentimes the people in the audience would become part of the play itself. Oh, it was so much fun.” Then pointing down at the spot earlier mentioned, she added, “I came up through that trap door. I was a flower, blossoming in spring, and I sang a little song after the hidden elevator had lifted up to the stage.”
Mihai nodded dreamily. “I was only eight years old and, as I remember, the center of attention, receiving accolades for such a splendid performance.” Her face clouded. “That was so long ago now, back in the days of endless peace.”
Just then, Governess Anna entered the main doorway, accompanied by two other court officials. Mihai pointed. “See that door? Only the actors came in the way that overlooks the Winter Gardens. The audience always entered from up there, behind us.” She waved her hand in the direction of the upper deck and beyond where a set of double entrance doors were now sealed closed. “We would come down these steps. They were lighted, of course, because the chamber was usually hidden in blackness, awaiting the play. Then we would shuffle our way along the different rows of seating. When the lights came up, oh, what a thrill! You would never know what sights awaited anxious eyes.”
Darla studied the surroundings, fitting Mihai’s tales into what she was seeing. “A person must have been pretty special to get an invite here. There’s only seating for about three hundred or so. You must have been pretty special to come here so often. I’ve only been here once before, and that only on business, like tonight.”
Mihai squeezed Darla’s arm. “No one ever comes here anymore unless it is on business. And yes, I was special, just like every other young child of Mother’s. This is where she showed them off to their older siblings. She made them feel special. I’m sorry that those days were gone before you had your hour of magic here. I…”
Darla sourly interrupted. “I’m made to feel special all right. Every chance they get, someone makes me feel special!”
Mihai took Darla’s hand and looked into her face, her voice gentle but chastising. “There is reason why you have been gifted with the name ‘RachelOchranNohah’, ‘the ewe that makes trouble her resting place’.”
Darla stiffened, peering into Mihai’s eyes. At length, after seeing no malice, she answered, “Old fools sit on old councils dreaming old dreams! They care not for understanding or insight. They pine wistfully for the past and torture any who do not understand such useless dreams. I have been gifted that name by the very fools who do not wish to forget the past, nor remember the deeds of today’s heroes.”
Mihai nodded. “Be that as it may, your actions here this eve were out of line, supporting the argument that you have been gifted the name you rightfully deserve.”
“What’d I do?!” Darla exclaimed.
Scolding, Mihai answered, “You know full well what you did. This night you were my consort, a lady of this court. It was…is your responsibility to act the part, even if you don’t want to. What you did was rude and uncalled for. Ardon is a great councilor in Mother’s court. He is well-respected and deserves to be treated that way.”
Darla sputtered a nasty retort. “Big bag a’ shit…!” She chanced to see a scowl cross Mihai’s face. “Wind…I mean wind… Big words with little meanings that drizzle in a piss pot they are. Chief of the War Honors Council? He wouldn’t know a hero if it bit him on the ass! I didn’t want to waste pleasantries on a fool who would have no real appreciation for them.”
She looked down, folding her hands in her lap. “His kind are what ruined this… your world, too blind and unbending, unwilling to see the demons in the hearts of men. And after they were seen, too stupid to act effectively and bring matters to a rapid finish. His kind waited until my kind took to the field and watched as my kindred were slaughtered while protecting those sorry fools. Then, when the body count was delivered up to them, his kind cried, ‘What?! You ask that we should also honor your dead for deeds well done? There is no honor in dying. It is the living, the judicious, the wise, who deserve the honor, for they protect the people through councils great and small’.”
Mihai’s retort was sharp but tempered. “Rachel! You call down evil on our Mother by those words for she, too, fell into such treacherous reasonings. Are you also bitter of soul with her? How could that be? I know of your unquestioned love for her.”
Darla stared into her lap, saying not a word.
Mihai thought a moment, asking, “What did Ardon ever do to you?”
Darla shot a glance at Mihai, hatred burning in her eyes. “Old fool!” then again stared back down into her lap.
Taken aback, Mihai pondered the reason for Darla’s outburst. After thoughtfully considering the matter, she leaned over and wrapped her arm around her little sister’s shoulder, drawing her close and speaking softly in the girl’s ear. “Today my demons tried to invade my waking hours. They are strong and growing in power by the hour. Do you not also feel their anger, their rage because of being trapped in a mind so filled with love for Mother?”
Darla did not look up or move. No word came from her mouth.
Mihai quietly pleaded, “At least admit to their presence. Admit that you, too, are infected with the Devil’s spawn, as I am. Do not deny that they also live in you. At least admit it to yourself.”
A thunderous voice shattered the moment as Mihai and Darla looked up to see Euroaquilo stepping over the row of seats directly behind them. “How are my precious children tonight, especially my one and my own?” Before either could move, he had swooped down and gathered them both up in a giant, loving, bear hug.
Like the sun breaking out from behind a thundercloud, Darla’s face lit up radiantly. She squealed with delight, stood, flung her arms around Euroaquilo and cried, “I have yearned so for the hour to wrap myself up in your love. My coverlets I have already pulled from the bed in anticipation of your visit. Hurry, my heart is passionate for your manliness. Let’s leave these important fellows to their important business and be off to make some important business of our own.”
The shock of the moment quickly disappeared from Euroaquilo’s face. He grinned, leaning down and kissing Darla on the forehead, exclaiming, “My little roe has missed me so? Am I the only stag in the wood?” He shook his head. “I cannot believe you have hidden yourself away waiting only for me, though it does impress me to think I am so highly sought after...”
Darla nuzzled her head in his chest. “There is no other like you. M
y dreams are your playrooms. You make my heart sing with passion and delight.”
Mihai took Euroaquilo’s hand, her eyes searching his, telling him tales of her concerns and the relief of having him there. A sad smile grew on her face. “Lord Euroaquilo…”
Euroaquilo tipped his head down and kissed Darla on her upraised lips. “Dear little one, I am your willing servant, but business first. You know my motto, ‘the prison of dreary work only heightens the heart’s passion for release.’ So let us off with dreary work so we can ride the wind of heart’s passion with abandon.” Allowing no time for reply, he asked so politely, “May I make company with my two beautiful sisters tonight?”
A giggle rolled from Darla’s lips. She leaned up and kissed Euroaquilo again before dragging him down beside her. In seconds, both she and Mihai were snuggled up close to their companion, Darla on his right and Mihai on his left, the man’s arms around them both.
Darla buried her face in Euroaquilo’s chest, rolling her head back and forth like some puppy nuzzling its master. After a moment she stopped, looked up at his face, a mischievous satisfaction beaming on hers. For several seconds she searched his eyes, her own deep contentment at this moment reflected in hers. Then, with a sigh, the woman became a child again, resting her head on his chest, closing her eyes while listening to the rhythmic ‘thump, thump, thump’ of the man’s beating heart.
In a hushed tone of mock pity, Mihai lamented to Euroaquilo, “I feel you will not be freed from her from company now. No… No… The Fates have surrendered you up to the child. It’s now inevitable. She will not release you until the morning sun burns brightly over the eastern hills, if then.”
Euroaquilo rubbed his cheek on Darla’s head, stroking her hair with a giant, calloused, hand. “Tsk. Tsk. Oh! A fate worse than death! What is a poor fellow like me supposed to do?”
Darla peered up and into Euroaquilo’s face, mumbling something about some earlier romantic interlude or other and just how tortured he had acted. She snuggled closer, wrapping an arm around his middle, and quietly dozed off.
With gentle strokes, Euroaquilo tickled Darla’s back, listening for the slow, rhythmic breathing that told him his charge was resting peacefully. He had always been amazed at Darla’s ability to sleep almost anywhere at any time, and yet her senses always remained alert. He had watched her as a fighter pilot during one of the earlier wars, how as she waited for her ship to be refueled and rearmed, she would crumple up in a corner of the hangar deck, falling soundly asleep, only to jump back to her feet the second her ears heard the click of the fuel hoses being disconnected. He slowly shook his head in marvel.
Watching the attendants far below, preparing the evening’s events, the early arriving councilors seeking out favorite places at ornately carved mahogany tables, they sitting back in the highly decorated wood and leather chairs, Euroaquilo could not stop thinking about who this woman he held really was and just how savagely the Fates had abused her, asking himself if he were any better.
His mind wandered back to the days following Asotos’ open rebellion, and his many regular visits he attended upon Mihai during her convalescing years. Darla had taken a fancy to him, and he to her. Few men dared to stand the child’s attention for long, her queer gaze being most disturbing to them. It was like something or someone stared out from behind Darla’s opaque, pixie-like orbs, always studying them, searching, ever searching. And the child was strange in other ways, too, quirky and elusive, always abstract in speech that was filled with troubling and dark riddles. For some unknown reason, Euroaquilo found himself drawn to the child, but it was more, possibly, out of curiosity than care or concern for her welfare.
Euroaquilo guessed it was for that reason he ignored or rather showed little consideration for the girl’s desires or needs. When her coming of age came and went, Euroaquilo gave it little thought, paying no heed to the many flirtatious advances Darla made upon him. Unlike the custom bestowed upon every other daughter of Lowenah’s, the girl found no man to take her to celebrate her virgin year, which traditionally began in the girl’s twelfth year and lasted into her twentieth. No, Darla languished in silent lament until her late thirties before Mother, through shaming persuasion, convinced him to take the girl for his own - a truth he had ever held secret from the girl, fearing his later affectionate, real love would be thrown in doubt should she discover the truth.
Yes, in time Euroaquilo did fall deeply in love with Darla, and she with him. Eventually he managed to wean the girl away from Mother and the Palace, she being her mother’s most fearsome defender. That obsessive protectiveness for her mother carried over into her relationship with him and, later, her fellow comrades at arms. He well remembered how fearsome she was in battle in those early years, a wild rage beyond all reason consuming her, especially if she was defending a fellow comrade.
And then there were the rumors of her escape from the Stasis Pirates. She and a few others managed to free themselves from their captors. Making their way along a stony gulch, they came upon a Stasis encampment, a rendezvous for several Stasis chieftains who were preparing for winter raids upon the local colonies. It was told that Darla went mad, a staccato insect noise growing in her voice that turned into a screeching howl after she crushed a sentinel’s skull.
Instead of cowering in fright or seeking escape, Darla and a few fellow former prisoners stormed the crowded encampment, the Stasis scattering like leaves in a gale. Charging with the sentinel’s pike, she rushed the camp and, in the gathering darkness, contributed to the slaughter of over eighty of her former captors, the remainder fleeing into the hills or escaping in their ships. Along with those survivors went the name of a new god that haunted the dark passages of their worlds. The ‘Therioskotia’, the immortal god of war, had become part of the lore that even affected some of Asotos’ own army, its reputation flooding the hearts and minds of many a weary enemy soldier on a dark, moonless battlefield.
Euroaquilo’s mind drifted on to more pleasant memories, his hand stroking Darla’s hair as he reminisced over their few carefree moments the two had shared during the girl’s lifetime. Soon the droning chatter from the crowd below and the heated air in the upper bleachers made his eyelids grow heavy. His head slowly dropped as he started to doze.
“My Aquilo...” Mihai whispered as she nudged Euroaquilo in the side.
Euroaquilo’s eyes popped open with surprise. Turning his head, his look of surprise turned to concern at seeing the troubling disquiet on Mihai’s face. “What is it, sister of my youth? Why does your face carry such a sad shadow on this most joyous of evenings?”
Mihai attempted a weak smile. “Oh, sweet brother of mine, to have your merry heart I would surrender all that is, was and will belong to me, but alas, fate does not bargain for baubles of hope. Listen, please. I have heard reports that do not portend well for us, rumors filled with dark foreboding. I see that you have been summoned away from your fleet at a critical hour, along with other officers of high rank who should be standing their post instead of bantering with old comrades in formal attire. And look, the council chambers are filled with our wisest of councilors, some who have traveled for weeks to attend this meeting.”
She shook her head. “No! There is more than meets the eye about this gathering, more than just the formalities concerning another prisoner exchange. The Children of the Darkness are being raised to glory and even now stand ready to bring to a finish what our kind have but dreamed of doing, and in a way that chills my heart. And look…” She pointed below. “Mother hides somewhere in the shadows. Have you ever seen her do such a thing before? Is not her face the first one to greet you at the door?”
Resting a trembling hand on Euroaquilo’s knee, she asked pleadingly, “Tell me, oh, brother of mine, do I hide from shadows of fantasy like a child who runs in terror from a sleeping adder, or does evil exist beyond my sight? Please, if you have knowledge, does our world have reason to fear? Can you explai
n it to me?”
Euroaquilo did not know about the new military arrangements and had scant understanding concerning Mihai’s newly acquired kingship, but he was very wise and insightful regarding current and past events when it came to military matters. He stared into Mihai’s face, surprised at her question. Seeing how troubled she looked, he ventured a reply.
Answering in little more than a whisper, he began, “All things hang by a thread. This you should already know even better than me…you being field marshal, god over the armies of this Empire.”
Mihai lowered her eyes, hiding secrets and her own nagging doubts about coming revelations.
Euroaquilo gave Mihai a reassuring squeeze. “My MihaiAstron, Dawn of the Morning, the Morning Star, did I not bestow that title upon your name those many years ago when you and I stood over the plains of Megiddo, bloodied, but victorious? Did I not hold you, telling you that hope always comes upon a morning light and that you were the morning light for all the universe? You believed me that day. Do you still believe me now when I tell you the same thing?”
Mihai did not lift her eyes to look into his, but she did nod in agreement.
“Good!” Euroaquilo smiled. “Then, as I give my insight, filled with gloom and despair, remember I do not speak without assured hope. Little sister, our kind have lived through endless ages of peace. Our hearts do not - can not - adjust to this new age of endless violence. We continue to seek what is no longer ours, an elusive dream that is never ours to regain. There is our weakness and yet our strength. For, unlike those who surrendered to the new ways of evil violence, who gave their hearts and minds up to the black vengeance by abandoning the heart of our mother, our kind hold true to a hope that returns life to this world. But it is not the life that you and I once enjoyed.”
Darla stirred, sighing ever so quietly. Euroaquilo knew that the child was awake and listening, but chose not to exclude her from this conversation. Mihai had asked her question in the woman’s presence and thus must accept his answer would also fall upon her ears. He held Darla closer, a chill sweeping across his shoulders. “As the hearts of our enemy continue to degenerate, their hatred for all that is good ever grows. At first we did not notice, feeling that for most it was only a great misunderstanding and that they would soon return to their senses. Do I any longer believe this to be really so? For some… maybe. I do ever wish it to be so, but I do not believe it is true for the many.”
He looked down at Darla, who was now resting her head in his lap, her breathing betraying the truth, telling him that she was hanging upon his every word. ‘Very well...’ He went on. “My darling here – Rachel - or as I have called her now these many years, ‘Darla’, is a product of this new and terrible age. Her mind has been twisted and tormented nearly to the breaking point but, unlike our adversaries, her soul has not fallen into the abyss of evil nothingness. Her spirit remains alive within her. The reason, I believe, is the depth of real love the child has for us… our mother and us… all of us. And that includes Ardon.”
Euroaquilo could feel Darla’s muscles tense up, but she refused to make a reply, pretending to remain asleep, wishing to hear more of what he had to say. He smiled again. “Have you watched our child in battle? She is not like us - you and me. There exists no more fear-inspiring creature upon the field than this woman! She fights with abandon, a madness more like the demon enemy than anyone sane. Her ruthlessness is tempered with kindness in the sense that she chooses only death and not torture for her enemy. She, herself, becomes a demon - a white demon - while on the horrid field. Have you ever wondered why?”
Answering without waiting for a reply, Euroaquilo explained, “My child is consumed with a burning hatred that is so intense, she can feel no other thing when that fever is upon her. That voice, the one from deep in her throat? It is the waking demon seeking release to wreak vengeance upon those it believes has hurt the people Darla loves. It is a madness that consumes this child, a madness controlled by sheer willpower, but unleashed upon the field of honor. I shall speak no more of that monster this hour. It is a story for another day. I remind you of it for reason of explanation.”
Mihai shuddered with disquieting thoughts, but remained silent, wanting to hear more.
“Our enemies - those who were once our brothers - are consumed by a similar madness, a hatred for all things good. They, though, have no kindness within themselves; they have no hearts or souls. Their anger is based upon selfish desires and thoughts. Their own degeneration is charged against Mother and those who protect her name. They maim and torture for pleasure and revenge, feeling that it is little repayment for the evil acts done to them.”
Euroaquilo shook his head sadly. “We…we, the enlightened and proud - proud because we believe in a higher order of rule and honor - we do not seek to understand what our enemy has become. We continue to trust in this…this council and others like it, believing we can negotiate with a rabid dog. Our enemy believes in such councils, too, because it buys him time to gain our destruction. Yes, our destruction! Not our surrender...”
“My Dear One, the Great War was an outstanding victory for us, but it was this greatest of victories that dooms us to failure, has doomed us. Everything our people have sacrificed for, to bring an end to the evil wickedness and cleanse our world of Asotos and his servants, has been brought to naught because of what that war did to us.”
Mihai tried to argue that Euroaquilo was mistaken. He shook his head. “No, I am not mistaken! We won that war by armistice, a negotiated victory with both sides choosing how to divide the spoils. Why, we even allowed Legion to remain in Memphis, allowed him to keep the remains of our fallen comrades who perished in front of the walls of the city. Who were the fools that sold the produce to keep an empty storehouse? For that was all that Asotos permitted us to keep - an empty territory gutted of soul and spirit called the ‘Children’s Empire’. He walked away with all the gold and the real victory.”
Mihai was stung, she having been on the council that decided the fate of that war. She refuted Euroaquilo’s statement. “We did what was best for our people. They needed rest. That war had been too costly and our people were worn out and… and… the final hour had not yet come. We needed our energy saved for that day.”
Euroaquilo countered Mihai’s excuses. “By the very Book of Books, the one held sacred by all living souls, it was our hour to drive Asotos and his horde from this realm. You were at our head, our god of war, the warrior king of prophecy. You need have only driven the fool one more time! He was near the breaking point. Your commanders informed you of that, but you chose to listen to the wisdom of the councilors, the ones who had not lifted up a blade in combat or suffered the blows of battle.”
“My sister, you know how deeply I love you. I am your obedient servant. Even now I will follow you to death and beyond if you should only ask me. I hold no grievance against you, or any other man or woman, but I speak the truth as I see it. You asked that of me.”
Mihai nodded, eyes closed. “Yes, I did. But must you make it so painful? I did my best. We did our best. I saw no other way through it. My people needed a break from the slaughter, death, dying, the pain - the terrible, ugly agony of it all.”
“Your people? Your people?!” Euroaquilo sadly shook his head. “We are not your people. Never have been and never will be. We are a free people. My kind will live free or die free. We follow you because we love you, you and our mother, who has sacrificed everything for us, her children. Yet, remember this: should you choose to abandon the field, we - my people - will find another leader who will either finish for us what has been started or shall perish in destruction attempting to bring this Rebellion to a finish.”
”My fleet stood ready that day, that day you ordered us to stand down. Our tears were many for, in that very hour, we could smell sweet victory. One more blow, one more punch, and we would have forced his hand. His power was gone,
sacrificed on the fields of Memphis. The flower of his army lay slain, their blood mixing with that of our defeated brothers who had really won the contest. The universe was ours for the taking. The Great Satan was within our grasp and he knew it.”
Mihai’s tears began to fall. “I am sorry. I did the best I could. I am no warrior.”
Euroaquilo lifted his arm from Darla and with his fingers, wiped away her tears and spoke consolingly. “It is your greatest strength that is also your most vicious enemy. Love, my dear sister, love is a two-edged sword. One must come to understand it or it will devour the things one craves to save. For me, I would rather die forever because your love has caused my demise than to live eternally without it.”
He sighed. “Be that as it may, we must now face the present and future, the past being only an object lesson to gain added insight from.”
“Our enemy suffered no such trauma as you believe our people have or, if they did, Asotos gave them no time for rest to consider it. All these years since the armistice have been busy ones for the League of Brothers. Their forge hammers have not slowed. Day and night, the people ever slave at rebuilding their world. War machines great and small they produce without number. New and powerful are the ships they are gathering to extinguish our Empire. Every able-bodied man and woman stands in the ranks, waiting upon Asotos’ orders, conscripted by him to bring us our own day of infamy. The army is beyond the size of any yet seen in the realms above or those beneath. And when the moment is right, it will strike.”
Euroaquilo closed his eyes, seeing in vision that impending future. “And we are not ready for it….”
Confused and frightened, Mihai shook her head in reply. “This cannot be! Mother has not spoken of this. Her faith is still strong in her children. My people are willing to suffer and die for this cause! They must be ready!”
“You misunderstand, my lovely one.” Euroaquilo explained. “Our brothers are willing to die for this cause, but too many are not willing to live for it, do whatever it takes – costs - to see it through. Deep inside they desire the impossible to take place, to see the Rebellion end with everyone going back to the old ways, the return of old lovers, for everyone to kiss and make up. They know it cannot be that way, but they dream it. And that, my dear sister, makes them weak.”
He looked toward the ceiling. “Our dreams must die and, when they do, we will lose them forever. Yet, there is no alternative other…” He paused, not wishing to finish.
“Speak, brother of mine.” Mihai egged him on. “Speak and keep no secrets. Other than what?”
“Other we suffer the destruction of all living things.” He looked into Mihai’s face. “Mother knows this is so, oh, so true. You are not the only one she reveals secrets to.”
He looked down upon the increasing crowd, lamenting, “The day will soon be upon us when meetings like this one shall be something of the past. Councils waste time, and that is the one thing we are running out of… have run out of.” He rested a hand on Darla’s shoulder. “To survive the coming hour, we must all become like this child of the New Age. We must all become mad…mad for war, for violence, for destruction…mad for the sake of being madmen.”
“We have failed to become mad. Mother has called this council. My belief is she intends to do something to correct that.” Euroaquilo closed his eyes again and spoke troubled secrets. “Look, I have seen in my dreaming hours a beast, hideous and powerful, tearing and destroying all things in its path. It cries out to the night in a strange tongue, the tongue of earthling men from forgotten ages past. It calls out for war, the kind of which we, our kind, have never seen. Yet it stands upon the shores of righteousness, bringing life to the dying and hope to those in despair. The flame of God is in its sword and the beacon of future hope shines forth from its shield.”
Mihai rested her head on Euroaquilo’s shoulder. She wanted to scream out to the sky for it to fall down upon her and consume her in its pity for the fool. Her brother’s words were true, more so than he knew. This night would prove them to be so. She shuddered. The age of innocence was past, never to return. It sickened her to think about what it really meant, yet had she not caused it, wished it to be? The monster lived. It would bring to a finish what she could not. It would make Ma-we’s children into what she refused to: monsters, murderers of all the old ways.
She closed her eyes. In her mind, the world burned. All of their works, their culture, their dreams, their hopes, burned to ashes. Mihai began to feel the pity of a mother watching her children suffer torment and pain. She then looked to Darla, the child of the new and dark age. What had the girl thought concerning Euroaquilo’s tirade?
Opening her eyes and turning to ask the woman, Mihai was caught up in surprise. There Darla, laying on Euroaquilo’s lap, a smile on her face, was fast asleep.
Mihai rested her head on Euroaquilo for some time, watching the people and pondering what future fates awaited them. A large crowd was now gathered - dignitaries, councilors and officers of high rank, most of the great leaders of the Empire. She was beginning to comprehend just how important this meeting was when a stir arose among some of those standing by the door. Mihai craned her neck to see what the commotion was about.
The crowd suddenly stepped back, parting as if an invisible hand had gently pushed them aside. A restless sea of hushed whispers followed as the curious pushed forward to see what was causing the excitement. Then came a sudden, collective gasp of surprise follow by deathly silence. All eyes were fixed on the doorway. Ma-we peered out from a shadowy corner, smiling. ‘My darlings will not doze off this night. Too many questions...’ She laughed. ‘Too many questions…’
The object of everyone’s excitement quietly stepped into the room, a woman, ordinary in stature, beautiful in appearance, other save her officer’s uniform and, of itself, it was quite ordinary, too, in most ways. Her fully buttoned, doubled-breasted jacket was light gray with modest amounts of gold braid on the sleeves and lapels, the collar of a red silk blouse just visible about her neck. Natty trousers with a gold stripe along each leg covered high-top, black officer’s boots. A gray kepi with a large black bill, pulled low over the woman’s forehead, finished her attire.
Oh, how plainly this stranger was dressed, not at all in the fashion of the women of this realm. No jewelry, makeup, or painted lips, something most unexpected for such a royal occasion. And other than the light scent of lilac, a reminder of a recent bath, she wore no perfume. Even her long, curly, brunette tresses were hurriedly gathered together and hung loosely down her back. Indeed, the woman appeared uncomfortable and ill at ease with all the attention being directed toward her.
And why all the attention? The emblems emblazoned on her uniform. A small patch of royal blue encircled with gold thread could be seen on the gore of the kepi, and on the left sleeve and front left breast of the jacket. In the middle of the circle, gold and chrysolite embroidered pomegranates with two ancient runes were woven in mendilevean silver and trimmed in chrysolite-gold…legends in their own right.
The runes were revealed to the people after Asotos’ defeat in the First Megiddo War, emblazoned on the ensign of the army’s commander, Pontifex Maximus Gabrielle. None of the children knew the meaning of the rune words, for they were from an old and strange tongue known to few but some of the oldest of the Ancients. Gabrielle it was who translated them into the common tongue, ‘Jachin’, and the second, ‘Boaz’, telling the meaning to be, ‘Yehowah has firmly established in strength’. And it was she who placed the names upon the pillars standing each side of Heaven’s Gate at the great temple door in the City of David. And it was she who later cast the pillars down in disgust, handing over the names and their titles to the new field marshal and leader of the armies, Mihai, after the burning and plundering of that same temple in the last age of free men, abandoning mankind to themselves and their own fate.
It had only been their field marshal,
Mihai, who had ever possessed the power of those names, some believing it made her invincible in combat. Needless to say, to see the power of the Cherubs decorating the uniform of another - a stranger, no less - did not bode well in the minds of those seeing such a thing. An unsettled murmuring arose among the gathered crowd.
Trisha smiled nervously, politely bowing her head and lifting her kepi in salutation. She stared into a chorus of questioning and hostile eyes. Lowenah had told her to expect the unexpected, but nothing could have prepared her for this icy welcome. Could these creatures really be the angels of story and legend that she had so longed to gaze upon in reverent admiration for all their wondrous deeds of bravery and loyal service? “Oh, for the lot of Steven… Should I be as blessed...” she muttered under her breath as she watched faces growing in disdain and anger.
Mihai was caught totally by surprise, never expecting to see her own kindred acting so rudely. As she stood to go to Trisha’s assistance, Euroaquilo took her by the arm, shaking his head. “Give it a moment, Love. There comes rescue on golden wings.”
At that instant, a handsome dark-haired man wearing a wide, toothy grin, burst through the crowd, his arms outstretched in welcome, rushing up to Trisha, sweeping her hands up in his. “My Lady! My Lady! You look splendidly beautiful tonight!” Zadar cried just before bending down and kissing the woman’s hands.
Turning to the shocked and surprised gathering, Zadar saluted his people. “The hour of the night is begun! Our dreams are awaking to promises fulfilled. Tonight our journey is started. Fate is no longer our master. Let us rejoice with our sister in the new world that stands just outside our door. ‘And down the great dragon was hurled!’”
Bewildered, the people dumbly stared at Zadar who remained there, holding one of Trisha’s hands and grinning with delight.
Darla was now sitting up. She leaned in close to Euroaquilo, squeezing his hand. “I knew he was on a new scent. He can smell a fresh roe a hundred leagues away...”
At that moment, Mihai managed to work her way through the confused throng of onlookers. Trisha released Zadar’s hand, grasping Mihai’s as she drew near. Bowing at the knees, she bent low, kissing Mihai’s hand. “My Lord...” Trisha called out in salutation. “Is my Lord well and in good spirits on this festive occasion?”
With all the charm of royalty, Mihai gracefully pulled Trisha to stand. Leaning forward, she gave her a tender kiss on her lips. In a voice just above a whisper but clear as an evening bell, she offered her salutations and congratulations to this evening’s stranger. “Let me be the first of my kind to welcome you to this honorable house and to the glory awaiting you here. Our Great Lord has set before us a creation to lead us into our future glory. Praise be to our Great Lord for bringing you to us in our darkest hour.”
Trisha winced as if in pain. Looking into Mihai’s eyes, she made a quiet reply only for her ears. “My Lord, I am a slave girl, born of the dirt of common stock, a tender of flocks and nursemaid to the snow lilies and brambles. I do what is requested of me to the best of my ability, but shall it be good enough? I do not know. I do not think myself well-suited for this job.”
Mihai smiled, kissing Trisha again and then softly replied, “A true soldier rarely does.”
Trisha smiled sadly, leaning close. “But will your lips still find mine so pleasant after this eve?”
Puzzled, Mihai stood back, her hands tenderly holding Trisha’s upper arms as she forced a smile. “Why… why ask such a silly question?” She then turned to the anxious crowd, raising an arm with outstretched fingers, calling out, “To those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting her, allow me to introduce to you TrishaQa·Shaib·Jal, a child of secret worlds and hidden lands, raised god of thunder and smoke. She brings the morning light, a new day’s dawning. Her sword writes red the sky in tumult and power. The hour of our glory draws near!”
She stared into eyes troubled and dumbfounded. Frowning, she cried out, “Give honor to our Great Lord, our Mother and Creator of all living things! This child she has made in her own image!”
Mihai’s outburst shook the crowd into action. Collectively they bowed on bended knee, answering with the respectful words, “My Lord.”
Satisfied, Mihai now commanded, “Now, please, honor me with giving our guest the same salutation you provided me.” Motioning Zadar to act as liege, she politely bowed toward Trisha and stepped aside to allow another to come forward.
No one refused to introduce himself or herself to the new field marshal, especially since Mihai had commanded it and, by the time the formalities were finished, the room was again filled with the chorus of carefree chatter, Trisha only a curious memory from an awkward moment. This was when Ma-we chose to make her entrance into the theater of secrets, gathering everyone’s attention to her… that is all, save one.
Trisha made her way into the dimly lit recesses of the bleachers, she wanting a quiet respite from her nervous encounters and formal introductions. It was not to be.
“Why, Hello dear! I wanted so much to meet your acquaintance.” Anna stepped out from the shadows, giving Trisha a loving hug. “I’m sorry I missed you at the greeting, but I was very busy running some errands for our new king, Mihai. It’s so exciting, isn’t it? I mean to have a new king and a new field marshal here at one time, in one night! So exciting! So exciting!”
Anna bantered on about all the new things going on, the many dignitaries and military leaders present. “Why, I think I’ve not seen such a glorious crowd of important people since the end of the Great War. Have you ever?”
Trisha dumbly agreed, not admitting that she knew nothing of the Great War except from books and visual records. Anna lowered her head, half closing an eye while studying her with the other. At length she smiled, changing the subject. After some lighter chatting she excused herself, returning to those who had flocked around Ma-we. When the coast was clear, Trisha made her way to a door hidden far under the bleachers, slipping unnoticed through it, or so she thought.
“Oh!” A woman bolted up from a desk where she had been writing some notes.
“I…I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to intrude.” Trisha’s face reddened in embarrassment as she backed against the closed door. “I didn’t know the room was occupied. Just trying to get a breath of air from the crowd.”
“No! No! It’s all right. I was… was just leaving on an errand… an errand, you know.” The woman fumbled for the papers on the desk. “It’s so busy around here, you know… you know. Last minute work… last minute.” She hurriedly turned to go and then thought better of it.
Turning back around, she approached Trisha. “I’m sorry to be so rude. Got so busy with my work… you know, all the things going on this night… so busy. I’m Eliseah, adjunct to the council. And you must be our new… er… field marshal… er…”
“TrishaQa·Shaib·Jal. Yes, I guess I’m the new field marshal.” Trisha extended her hand, opening the door with her other.
Eliseah took Trisha’s hand with hers and stepped in, wrapping her other hand around Trisha’s back. She swiftly moved close, sensuously kissing a much surprised field marshal on the lips.
Feeling Trisha’s troubled reaction to her advances, Eliseah opened her eyes, curious, asking, “Does my Lord not find her servant girl’s lips acceptable? Is the fragrance of her breath not sweet enough? I am sorry if I have offended my master.”
Trisha had tried so hard to accept the ways of these people. Many times she had watched the way the women made love to each other but, still, it troubled her heart. Even the kissing of her sisters on the lips was only recently an acceptable thing for her to practice. She so much wanted to fit in and not be offensive. It was so difficult at times. She shook her head. “No. No, your lips are soft like petals of rose and your breath is refreshing like a summer shower. It… it is just the night, I believe. So much is on the mind of one newly troubled with heavy responsibilities. It
fogs things up.”
Eliseah offered an elusive smile, revealing more than what she replied, but Trisha could not figure out its meaning. “Oh, my Lord, many are the secrets hidden in this world of men. A kiss tells us many things, more than one might imagine.”
Squeezing her hand, Eliseah offered an alibi for her sudden departure and then hurried through a rear door that led down a long, dark corridor to more chambers, which eventually led to an exit onto the concourse near the Winter Gardens. From there she hurried to a tramwaiter that was to take her out past Palace City, eastward toward the Huushan Rail Stage Terminal. An hour further east and she would depart at the Waldreain Hill Terminal, making her exit from EdenEsonbar. At least that was her intention.
Watching from the shadows, angry eyes observed Eliseah’s sensual embrace. A voice cursed under its breath, “The night turns red, but which one will it be?” After seeing the woman’s rapid exit, the person behind the voice abandoned the council chambers in hot pursuit, mumbling about Trisha, who remained standing at the door. “It fools them, but it doesn’t me. Its blood I shall pour out on the ground. It hasn’t a fortnight….”