‘Jake and Savannah, you do know that once you two have moved on, there is a possibility that you two may or may not meet. And, if you two meet, the circumstances would be different’ Nara said as she held Jake and Savannah’s arms.
‘We are prepared for any eventualities. We have had so much fun here that could last us several lifetimes, even if we don’t meet anytime soon and if we do meet, it would be in flesh and blood’ Jake said with Savannah nodding in agreement.
‘The light has come’ Mother said as she pointed to the bright funnel-like white light which had appeared at the centre of the living area.
Jake and Savannah made their way to the centre of the light as the waved flying kisses and goodbye to us. We responded in a similar manner. As both of them looked up, their souls were flushed upwards in a matter of minutes, never to be seen again.
Chapter 23 - The Sacred Triad
It had been three months since Jake and Savannah moved on. The cottage had become quiet, which was something we were beginning to get used to. Sarah was missing Jake’s antics of walking through walls and not knocking when entering the room. She was sad for a few weeks and eventually accepted the fact that Jake was no longer with her. Her friendship with Savannah had developed to an extent that they shared their deepest darkest secrets. Mother and Nara were missing Jake and Savannah and would occasionally talk about them or shout out their names, only to receive silence in reply.
One evening, while chatting after dinner, there was a knock on the door. We were surprised as we were not expecting anyone. I walked and opened the door and saw Dea standing, ‘Dea, what a pleasant surprise! Welcome to my humble abode’ I said as I guide her to the living area where we are all gathered. Immediately, everyone rises and pleasantries are passed. Mother and Nara give Dea a hug first; Dea then proceeds to give Sarah a hug and asks, ‘how have you been dearest?’ to which Sarah replies, ‘all good’ as she kissed Dea on her cheeks.
Sarah enters the kitchen and returns with a cool drink for Dea together with some homemade chocolate chip cookies which she had baked earlier that day. ‘These are simply divine! You made these, Sarah?’ Dea asked while taking another piece. ‘Yes, I did, I made it for tea time today’ Sarah said, ‘it’s … I have got no words!! Divine! Yes, divine!!’ Dea continued.
Once everyone was seated and the chocolate chips were re-filled, Dea said, ‘Aidan, I heard that Jake and Savannah have moved on. They have made the right choice and rest assured they are in a better place now’ Dea said as she looked at Sarah and Nara.
‘Where are they? What will happen to them? Will they be together?’ Sarah asked as looked at Dea. ‘Sarah, they are in the Realm of In-Between, a realm where the souls of the departed are passed through judgment. My knowledge on what happens to them and if they will be together are just as good as yours, I don’t decide what happens to them. We can only hope for the best. But, if they are ever reincarnated as human form, you have the ability to tell them apart and they would recognize you’ Dea said assuring us.
Dea then turned around and looked at me, ‘Aidan, the reason for my visit is that I want to introduce you to Asus and Tate. You, Asus and Tate make up the sacred triad and you would be our only hope in the event of an impending war with the demons. I will be arranging a meeting for the three of you to meet, as humans and in your true forms’ Dea continued. Mother then said, ‘the sacred triad are a powerful trio but wouldn’t it more potent if their spouses were included into the mix?’
‘Marella, their spouses are important, no doubt and the six of them together would be perfect for us. However, bear in mind that the female energy needs to procreate to enhance her powers. Only upon procreation does the female energy expand, as of now, only Aura and Athenea have procreated. Iris still hasn’t and that is itself a weakness in the link of the six’ Dea explained Mother, Nara and Sarah listened attentively. ‘Sarah, please come with Aidan and I’ll introduce both of you to the four of them. Aura is the wife of Asus and Athenea is the wife of Tate’
There was a brief silence in the room and then Dea rose, ‘I’ll take my leave now. Marella and Nara, it’s been great meeting with you two. Maybe I should come down to Earth more often’ Dea said as Marella and Nara gave Dea a group hug and answered, ‘yes, you should!’
Dea then turned towards Sarah and me, ‘we’ll be meeting very soon’ Dea tells us as I take Sarah and Dea in and give them a group hug. ‘Definitely!’ I answered, ‘I am getting good vibes about them as we hug!’ I say and immediately everyone laughs.
~~
Two weeks had passed since Dea had visited us. She had called for meeting between Sarah and I with Asus, Aura, Tate and Athenea. The meeting was to be held at Playa de Roda Beach in Cies Islands off the coast of Pontevedra in Galica, Spain. Sarah and I bid farewell to Mother and Nara and within minutes, we were already at the beach.
We were astonished at the beauty of this beach. This area was a protected natural park and we could see why. It had dramatic cliffs, pine and eucalyptus forests and white sandy beach. Playa de Roda was a long, crescent shell-like beach with a lagoon at its back, where emerald green waters of the lagoon would occasionally merge with the navy blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The emerald waters of the lagoon complemented perfectly with the greenery of the island.
As we arrived early, we decided to stroll along the beach. It was still early in the day and the sun had not risen, the beach was empty as the crowds had not arrived. Sarah and I found a secluded spot at the tip of the lagoon and watched the sunrise over the horizon. It was a beautiful sight as if the sun had thrown orange paint over the sky and dabbed it with streaks of blue. The sun was a bright reddish orange and gradually turned yellow as it rose higher above the horizon.
Just after sunrise, as we rose and dusted off sand from our shoes and clothes, Dea appeared in a cloud of mist in front of us followed by four others, two males and two females. I was surprised to see all of them smiling and I sensed that they were friendly and meant no harm. As we faced each other, Dea introduced each of us.
Asus who stood by Dea’s right, was a tall man, about five feet eleven inches, to be exact. He had blonde hair and was clean shaven, not a stub in sight. He wore blue jeans and a checkered short sleeved shirt. His facial features were sharp and his body showed that he was fit. He was much older than me, in human years although there was not a grey hair in sight. Aura, his wife who stood beside him and held his hand, was a tall, five feet, nine inches tall to be exact. Aura had a slim figure and the black jeans and halter neck blouse highlighted her curves. She wore a lace cardigan which covered her blouse.
Tate, who stood by Dea’s left, was just as tall as Asus. He, however, had black hair which fell slightly below the shoulders. He had tied it loosely into a ponytail. He looked stern but behind the stern façade, he gave a smile. He wore a business suit without a tie, and had unbuttoned the first button on his shirt. He held his wife by her waist. Athenea, was similar to Aura in many ways, from her height to the way she dressed. Athenea wore a sleeveless front button blouse and black slacks. Among the four, we sensed that Tate and Athenea were more relaxed.
‘I get good vibes from everyone here. Let’s keep it that way’ Dea said. ‘It would be great if the six of you could get to know each other better’ Dea continued.
‘Tate, Asus and Aidan, the three of you make up the sacred triad. I would encourage you to try out your powers, preferably in the Realm of the Gods. Athenea, Aura and Sarah, it would be good to try out your powers as well, never know when we may need it’ Dea said as she hugged each of us and left.
‘Aidan and Sarah, it’s good to have finally met both of you!’ Tate said with Athenea nodding in agreement. ‘You two have been the talk of town ever since that incident on Earth, what was it … I can’t remember now’ Athenea said as she looked at Tate, trying hard to remember but not getting it. ‘Anyway, it’s a pleasure knowing you, what about tea tomorrow, what say Double A’ Tate looked at Asus and Aura who laughed and smiled, ‘yea
h, when and where we’ll be there, just make sure it’s on Earth … seriously, nothing beats good food on Earth!’
‘So, we’re on tomorrow? All confirmed?’ Asus asked as he looked at us. ‘Yes, Sarah and I are in’ I answered while Tate and Athenea nodded and said, ‘we’re in too!’
‘Ok, we’ll meet here and we can decide where to eat then, it’s been a while since we have been here’ Aura said she smiled coyly at Asus.
‘They came here for their honeymoon, eons ago!’ Athenea told a shy Sarah. ‘Ooh, it’s a beautiful place for a honeymoon’ Sarah answered.
‘So, Aidan, where are you two putting up?’ Tate asked as he patted my back. ‘We haven’t decided, would take a stroll and check in any available hotel, I guess. What about all of you, where will you guys be?’ I asked curiously.
‘Well, we were considering putting up a night in Islas Cies campsite. We’ll be taking the small tent for two persons; maybe you should check it out. Let’s have a campfire tonight, we’ll toast marshmallows and share ghost stories. You guys are most welcome, I’m sure additional tents can be arranged’ Asus said sarcastically but in a joking manner.
Sarah nudged and looked at me and nodded while Athenea did the same. We soon found ourselves headed to Islas Cies campsite and made our reservations. As Asus was a regular guest, getting additional tents wasn’t an issue. We decided to get some rest, freshen up and meet for dinner.
‘Aidan, when Asus said ghost, did he remind you of anyone?’ Sarah asked curiously. ‘Yeah, of course it did. Jake and Savannah are gone but they will always remain in our hearts’ I answered as I hugged her from behind and gave her a kiss on her cheek.
~~
At 7.00 pm, we meet the other four at O’ Rizon Café in Baiona. When we reached this hotel, we were greeted by a partially covered walkway to the entrance of this restaurant. At the side, the signage of this restaurant was its name with an anchor by its right side painted in white while there was a ship’s wheel painted in maroon color. As Asus met the concierge who confirmed our reservation, which was made earlier, by Tate, we were led to our table for six. The aroma of seafood, paella and tapas wafted through our nostrils.
Asus read our orders to the waitress who listened attentively. Although Sarah and I had never eaten Spanish food before, we were game to try something new. Asus ordered asparagus with lemon and orange sauce and grilled shrimp wrapped in Serrano ham for appetizers, paella with chicken and chorizo, empanada, caldero and Galician soup for the main course. For desert, Asus ordered churros, Calanda peaches with wine in yogurt sauce and rice pudding. For drinks, the ladies chose a jug of sangria. Asus, Tate and I opted for San Miguel beer. We had a hearty meal and had a good time getting to know each other at an informal gathering.
Chapter 24 - The White Truce Flag
It had been two months since our meeting with Asus, Tate, Aura and Athenea. We returned to St Just and made arrangements to return to the Realm of the Gods. Sarah had wanted to practice on transforming into Iris and use her senses and capabilities to her full extent. It was also as Iris, that we were able to exchange thoughts and read each other’s mind, so a sharpening of senses was needed to block out unnecessary noises which could disrupt telepathic communication.
The ambience at the Realm of Gods had never changed despite the occasional tremors that had hit it during the past year. Dea’s palace was calm and serene. Birds were chirping among the huge trees. The gardens were well manicured and the fountain in front of the main entrance was flowing with red wine, occasionally.
‘Welcome! Welcome! Agrona greeted us as she opened the door and gave each of us a tight hug. Alan, did the same while Aine and Caden, who had grown a few feet taller, stood behind Agrona and Alan, shyly. ‘Dea is in a meeting with the Elders. She will meet you guys soon. Come, have a seat’ Agrona gestured to the palatial couch.
‘Aidan, Sarah, Marella and Nara, this is your home too, please make yourselves comfortable’ Agrona said as she gestured Frank to get us cold drinks and cakes and pastries. Frank brought ice lemon tea, lemonade, fruit cake, moist chocolate cake, pineapple tarts and apple crumble.
A few minutes later, Dea and the Elders walk in. We exchange greetings and pleasantries as we hug each other. It was a happy occasion, with everyone smiling, laughing and joking. There was a lot to catch up on. After the others had retired to their rooms, Dea, I and the elders discussed about the latest intelligence reports on all realms, the latest news of god activities and Nemesis progress report. Dea was glad to report that Nemesis had made good progress and was now matching couples who were truly in love. In fact, she had fallen in love herself, but doubt consumed her. I would speak to Nemesis on another day.
~~
The next day, the Realm of the Gods had some unexpected visitors. Just after breakfast, there was a knock on the door. When Frank opened the door, he was surprised to see Jester, holding a white flag in his hands with Balor and Ambisagrus behind him. Frank instructed them to wait there as he called Dea.
When Dea heard of it, she instructed Frank to let them in and to serve them drinks. Dea called for me and together, we met Balor and Ambisagrus, who were now seated on the sofa. Frank had placed the drinks and some savories on the table and left.
‘What a surprise!’ Dea said as she sat on a single sofa, with her left leg resting on her right knee. I stood behind her with my arms crossed across my chest.
‘We have been thinking about this for some time now’ Ambisagrus said as he looked at me and nudged Balor, who was looking at the floor throughout the conversation. Balor looked up and turned towards Ambisagrus and then looked at Dea guiltily and said, ‘ma’am, I am sorry for what I have done in the past, despite the first warning, I went ahead and broke the truce. I would like to request a new truce’
‘A new truce? Why should I agree to your new truce?’ Dea asked sternly. ‘Because, this time, we offer The White Flag Truce, as you can see, Jester has brought and placed the white flag here. In this truce, we, the demons, from the lair of the demons, seek peace with the Gods. We shall move away and will not harm mortals anymore’ Balor said as Ambisagrus nodded in agreement.
‘And, if this white flag truce is broken, yet again?’ Dea asked sarcastically.
Balor and Ambisagrus looked at each other, speechless and bewildered. They had broken a previous truce and it was obvious the Gods didn’t trust them.
‘Taran will vanquish them for good! Once and for all!’ I answered as all three turned to look at me. Dea smiled while Balor and Ambisagrus were in whispers, discussing their next course of action.
‘I agree to that, Aidan!’ Dea said as she rose and stood next to me. ‘Is this agreed and understood?’ Dea asked Balor and Ambisagrus.
Hesitantly, Balor and Ambisagrus nodded in agreement and said confidently, ‘agreed and understood!’
‘With this, we now form a new truce, with the Elders as our witness; this verbal white flag truce is now enforced with immediate effect!’ Dea said to a surprised Balor who said, ‘the Elders’
The Elders appeared in a mist of white clouds and said, ‘we heard everything and we bear witness to this historic day, where a new truce is formed with deadly consequences if broken’. Their appearance took Balor and Ambisagrus by surprise but they didn’t argue, all that mattered was, there was peace, in all realms. Balor and Ambisagrus took their leave and soon departed to the lair of the demons. They would close Darkness Club, permanently.
After they had left, the Elders made their exit, leaving Dea and I, ‘do you think they would honor this truce?’ I asked Dea as we sat down while Frank cleared the cutlery. ‘Frank, please bring some tea for Aidan and I’ Dea continued.
‘They better honor the truce this time … death befalls them, should they breach it’ Dea said happily. ‘Thank you, Frank’ Dea and I said as Frank placed two cups of tea for us.
‘You sound happy at that thought, why, may I ask?’ I couldn’t help asking Dea. ‘Aidan, Balor and Ambisagrus are lower level demons. They mu
ltiply and their strength lies in their numbers, much like cockroaches, I would say’ Dea said as I couldn’t help laughing.
‘I like it how you compare demons to cockroaches!’ I said as we laughed to our hearts content. Once we had calmed down, I asked, ‘what about Kelly, he is a demon too’
‘Kelly is a higher level demon, one not filled with hate and revenge. Their strength lies in their quality, not quantity. And, honestly, I trust Kelly more than I trust these two. What is Kelly up to these days?’ Dea asked curiously.
‘He has returned to his homeland. He met his armies and generals and allowed them to return home to meet and spend time with their families. He plans to go on a holiday to Playa de Roda, after Sarah bragged about how lovely the beaches were there. After that, Kelly, Alexi, Zephyr and Marin would scan the Atlantic Ocean to locate the Nectar of Immortality’ I answered Dea as I sipped the tea.
‘You still believe it’s in the Atlantic Ocean?’ Dea asked as she took a piece cake and placed it on her plate.
‘Yes, I believe and know so’ I answered Dea confidently to which a smile formed on Dea’s lips as she said, ‘you never fail to amaze me, Aidan’