Part Eight
"This is taking too long," said Cale as he paced back and forth.
"We're not happy about the length of time either, Cale," Dayus said. He looked at Altyno. "Can you take us to wherever they went?"
"No," Altyno shook her head. "I can only go to where I have already been. Parz never took me to the Ahkrushian Realm."
"Then we wait," said Kayura.
"I'll go make some tea," Mia said and left the room.
____
Later on, Chadih walked into Altyno's room. "What's wrong, Chadih?" she asked the young girl.
"I wish Daddy would come home soon," Chadih said quietly.
Altyno held her arms out. "Come here." Chadih walked over to Altyno and was lifted to the woman's lap. "Don't worry about your father. He'll be back."
Chadih looked up at her. "Can I see your face?"
Altyno smiled behind the mask. "Of course." She pulled the mask off. Chadih's eyes widened, and she hugged Altyno as both of them started to giggle. "Just don't tell your father. I want to tell him." Altyno put the mask back on. Chadih nodded and snuggled against her.
____
Morning had come and Sekhmet, Essah, and Parz hadn't returned. Everyone was worried. Not even the other snake-gods who appeared at the house knew anything, for they had come to them for the same reason.
Dayus found Chadih looking out the living room window just after breakfast. He walked up behind her and patted her head. "He'll come back, manadeshi," said Dayus. "He will."
"I know," said Chadih solemnly.
Dayus looked sadly at her; his thoughts went to his children from centuries before. It was bad enough that he had lost both, but growing up without your-
"DADDY!" Chadih shrieked happily.
Dayus looked out the window and smiled broadly as Sekhmet, Essah, and Parz walked across the lawn. Chadih took off like a lightning bolt while Dayus called for everyone. Chadih ran outside and straight into her father's open arms. He lifted her up and she hugged him tightly.
The rest of the house members ran outside as well. Cale ran to Parz and she hugged him. "Are you all right?" he asked. "What happened?"
"We'll tell you inside," Parz said. She looked and sounded very tired.
"And you're not going to believe some of the things we have to tell you," Sekhmet said.
____
Once inside and settled onto the couches, the three arrivals explained all that happened.
"You two are related?" Mia asked the unbelievable answered question again.
"Yes," Parz and Sekhmet answered together.
"If I have to answer that one more time…" Sekhmet grumbled and then laughed. "I forgot about Rowen."
"That's right," said Parz. "I'm his cousin as well."
"At least you're not his uncle," said Dayus, and Sekhmet looked at him.
"Are you my cousin?" Chadih asked.
"Yes, Chadih." Parz smiled at her. "I'm your cousin, too."
"What was that symbol you drew on the seal before you started chanting?" Sekhmet asked.
"A circle with an arrow pointing outwards," Parz said. "In astrology, it represents Mars. Today it's also used to represent the male gender. The spell was designed to kill all Ahkrushians within the seal, but drawing that symbol on the blank area would only kill the gender it represents. The eleven males' bodies were destroyed. But Jinmin was half-human, that's why his body remained."
"So what happened to Jinmin?" Kayura asked.
"We buried him with Kiyaa in the Ahkrushian Realm," Essah said. "They loved each other, no doubt there. How and why is just a different subject."
"A unique relationship, it was," Parz said quietly. Everyone understood her sadness. Jinmin may have done some rotten things and Parz hated him for that, but he was her brother nonetheless.
Cale took her hand and smiled at her. Parz rested her head against his shoulder. Sadness washed through her, from Jinmin's death and knowing that she could never be with Cale.
"I think it's time for a little celebration." Sekhmet got to his feet. "Come on, Chadih. Let's make a party."
"Can we have ice-cream?" she asked, eyes bright with hope.
"Your favorite flavor. How's that sound?" As father and daughter went to the kitchen, Mia and Kayura decided to go into town and pick up a few things, dragging Dayus along with them.
"I'll go set the table," Cale said. He didn't want to leave Parz for a moment. In truth, Cale was hoping that Altyno and Essah would do like the others and leave, but the servant girl and the snake-god remained. Cale smiled at Parz as he left the room.
____
The party had gone on long into the night. Chadih had fallen asleep at the table and was carried to her room by her father.
Sekhmet was about to get ready for bed when he heard a knock on his bedroom door. He opened it and saw Parz and Altyno. "May we come in?" Parz asked.
"Sure." Sekhmet moved aside, letting the two women pass and shut the door. "What can I do for you two?"
"It's not what you can do for us," said Parz. "I have something for you, Sekhmet. You've lived without something very important to you since you were seventeen. You would do just about anything to get it back, wouldn't you?"
"Yes," Sekhmet answered. She couldn't be talking about... His thoughts trailed off.
Parz looked at Altyno and the servant girl pulled her mask off. Sekhmet's heart skipped a beat as he looked at her face, the medium length brown hair, and the green eyes. "It's me, Sekhmet."
Sekhmet stared at her for the longest time. "…Lyonta…" he whispered.
"I brought her back to life," Parz said and smiled. "I'll leave you two alone. I believe that you have a lot to talk about." Among other things, she didn't say out loud, and left the room.
Lyonta walked over to Sekhmet. He reached out and touched her face. "It is you," he said.
Altyno. Lyonta. The same name, only it was switched around a little to hide her identity.
"Parz saved me," said Lyonta. "I'm immortal, now. I'm not going to leave you again."
Sekhmet couldn't believe it. "I'm dreaming…" he said.
Lyonta shook her head, smiling. "No, you're not." She stepped closer and kissed the man she loved.
____
Parz looked at the small ball of light in her hands. "And now, my boy," she whispered to it, "you will be loved by good parents and an older sister. They will always be there for you, and you be there for them. Go, be born and live a happy life with your family."
She lightly blew the sphere out of her hands and it went through the closed door, no doubt that it would land in Lyonta's womb. They would have a son.
Parz walked downstairs to the living room and sat on the couch.
"Is there a reason why you put your nephew to be born as Sekhmet and Lyonta's child?"
"People today say that the way you act is from the way you're brought up." Parz looked at Essah. "Others say it's the blood in your veins. I don't know how he would have turned out if he'd stayed with Kiyaa and Jinmin. This way he has a better life. I can see him and know that he'll be loved by his parents." Parz stood and put on her hooded cloak and picked up her swords. "I'd love to stay…"
"I know," said Essah. He walked over to her. "How long will you be gone?"
"About a year."
"You'll come back, won't you?"
"I will." Parz sighed. "You'll tell them for me?"
"Yes." Essah hugged Parz. "You be careful."
Parz nodded and left the house.
____
"What do you mean, she left?" Cale exclaimed upon hearing the news after breakfast.
"She's mourning Jinmin," Essah said. "He may not have been the greatest brother--"
"But still," Sekhmet cut in. "She didn't even say goodbye."
"Sometimes it's better without goodbyes." Essah looked out the window.
"Poor manadeshi," said Dayus. "She'll be upset when she finds out."
Chadih and Lyonta, Sekhmet thought. They had gone out with Mia and Kayura to buy modern clothes for Lyonta. His wife and daughter would be very upset when they heard that Parz had taken off without warning.
Sekhmet looked at Essah. "I think it's time that you explain a few things - about Parz and that child you mentioned that would have bridged the snake-gods and the Ahkrushians."
"I suppose that you should know." Essah sat at the table with the three Warlords. "Long before the war that nearly wiped out our people, the snake-gods and the Ahkrushians lived in peace with each other. We had friends among the other race, but that was all. Goshiem was my friend. If he were alive today, he'd be the same age as me.
"There was one Ahkrushian female who didn't have a Match. The same with one snake-god. The two of them were childhood friends and they confided in each other many times. They found solace with each other because neither one of them had a Match among their own kind."
"And they became lovers," guessed Sekhmet.
"They did," Essah nodded, "and she conceived. No one had ever thought of the possibility of a child born from both races. We embraced it. So did most of the Ahkrushians."
"Except for the eleven males," Dayus said.
"Correct," Essah said. "When the Ahkrushians found out she was pregnant, they were confused because she didn't have a Match. One day the eleven males followed her and that's how they found out that she was carrying a snake-god's child. It disgusted them. They brought her to the Queen Mother, but the Queen Mother was happy about the baby. Here would be a child that would be the beginning of a union between both races."
"But the eleven males didn't see that," Cale said.
"Right again. They set a trap for the expecting couple and attacked them. The ripped the child from its mother's womb and killed them both, to make an example of what would happen to those who wanted to try breeding outside their own kind." Essah sighed. "There are only a few of us left who still remember. We always wanted to see that child be born. Especially me. That snake-god was my older brother. That child would have been your cousin, Sekhmet. And it would have Parz's, too. The Ahkrushian female was Goshiem's sister. You would have been related to her through that child as well."
Sekhmet couldn't believe what he was hearing. Only because of the child's father, they killed it, he thought. No different from the humans that killed the children that were like me.
"After they were killed," Essah continued, "the Queen Mother decided that the Ahkrushian race could no longer exist. The eleven males were the chosen for the new generation. The Queen Mother couldn't kill them, so she imprisoned them onto the seal. The rest of the Ahkrushians committed suicide."
"Goshiem was the only one that wasn't there, was he?" Dayus asked.
"I helped him hide. We were only children. We didn't know what was going on." Essah sighed. "But he returned to his realm a few years later and saw that the eleven were still alive. They tricked him into believing that it was the snake-gods who imprisoned them and killed the other Ahkrushians. He wouldn't listen to me after that. Then Goshiem raped the fifty human women, killing them all except for the last one."
"Because she was pregnant with Parz," Cale said.
"They told Goshiem they needed a female. All he had to do after a female was born was bring her to them, use his own blood to make her full Ahkrushian, and then kill himself on the seal to free them. But Parz killed Goshiem and now the Ahkrushian race is gone. Parz is the only one that carries the blood." Essah stood. "I believe I've answered quite a few questions. Good day." He walked out of the house.
>>Father, wait.<< Sekhmet got to his feet. "I'll be right back," he said to the other Warlords, and followed Essah. He found his father waiting for him outside on the patio. "There's something I have to ask you about Parz."
"Go ahead."
"What kind of bond do you have with her?"
Essah sighed. "When I found the woman who was carrying Goshiem's children, I thought that killing her would be best. But as I thought about the babies, they didn't ask to be who they were. No more than the ones like you and Chadih. And if I did kill them, Goshiem would try again. So I didn't, and waited. The day I had to cut them from their mother, and held the baby girl in my arms, I knew that she had to live. I always went to see them when they were growing up." He smiled. "Parz always ran out to greet me. I guess you could say that I was the paternal role in her life. Jinmin seemed to care less; he always worried me.
"When they were eight years old, Goshiem came for Parz. He nearly destroyed the village. Jinmin saw him and was happy to see that his father had come for them. Parz was very afraid and ran off into the forest. Goshiem went after her. I was there and tried to get him to listen to me, but he didn't and we started fighting."
Essah paused. "I don't know where she got the sword from, but Parz climbed into a tree and jumped down on Goshiem, stabbing the sword right through him. Goshiem couldn't believe that his own daughter had killed him. Maybe Parz knew what would happen to her if he did bring her to the eleven males. Goshiem died and I pulled the sword from him."
Eight years old, Sekhmet thought. Four years younger than I was when I killed Viraz. "That's why Jinmin believed you killed him," he surmised.
"Yes," Essah nodded. "I took Parz away and brought her to a safe place. I went back to look for Jinmin, but he was gone. I kept watch over Parz and she grew up. She married a man from a village not far from her home. Jinmin found out and killed him. About twenty years later, Parz found the half-snake-god boy and raised him as her son."
"She told me about him," Sekhmet said. "Hunters killed him when he was Chadih's age."
"I didn't know that she raised him until I saw them the day he was killed." Essah shook his head. "I'll never forget the look on her face while she held him in her arms. Kaos was there with me. I had brought him to meet Parz because maybe she could have helped him find wearers for the Armors. She can see the future a lot better than the snake-gods. Parz told me to never have a child with a human, especially a son. She said what Kaos had made, my blood would wear and imprison me." He shrugged. "And it happened."
"Parz wanted to take me away when I was a baby?"
"She did, and tried several times, but I stopped her. I thought that she was going to replace her son with you. I never would have thought that you two were cousins from your human side. She also said that she would even take any other children that Rielvia had. I kept you two apart. Parz knew where you were, but I wouldn't let her near you. I thought it was best that you two stayed away from each other. I love both of you. You're my children. I just hope you can forgive me for being more of a father to Parz than I was to you."
"What do you want me to say?" Sekhmet asked. "I'm mad that you did, but I'm glad that you didn't. If Parz had taken me away, I would have lived a better childhood and been a big brother to Jynavy. But I wouldn't have made friends with Datai or fell in love with Lyonta. Never would've had Chadih or seen all the things that I have." He took a deep breath and let it out. "Maybe it did turn out better this way."
"Perhaps," Essah said. "I was afraid when Talpa found you when you were twelve, he would find Parz and Jinmin. Somehow they eluded the Seers' visions. I thank the Old Ones that day never happened."
"Me too," said Sekhmet. "When will Parz be coming back?"
"A year, she told me." Essah smiled. "I'd hate to see Chadih's face…"
"You're not the one who has to tell her." Sekhmet grinned.
"True. Good luck." Essah disappeared.
____
Autumn had come and the Ronin Warriors returned home, telling their stories. The Warlords shared theirs as well, but kept quiet about Parz being related to Sekhmet and Rowen, deciding to save it for another time.
Sekhmet and Lyonta were lying in bed in the Dynasty; Sekhmet on his back and Lyonta was next to him on her side, lightly running her fingertips over his chest. Chadih was sleeping peacefully in her own room.
"When did Essah say that Parz would come back?" Lyonta asked.
"Sometime next summer," her husband answered.
"I hope so. I want her to meet someone."
"Who?"
Lyonta walked her fingers from Sekhmet's navel to his chin. "I said this once before, and I hope I get a better response from you this time."
"What?" Sekhmet looked at her.
She smiled and said, "I'm with child."
Sekhmet stared at her. Slowly a smile crossed his face and he said, "What? How?"
"You!" Lyonta playfully slapped his arm and Sekhmet lightly grabbed her wrists, pulling her arms away from him, and then hugged her, both of them laughing softly.
"I can't believe it," Sekhmet whispered, placing his hand over Lyonta's stomach. This time he would not be robbed of the nervous joy of waiting for his child to born. This time he would feel the baby kick and see his child come into the world. "Have you thought of a name?"
"Not yet."
"I have a couple. If it's a boy, Datai. He'll be the namesake of the only friend that I had in our village."
"And if it's a girl?"
"Altyno has grown on me."
Lyonta started to laugh. "I really hope it's a boy this time," she said quietly.
Sekhmet held her in his arms. "I have a feeling that it is."
____
"Mommy," Chadih said, "Datai spit up."
Lyonta took a napkin and wiped her three-month-old son's mouth. "He has your stomach," she said to Sekhmet.
"Mine?" Her husband looked at her. "It's your stomach he has."
"Can we get off this subject so the rest of us don't lose our lunch?" Kento pleaded.
"Right," said Ryo. "We don't want this picnic to turn into a contest, now, do we?"
"Not really," said Kayura.
It had been a year since the traumatic incident, and quite a few happy occasions had happened. Datai had been born to Sekhmet and Lyonta. Dayus and Kayura had gotten together again, and the last member of the Ancient Clan was in her fifth month of pregnancy. Other events had taken place - some good, some not so good. That was life.
Cale had seemed a little distant during the year, his thoughts going to Parz. He missed her terribly, and though his friends had tried endlessly to get him to talk, the Warlord wouldn't speak a word about what was bothering him. I just wish I knew she was all right, Cale thought.
"Earth to Cale," said Sage.
"What?" Cale looked at his former rival.
"Potato salad?" Sage held out the plastic bowl to him.
"Thanks." Cale took it from him and spooned out a little onto his plate. As he passed the bowl to Lyonta, Cale saw a figure dressed in dark walking towards the group. He smiled.
Everyone noticed Cale's distraction and followed his line of vision. As the person came closer, they saw that it was a woman with crisscross lines on her left cheek, and black and white streaked hair.
"Parz!" Chadih cried happily and ran to her.
Parz lifted Chadih into her arms. "How are you, Chadih?" she asked and walked towards the others.
"I have a baby brother," Chadih announced happily. "His name's Datai."
"That's a nice name." Parz smiled. And why not? He was a nice man. The only friend Sekhmet had. She put Chadih back on her feet, and the little girl led her over to her parents, making Parz sit between her and Cale.
"You came back." Cale smiled.
"Didn't Essah tell you that I would?" Parz asked.
"Okay," said Cye, "from what you have told us, this must be Parz."
"Yes, she is," Sekhmet said. "And I have something to say that I neglected to a year ago." He cleared his throat. "Rowen, as you know, I am your very distant uncle." Sekhmet held out his hand to Parz. "Meet your even more distant cousin."
Ryo, Sage, Cye, and Kento looked at Parz with wide eyes. Rowen somehow managed to keep a straight face. "How much more distant?" he asked.
"Two hundred years," Parz answered.
"You know something, Rowen?" said Kento. "You have some very unique relatives."
____
Parz stayed with them. Essah came to the house almost every day to check on Parz, as if he was extremely worried that something would happen to her.
Lyonta had finished giving Datai a bath and was dressing her son when Parz walked in.
"He has your smile, Lyonta," Parz said.
"Everything else comes from his father," Lyonta said, gently running a comb through Datai's green and brown hair. "But at least he has some of my hair."
Parz smiled and walked over to them. She placed her finger into Datai's palm and his little fingers gripped her larger one. Parz studied the baby for a moment. Most of Datai's hair was green like Sekhmet's with a few brown streaks. His eyes weren't as large and they had a light shade of brown around the black pupils.
"Did Sekhmet mark him?" Parz asked.
"The moment he entered the world," Lyonta said. "I gave birth to him in the snake-god Realm. I wasn't too crazy about the idea of going to the hospital like the Ronins and Mia suggested. After Datai was born and cleaned off, Sekhmet marked him as a snake-god." She started to laugh. "Sekhmet wakes me up to tell me when the baby's hungry. And I tell him that since he can hear Datai's mind, he can get the bottle ready."
"Does he?"
"If he doesn't want to change diapers."
Parz laughed and pulled her finger out of Datai's grip. "Where is Sekhmet?"
"He went out with Cale and Dayus a while ago." Lyonta looked at her. "Something wrong?"
"No, there isn't," Parz said. But as long as I remain alive, she thought, there will be.
____
Parz walked to Cale's room and knocked on his door.
"Come in," he said, and she walked into the room. "Parz." Cale looked surprised.
"Supper will be ready shortly," she said, and wished that he wouldn't look at her like the way he was.
"Thank you." Cale smiled. Say something, his mind told him.
Parz closed the door. "I want to talk," she said, "but I don't know where to begin."
"Start anywhere you like." Cale sat on his bed.
I shouldn't be in here, Parz thought, and sat next to Cale. "I feel like an idiot."
Cale touched her cheek. "No, you're not," he said. "You're an incredible, strong, skilled, and beautiful woman. And I care a lot about you, Parz. I just wish you would talk to me."
"You're not afraid?" she asked.
"No."
"Even though Goshiem was the one who made me?"
"Goshiem was Goshiem, and he's been dead for a long time." Cale held her face in his hands. "You are your own person. So what if he made you? So what if you're the only one that carries Ahkrushian blood in your veins? Just talk to me, Parz, that's all I ask."
"I don't know what to say," Parz said quietly.
"Then don't for now," Cale whispered, and kissed her.
Parz held onto to him tightly, and Cale gently lowered her to the mattress. A knock interrupted, and Cale glared at the door. "Who is it?" he asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.
"You can stop with the appetizers," Dayus' voice came through the door. "Supper's on the table."
Cale and Parz stared at the door as they listened to the other Warlord's footsteps fade away. "How does he do that?" Parz asked.
"I think he can see through walls." Cale sighed and looked at her. "Why don't you go downstairs first?"
"Okay," she smiled.
Cale moved off of her and Parz stood up. Before leaving, she quickly kissed Cale once more. After Parz left, Cale flopped backwards on his bed and sighed. Now get downstairs before Dayus opens his big mouth, he told himself and followed his own advice.
When Cale entered the dinning room, he saw Dayus hiding a smile behind his glass, but didn't look up at his friend. Cale pulled the chair out across from him and sat down, waiting for Dayus to say something. Dayus set his glass down and stood up. "Excuse me," he said, and went into the kitchen.
"What's with him?" Sekhmet asked.
Kayura shook her head. "I don't know. He's had that grin on his face for the last five minutes."
"Let me go find out." Cale stood up and quickly walked into the kitchen before anyone objected.
Dayus was leaning against the refrigerator, shaking with laughter. He gave a little yelp as Cale grabbed his hair and pulled his head back. "If you say one word…" Cale threatened.
"I haven't said anything," Dayus said, trying to get Cale's hand to release his hair. "And I won't either."
Cale let go. "You better not."
____
The next day, Parz teleported herself to the snake-god Realm. She walked to the main hall and called for all the snake-gods.
"What do you want?" Tarynl asked and received a glare from Essah.
"All the Ahkrushians are dead," said Parz. "I'm the only one that still carries the blood."
"What does that have to do with us?" asked one snake-goddess.
"Nothing." Parz looked away for a moment. "The bloodline ends with me. So I'll get right to the point." She closed her eyes and started to sing.
All the snake-gods looked at her with shock.
Parz... Essah thought. No... He reached out his hand but couldn't move to stop her.
She finished singing and opened her eyes. Parz looked at the snake-gods and walked towards the door. " 'Both shall be salvation and destruction'," Parz quoted the prophecy. "I was destruction for the half of me that I resented, and I was salvation for the half that I embraced." She turned and looked at them. "The half of me that ties to you. I was salvation for you as well." She left the hall, returning to the Mortal Realm.
Essah ran after her. "Parz!" he cried. "Why…"
She looked at him. "It has to end, Essah. I'm a danger to humans and snake-gods."
"But there's another way."
"Not for me." Tears ran down Parz's cheeks. "I've always denied being Goshiem's daughter. But I have to accept that because how can I accept my fate? I love you, Essah. I always have. If I could choose any man to be my father, I would choose you." She smiled at him sadly. "You are my father, Essah."
Turning to the north, Parz started walking, singing the song again, and never looked back.