O Saga: Part One: Book of Origins
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Aftermath

Malum and Thea came to watch Chancellor Flaero give his acceptance speech before the Ishavaran and Qamatan people in Dhara. Newly chosen flags and crests were being waved with vociferous glee. People had smiles on their faces and hope in their hearts.

Marketplace vendors were flush with fresh produce and baked goods. Strong beverages flowed in the taverns as a carnival atmosphere filled the air. Dhara was freshly swept, and all the city gardens were freshly trimmed. The statues and hidden corners had been dusted and cleaned. Nothing was left untouched, as everyone wanted to start the future right.

The drought plaguing the area had lifted, and many saw it as a sign of brighter things.

Chancellor Flaero wasn’t the only one elected. Every District of Qamata and Ishvara now had a senatorial representative. Judges and a new court system were being implemented. Both Nations were now one nation, The Republic of Gehenna.

“If you overly credit men, the people become powerless

If you put faith in possessions,

A nation becomes full of greed and ambition.

I seek to lead in a new way where every citizen is equal.

It will require us all to empty our minds of what came before and look to a future of what can be.

We have already shown our resolve. Let us share our desires and abandon our wants in exchange for our needs.

The fight is just beginning.

I promise a future of opportunity based on merit and not inheritance.

From this day forward, you shall decide your future.”

Flaero stepped down from the terrace overlooking the city to see cheers, flags waving, and the people elated in excitement. Malum and Thea made their way to his friend.

“Good speech,” Malum told Flaero.

“You liked what I said?”

“I liked that it was short.”

“Have you and Thea decided what you’re going to do?” Flaero asked.

“We are heading back to the farm,” Thea said.

“You two will always have a place here with me.” The newly crowned Chancellor offered.

“Maybe someday we’ll take you up on that offer, probably when we need a favor.” Malum joked.

“Fair enough; after all, you both are national heroes now,” Flaero said.

“What will you be doing with all this new power? Or should I be more formal? Shall I address you as Chancellor?”Malum teased.

“You can always address me by Flaero; friends don’t need such formality.” Malum turned to Thea to see if she had anything to say. Thea looked like she was fine with Malum and Flaero dominating the conversation.

“I’ll be sailing soon; I’m going to go out and see the people I govern and listen to what they have to say,” Flaero continued.

“A politician who listens to his people sounds dangerous. Suppose you’ll make some enemies. The fight goes on,” Malum said.

“We’ll leave the fighting up to you this time,” Thea added.

“Don’t be so sure it’s all done. I’ll be sad to see you two go,” Flaero lamented.

“So will we; you have become like an Uncle to me. Your guidance has helped me tremendously.” Malum admitted. “The people are with you. Now that you are Chancellor, you won’t be able to help me develop my powers. I want to thank you for all you’ve done for me.”

“I will always have time to help you, Malum. I, too, consider you like a Nephew. That is why I say, don’t be surprised when I come knocking on your door, asking for help again.” Flaero warned.

“I hope that if you come to the farm, a hungry belly is all that you will need help with. That we can do with abundance.” Thea added.

“Yes, and if I come to the farm, you won’t be the only ones I come to see. Your magnificent horses, Morgan and Nox. And what’s the donkey’s name?”

“Stully.”

“Stully, that’s right.”

“Don’t go forgetting us,” Malum said as they were departing

“Don’t worry; you’ll never be far from my thoughts. Flaero said with an undercurrent of mischief.

———

Malaika and Chaska had finally recovered from all the celebrations, ceremonies, and events honoring them, which was tiresome. They were finally going to be able to head back to the mountains. Malaika saw that Ichante and Apollyon had come over to say goodbye.

“Back to the mountains?” Ichante asked.

“For now,” Malaika said.

“Don’t forget us in Hanwi. I would love to spar with you some more.” Said Ichante.

“Anytime you want to lose, I’m ready for it,” Malaika said.

“You’re the daughter of a Chief, and I’m the daughter of a King; we make a pretty good match,” Ichante said.

Malaika blushed at the unintended meaning. Some awkward pauses and silences turned into awkward glances.

“It was nice seeing you, Princess Ichante, but I’ve got to prep the horses,” Chaska said, knowing that Ichante and Maliaka wanted to be alone. Apollyon to the hint as well.

“Yes, I hope to see you again. Safe travels.” Apollyon said as he, too, departed.

“There’s something I forgot to tell you,” Ichante said to Malaika. Instead of talking, Ichante leaned in for a kiss. At first, Malaika pulled back but then surrendered to the moment. She kissed Ichante with all the repressed emotions she’d been saving up. It was the first time she had kissed someone like this. She hadn’t met someone who felt this strongly for her. It seemed Ichante felt the same way, as her kiss was very passionate.

“I hope to see you soon,” Ichante said with a twinkle in her eye.

Malaika tried to hide her smile but couldn’t. Chaska rode over on his horse, and Malaika’s horse followed.

“What are you grinning about?” Malaika said to Chaska.

“Oh, nothing. Must have been something I ate.” Chaska gently nudged his horse to get going.

“Yeah, you’ve been eating a lot of whatever that is lately.”

Malaiaka thought of the golden days ahead. Life was finally getting back to normal.

Atoc Baal stood there waiting for them as they reached the city gate.

“Is there something you want to say to me?” Chaska asked him.

Atoc’s stare looked like he was made of knives by the way he looked at Chaska.

“Are you running away from me again?” Atoc asked.

“I am not. I am leaving to go where I belong, in the mountains.”

“Yes, you’re going back to hide. It seems you’ve been hiding from me for a long time, your whole life.”

“I go where The Source of All Things directs me.”

“To a life as a coward, so far.”

“Do you wish to settle this now?” Chaska probed.

“Today, you are a hero, so I will not stop you. But soon, we will have our fight. I want you to name the place and day. I’ll remind you that if you promise to meet me, you will be bound by your words. If you are still a man of honor.” Atoc said with a sword in his heart.

“I am a man of my word. I will meet you in the place where she died. On the last day of summer, next year.” Chaska said.

Malaika knew that “She” was the woman Chaska and Atoc both had loved—a woman Atoc blamed Chaska for her death. With that agreed, Maliaka and Chaska rode on the paths leading to the mountains.

———

Elisapie and Gaia were enjoying themselves—I mean, really, really enjoying themselves. They were celebrated heroes now. Everyone wanted to buy them a drink, so they took advantage of that. They were more than accepting of any free drink that came their way.

Despite being a hero, Elisapie didn’t have a home at the moment. Elisapie and Gaia would still be considered traitors in their homeland of Nanook. They helped to topple a Tsar, which would be an additional offense against them.

As Ijani Knights, they were only supposed to do the Khan’s bidding. Now, they could do their own bidding as long as they stayed away from home.

With the fighting over, there wasn’t much for wandering knights to do. They didn’t know what to do with their skills now. At the moment, being security at taverns seemed like a good plan. They could get free drinks and rough people up.

They didn’t know how to be farmers like Malum and Thea. They didn’t know how to live like animals like Malaika and Chaska or whatever they did in the middle of the mountains. Elisapie and Gaia weren’t the type to judge.

Elisapie and Gaia weren’t royalty like Ichante and Apollyon, so they couldn’t go back to a life of being pampered. They were getting a small taste of that life in this tavern. But unlimited drinks wouldn’t last forever. They’d overstay their welcome in Dhara if they just got drunk every day.

The next day, Elisapie woke in Gaia’s lap, and her head was pounding. She didn’t want to wonder how she ended up using Gaia’s lap as a pillow; some things are better than mysteries. She knew Gaia would be happy with this, but she was disappointed with herself—at least, she assumed she should be.

Elisapie looked around, and they were in someone’s stables. They were lying on a bed of straw, and God knows what else? Certainly, Elisapie didn’t want to know.

She was fully clothed, so that was a start. However, the fact that those clothes reeked of something fowl and had a strange stain was worrying. She got up, and Gaia just rolled over for a more comfortable position. She thought about kicking him to wake him up; she was jealous he could sleep through anything.

She walked outside to get her bearings, but the sun was trying to peel her eyes out of her socket, or so it felt. She saw they weren’t far from the tavern they were drinking in. She thought to herself that they didn’t have a place to be that day nor a plan to accomplish anything of substance. She needed to get rest and relaxation before more binge drinking.

She was starving and needed something in her stomach. She drifted down the city streets and got strange looks, even some looks of disgust from some of the people passing by. She probably deserved those based on the state of putrescent odors emanating from her.

She saw some local soldiers coming her way but assumed they were looking for someone else.

“Are you Elisapie of Nanook?” A soldier said, approaching her.

“Yes,” she hesitated. The soldiers looked around, trying to determine where the smell was coming from.

“Chancellor Flaero would like to speak with you and Gaia.” The soldier informed her.

“We’d be glad to speak with him. Can we clean up a little before?”

“I think that would be best.” The soldier said with a tone of admonishment.

Elispaie kicked Gaia to wake him and told him of the situation. The soldiers watched as they drew water from a well to clean themselves. They had a bar of soap, but it only mildly affected the condition of their clothes.

They were led to the Arx Suprem, and the Chancellor.

“Elisapie and Gaia, thank you for coming.” Flaero greeted.

“I’ll be honest. I mostly came out of the hope there would be food. There will be food, right?” Gaia quizzed, genuinely hungry.

“I can get you some food if you wish,” Flaero said, slightly caught off guard.

“When you say some, how much would that entail? Wait, you know what, I’m not picky right now.” Gaia said.

“It’s fine, my friend; I’ll ensure you get plenty.” The Chancellor signaled to people, and they returned shortly with an assortment of treats.

Elisapie and Gaia were not shy about helping themselves to the offerings. The Chancellor realized that food would be their priority, so he began with what he had to say.

“I am starting an elite group of warriors. I call them The Ningal. They will be like you and able to connect with the O element. We worked well together, and knowing that you can not return to Nanook, I hoped you would join.” Flaero explained.

Gaia began to speak with food in his mouth, “What was that?”

“I was asking if you’d join the Ningal. Have you something better to do?”

“I’m sorry we aren’t more excited about your proposal. We are very interested in joining the Vingdal,” Elisapie said.

“The Ningal.”

“Yes, that one too,” Gaia said.

“We get paid for it, right?” Elisapie added.

“Yes.”

“Oh yeah, we’re definitely in,” Gaia said.

“Great. We are planning to build a base of operations and housing. For a start, some locals have offered extra beds.”

“That would be great. We spent last night in the stables.”

“Yes, obviously,” Flaero said, recognizing their state. One last thing. I have a message I’d like you to pass on to Rovan and Olafur if you will. Last I heard, they were still prepping their ship in the harbor.”

“Be glad to. Can we take some of this food with us?” Gaia asked.

“Yes, please take it,” Flaero said with disdain.

——-

Rovan and Olafur were helping the Elysium crew prepare for departure. The crew was eager to get back to Anahiti and their families. It had been too long.

Rovan would hear the crew talk about how they missed home cooking.Some missed the fresh fruits of the islands more. Rovan just missed his family.

Rovan couldn’t wait to see their faces and smile again, to hear their laughter, or to feel his wife’s warmth as they slept next to each other again. A quiet day out fishing in the lagoon would help to bring back some serenity.

Rovan saw a small boat approaching them. They were expecting crewmen to return with supplies, but it looked like they were coming with Elisapie and Gaia. Rovan wondered if they wanted to tag along. They were always fun; he wouldn’t mind their company.

The crew helped the pair aboard, and Rovan’s curiosity was peaked.

“What brings you aboard?” Rovan asked.

“Unfortunately, trouble in both of our homelands. Kittisek Khan has declared war on Hanwi, as has Anahiti.” Elisapie informed.

“What are you talking about?” Olafur joined.

“It seems Kittisek Khan and Sultan Graeo’gi see Hanwi’s actions against Tsar Miro as threatening. They blame King Ohdakota for overthrowing Miro and are worried Flaero’s election will rally the peasants to revolt. Graeo’gi and Kittisek have named anyone who helped overthrow Miro, a traitor. They have declared that their families will be punished if the individuals responsible won’t return for punishment.” Elisapie explained.

“I still don’t understand. Why have they taken such an extreme stance?” Rovan asked.

“Flaero’s speech against the royals and his involvement in passing out leaflets in Nanook and Anahiti make them think that Hanwi and Flaero will target them next. I don’t know myself.” Gaia answered.

“We don’t have family in Nanook; we grew up in an academy. But I know you and your crew still have family in Anahiti. We thought to warn you.” Elisapie said.

“Thank you, we must leave at once. Are you coming with us?” Rovan asked.

“That is very kind of you, but we have accepted an opportunity here. If it comes to war, we will fight.” Said Elisapie.

“Even against your countrymen?” Olafur asked.

“We have just discovered true freedom. We have always had decisions made for us. We want to fight and see that people of all lands can choose for themselves. So be it if we must fight our countrymen to do it,” Gaia said.

“We would join you but must ensure our families are safe. Maybe cooler heads and diplomacy will prevail in the coming days. Until then, we must depart.” Olafur said.

“We wish you fast winds and that you reach your families,” Gaia said.

Rovan didn’t know what it all meant but knew he had to return to his wife and children. There was no time to lose.

The crew of the Elysium were no longer jubilant. A sense of dread had now filled the hearts of the men, including Rovan. No one was sure what the Sultan meant by punishing their families. They couldn’t take a chance. They had to depart immediately.

Rovan’s family was on Tara, but the rest had family on Zehra. If what Elisapie and Gaia said was true, it would not be an easy journey. They’d risk running into the Sultan’s forces to get to Zehra, and all would be lost if that happened.

They could not fail.

——-

Sevim took a small sailboat out into the bay of Altifir. He was meeting the Mother Superior on the island of St.Miktal. He had to be careful about his actions. As Chancellor, there would be more eyes on his movements now.

Sevim was known by another name to most, Chancellor Flaero. It helped to have a past shrouded in mysteries. It made it easier to change the past.

There was an abandoned monastery on the island. In the shadows, he saw the Great Mother. He walked over to greet her, got down on one knee, and bowed.

“Bless you, Great Mother, your humble servant is at your command,” Sevim said.

“You may rise, my child.”

“Your plan is working, Mum. We control all of Ishvara and Qamata. As you told me, the Tsar’s envy was his undoing. He was envious of the might and power of the past rulers. He wanted a life of importance. The Chiefs of Qamata were slow to take action.” Sevim informed her.

“Yes, and what of the trouble brewing in the West?” The Great Mother queried.

“Your spies have helped tremendously, Great Mother. They have been inciting revolution in Nanook and Anahiti. As you predicted, Kittisek Khan’s pride is getting the better of him. The Sultan of Anahiti is proving more difficult. His alliance is tentative as of yet. He is more concerned with punishment than war.”

“The Sultan is a lustful man who enjoys his harem. We can take advantage of this.”

“Do we have spies in his harem?”

“Of course. And what of Hanwi?”

“We have a strong alliance with the King. For now, I think we should keep it.” Sevim said.

“Yes, I agree. Our spies have had difficulty getting into any key positions in Hanwi. We should wait and see. It might be that someone else takes care of King Ohdakota for us.”

“Have you foreseen it?”

“Something like that. We might be able to bring out the wrath in him yet.”

“Is Eladoer still neutral. We can’t have the most powerful nation joining in on these affairs just yet.”

“Yes, they have their own conflicts to focus on for now. Their greed will eventually gain us an advantage there.”

“Have your spies located the child or the Masters of the Oracle?” Sevim inquired.

“No. We are always on the lookout. There are breadcrumbs here and there. If the Masters slip and the tiniest rumor gets out, we will replace him. Viracocha is a nation I cannot predict.”

“What is your plan for Imperata Lakoma?”

“The Gluttonous Imperata can be reached; he is not my concern. The Masters of the Oracle and wandering knights are my concern. Have you recruited many to the Ningal?” The Great Mother asks.

“Yes, we are getting some, not as many as I hoped.”

“Tell me more about Malum. Has he committed to the Ningal yet?”

“No, but he soon will be.”

“We must move forward with great patience. Remember what I taught you. It is always easier to let your enemies destroy themselves. We must be prudent. We will have revenge on the world. We will purge the lands. They have been made diseased. We shall cure it.”

“Whatever you desire is mine. I will make it so.” Sevim pledged.

“Somewhere out in the world is a child. He brings with him all the hopes and fears of the world. He can be a savior or a destroyer. He should be with us.” The Great Mother asserted.

“The Child will be with us, or we shall destroy him.” Sevim pledged.

“Don’t underestimate the child. You and I will bear witness to many strange and new things. This is just the beginning.”