Today was simultaneously stressful and one of relief. So where were we...oh yes. The human who changed his mind.
Once again I had to repeat myself 5 times that we needed to find a safe place to discuss the situation...my band however insisted on not using common sense and standing about talking about it in this office while these Keepers closed in. Finally the others left and I turned to Reginald. He was a loose end, we had told him where the cave was and he was going to tell the Keepers about us...but he could still serve a purpose. Before they left I let Rhia know my thoughts and she agreed which made me even more secure in my decision. I began the prayer and shoved my obsidian knife into him only to have it go through him. Curse this being dead shit! My anger and frustration at everything boiled over and I snatched a letter opener off the desk and started again. This time it bit in and with a little force and a lot of blood I worked his heart out and watched as the ritual seemed to work...confirmed by an eagle call that did not come from Cal. Rhia came in in time to see the blood flake off into the wind and hear the call and we left heading up.
We found Ben and Kelly but apparently Rupper and Wu went another way. *sigh*breath in*breath out* Ben sent Pepper to look for them as Cal scouted outside, and it wasn't long before Pepper screeched she was trapped. We headed quickly to her as Rhia babysat Kathy who was mimicking a statue of the Aztec titan, Coatlicue. Cal reported there was less Keepers out front and that they did not see him. After Rhia promised her a reward if she moved we were finally headed out, meeting up with Wuyi and Rupper on our way. After yet another discussion we made our way out, unseen by the Keepers and headed to the cave. Something was bothering Rupper but to be honest now was not the time to stop and ask about it. We needed to close that cave.
Once we arrived we saw spirits leaving it and then a breeze and a voice came from the cave asking about his brother...and I knew it was Thanatos asking about Hypnos. The more we talked the harsher the wind became as Thanatos became more an more angry. It was literally cutting at all nearby, flaying the spirits and opening cuts on the others. Wuyi had enough and ran down the tunnel and I began to pray, pleading with my father to aid us. On the horizon there was what looked like a heat shimmer but quickly became apparent someone was coming. I took up a defensive stance as it approached, unsure of who it would be but gasped in surprise and fell to my knees when I saw it was my father. Rupper and Rhia followed Wuyi and as my father stopped in front of us a protective barrier sprung forth around us. I arose and my father greeted us though he was not pleased to see us. The short of it? We had sacrificed ourselves to seal in a titan (we knew this) and were not in our own afterlives because we were to guard in vigil over said titan...but we were give Lethe water by Joshua somehow and forgot our Duty. A white hot rage surged though me at this thought. I had been tricked out of my sacred duty. A duty I had given all for. I swore to my father then that if he helped return us to life I would take Epimetheus heart in sacrifice for him...it would be one of my greatest offerings to him. And then he dropped a bomb referring to Ben as my husband. My HUSBAND!? I'm married!? I was shocked and just stood there...Ben must have known cause he had asked me earlier to talk with him alone...but there was no time to process this. Father said to go help our friends and return before the sun set. At his orders I snapped out of it and dashed down the tunnel. Inside it felt good to hear an order from him...it had been so long.
At the shore of the Lethe, Rhia was controlling the water to hurl the strings out, presumably to give back to Hypnos. Both Rupper and Kelly touched his memories and briefly channeled them taking up more time than I had patience for. As the two of them ranted I went to the boulder and Wuyi and Ben joined me in shoving it back in place. We all squeezed through the holes made by Ben earlier and as we ran for the surface I saw the light fading to almost nothing. Luckily we made it just in time and Father had a litter waiting to take us with him. We all climbed wearily in and Father told Rhia her blood was always welcomed. If I weren't so tired from everything I would have rolled my eyes but even that was too much effort at the time. Father took us to his realm and looking at it I had a sense of knowing where everything was but of course no memories of it at all.
A pair of servants stepped forward and offered to take us to the royal chambers but I needed to get away from the group to talk to Ben. I strode by them, Ben in hand, and went to where I knew was our room. I told them to leave us alone until called for. Ben told me about his memory...one of our wedding and he was having a hard time searching his feelings. I admit I am not much better at that but on the trip here I examined my own. I told him I knew that his presence is soothing to me and his touch both calms and excites me. I told him of killing Reginald and of my own memory to be sure he understood what he had married. Blessedly though it did not matter. He said he feels protective of me, more so than the others, but was worried about emotions being weakness. I told him it wasn't weakness, it made us human, made us alive, and pointed out I had been able to set my feelings aside once to do what was needed. I reached for his cheek and he caught my wrist asking what the others would think. I pointed out they approved before and we were already married. We had not even parted in death. Then he asked how we could be sure that bond was still there and I did the first thing that came into my head..I leaned in and kissed him, and to my ever lasting relief he kissed me back. and without going into detail we found our rhythm again reintroduced ourselves to each other as man and wife. We lay in bed for many minutes afterward, a sense of belonging settling into me and seeming to heal wounds I did not know I had. I turned to him and looked into his eyes as I whispered against his lips the words I knew to be true "I love you." And my heart sang for joy when he returned the sentiment.
After some hours we left the room to find Rhia and Wuyi reclining at the feast table. She wanted details of course and Ben teased her a bit before I introduced her to the one person more important to me than her, my husband. She was speechless, which was nice for once, and when she recovered we told her about the wedding which was a mix of Aztec and Egyptian customs to which bother our fathers attended. When Wuyi fell asleep there was more serious talk when Kelly arrived, but she too fell asleep against Rhia and I was tiring as well...between the physical wear and tear and even more the EMOTIONAL wear and tear I was exhausted and fell asleep in my husbands arms...that's going to take time to get used to, husband...but I'm up for the challenge.
No comments:
Post a Comment