Aftermath

I love how three days away from AFF feels like quite a bit longer. I thought it had been almost a week. I'm a bit happier about this chapter. Everyday I'm away I think about updating the various stories. I've been writing, oh have I been writing, but it's nothing I can post on AFF... well not really post.

In this Raya is being a bit cocky when he talks to the guy. Two reasons, one will be explained in the next chapter, another reason is the possible showing off of pre-"end of the world" knowledge.

Hopefully I can get myself to update sooner rather than later.

Read, Review and Enjoy.





“Aye-ahda.” Durth’s tongue did a little thing, it felt heavy and seemed to fill his mouth as he tried to talk. Unfamiliar words in a mouth that was used to talking in a different manner, “ehn mahhh,” what was the word after that? “tah. Wait. Her name means mother? I’ve never even clued in to that fact until now.”

“It’s ayehata.”

“Ayehada.”

“Heavy on the end, but understandable,” Raya nodded and stepped over a fallen tree trunk, offering a hand to help Tah over the tree, “and yes, her name means mother,” Raya smiled at her sweetly, “some people left their given names behind them when the world ended, Tah is one of those people. She chose the name after becoming my woman, meant to be a slap in my face but the name seemed to stick.

“And when you say ‘ma’ you don’t stretch out the syllable like when you say ‘ehn’ the word ma is like saying ‘mine’ ma tah, ma rah, ma ayata.”

“So that’s how you say what exactly?”

“There is very rarely a direct translation between ancient and the common language of the day. Ayata en ma tah is like saying that ayata could be your mother. To say with absolute certainty that Ayata is your mother one must say ‘su’ but the word su can only be applied when one is absolutely certain of something. Which is why it is used when stating mating. Without absolute certainty use ‘en’ or consequences can follow that you will not enjoy.”

“Not…”

“Mm, like if you say something is most definitely true when you don’t know it’s true and someone takes it as absolutely positively true…”

“Like what?” Durth watched as Raya went a bright red colour. It took a long moment for Durth to realise what Raya meant, “oh. Oh. It’s. Oh. Is there really someone who can understand enough of ancient to…”

“Yes, oh yes, there are a good deal of people who can speak ancient, trust me, we are attempting to revive it, to keep it from dying out like Mother’s language did,” they rounded the bend of the place that had once been a highway, finally, and Raya paused on the ridge of the strip of bare ground, “Mother’s language being the words and sounds one uses to communicate with Mother,” Raya paused and saw the look on Durth’s face, “Mother being the primary goddess of the pantheon, we walk upon her surface and eat her flesh and when we die we go back into Mother and become her again. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, that arises from the whole. Well some have called it the Cult of Mother.”

Durth made a sound and almost missed the, “bastards,” that Raya muttered under his breath, “what?” Durth asked Raya.

“What?” Raya asked, blinking at Durth, “I didn’t say anything, there,” the younger man pointed down the mark of the old highway, “there is a vineyard. We’ll stay the night there and move on in the morning.”

Durth nodded and headed down the ridge, following after Tah. Raya took a moment before he caught up to Durth and Tah.

“Let’s try it again.”

“Try what again?”

“The prayer, Durth, the single most important religious relic we have. Written by Harella-shay and Shey-har for the people to speak in their most dire times, it’s a reminder that no matter what happens, no matter what we do to each other, at the end of our lives, at the end of our being, we still exist and those who harmed us will be brought to justice. The closing of the prayer, still the gods do love us. So. You will repeat it back to me until I am certain you can say it forward and backward, in your sleep or completely drunk.”

“Like a national anthem,” Durth murmured.

“No.” Raya muttered, “more important than that, so. Try it again.”

“Nen ma tah zoon-”

“Stop!” Raya winced at Durth, “Nemph. Quick and easy nemph is like a shoulder shrug, if it happens, should it happens, nemph ma tah. Zeen nu. Nemph ma tah zeen nu. There are very few ‘v’s or ‘z’s in the ancient language and they are used to emphasis words that are bad or taboo or some such.”

“Nemf-”

“Nemph, you don’t realise it Durth, but when you say things like that, I can tell the difference between the ‘f’ and ‘ph’ when you say nemf, you know what you say?”

“That… I’m an idiot?”

“No, it’s a derogatory term that implies you do things with your mother behind closed doors.”

“Nemf tah?” Durth muttered, grinning.

Raya sighed, “Nemfuar tah, it’s one of the few things that the words are switched around. Say nemph, it’s like. Like having a ‘v’ in that last bit. Try it.”

“Nemph.”

“Good, better.” Raya murmured, “now. Try again.”

Raya made Durth go through the prayer several times, correcting the older man at every turn. As the sun began to set and they neared the vineyard, Raya asked Durth to stop practicing. The vineyard was acres and acres of land fenced off with an old stone wall that had been added to after the end of the world. A patched hole in the outer wall of the house showed where wiring had gone in.

“All this was done old style, best wine this side of… well any side of anywhere now,” Tah muttered, “places like this have lived in families and they are good wholesome… Raya…”

“I know, quiet down and follow,” Raya muttered as a man stepped out of the estate and approached them, “heyo.”

“Heyo back at you stranger,” the man smiled at them, “lookin’ for a night’s stay I suspect, we’ve got food and wine a plenty, more than willing to share with a downtrodden traveller such as yourself.”

“Lovely,” Raya responded, “we ask a night comfort, we will accept any place with a roof and a few walls to it, going to rain tonight and my daughter is still newborn you see, so…”

“No problem, you can sleep inside with the rest of us! Of course! How do you know it’ll rain?” the man looked upward and peered at the clouds.”

“You… could say the air feels damp.”

“I suppose it does…” the man nodded, “Well, come in, come in quick before the storm comes up.”

Raya’s lips curved upward, “and what a storm it will be.”

Tah watched Raya follow the man and met Durth’s eyes pointedly. Durth nodded just slightly. Raya was not referring to the rain they would get as evening rolled in.

.