Aftermath

One last chapter, because I'm a sucker. Eighty thousand words, a hundred and seventy pages of writing. I'm going to take a break from writing new Two Lovers stories due to the fact that for the past year, that's what I've written. Which is one of the reasons for Aftermath pausing for a bit. I wouldn't exactly say I was bored, more of wanting a change of scenery for a bit. Like a vacation, except it's away from a world.

Which means Adaptation and Hellian will be my focus for a bit.

Of course, if you want a Two Lovers story you could always add me on facbook and keep posting comments until I cave and do what you want. Which is, oddly, a very likely possibility. When I decide to write a Two Lovers story I will post a trailer for it on facebook and if you really want it written, you should really vote for it. Otherwise I'll be like "oh, no one is interested."

That being said, I have considered a few possibilities for Two Lovers stories and while a good little romp, it wasn't enough for a story.

This wraps up nothing really, it's just an addition and information for those who have read Partners and Sequel. It does wrap up one thing, actually. A sideways comment that Mn makes in Sequel when she meets Una. I've known the entire time and was just sitting on the information. Amazingly, I managed to keep it a secret for almost a year!

The way Mik talks to Una, in response to the little wrap up, I imagine he learned when having to deal with hyperactive Sidhe.

Read, Review, Enjoy.

And read Tweak!




The troupe settled in the village for a year. No one questioned and everyone just seemed to know. Everyone in the troupe knew Ayato and knew of Raya and once word go around that they were suffering from ‘amnesia’ all the questions stopped. People were just content to wait and see if the memories of the two lovers would return.

Ayan had difficulty with this, he was used to having his brother. Not every couple of lifetimes, but almost every lifetime. He was the guardian of the lovers and suddenly his job was a lot more boring. While he had no one to talk to besides Paw and Lel about past lives and whatever else he and Ayato talked about, Ayan chose to stay at the village and continue on with his duties.

During that year no one really missed power. Anyone who had had power were invited to free lessons on making spells. The glow mushrooms still lit up the night, powered by the presence of a Whisper, of two of them actually. People couldn’t quite understand why one or another of them seemed to suddenly lose the ability to walk properly but they learned and got over it.

Once the Whispers announced that Deaths would be created, all of a sudden the people who were tripping had jobs and a way to regain their power. Durth wasn’t entirely certain how being a filter worked, or how he could give power to those who had no power. That and the only person who could have explained it had no memories and was chasing after young men and women his own age.

Yes, Ayato chased women. It was more at his mother’s urging than anything. The young man hardly batted an eyelash when a woman acted interested in him. Those in the village had been raised knowing their rights and as equals of men, which meant they were strong women and strong women, Una explained, is hard for anyone to resist.

Durth didn’t get it, but he nodded and went along.

Raya had a few lovers in that time, but they were temporary things. In the year between the arrival of the troupe and just about when Ayato would hit maturity, Raya was a part of Ayato’s every day life. Even without memories, without understanding, they were drawn to one another. Thus, as Ayato and Ayan’s sixteenth birthday came up, Una began reassembling what was left of the troupe.

Some stayed on in the village, some new faces joined them. A few passed away in the harsh winter, but they were older folk who hadn’t expected to see spring.

Durth came to know those who had worked in the program. Mik told Durth his wild tale and Durth hardly believed it, but for everyone else nodding along and saying that was how it happened. Lel explained his story as well and Durth believed that only slightly more because Lel had power. People with power could do odd things. Then Lel said that Una had told him all about the immortal’s past. Well, not all about, but a good chunk of it. Una, going a bit of a funny colour, told Durth that one day he would tell him the tale of it as well.

Dart, Paw’s old partner, had fourteen children and another on the way. Ten by his wife and four he had helped a pair of mated women conceive. Children crawled over him nearly constantly and he was Whisper’s guard and greeter along with Mik. The pair of them ran Whisper Paw’s affairs and if a Sidhe came looking for Paw, they had to deal with Mik and Durth and play along if they wanted help. From Mik’s tale, Durth had pictured some lanky, book smart college kid but Durth had filled out and had grown in the village.

Sidhe children called Dart a word when the man wasn’t looking, one that Una informed Durth meant ‘substitute father’ which apparently in Sidhe was not a bad thing. They were simply saying that Dart was a man they trusted as they trusted their fathers. Dart loved the attention, so who was Durth to argue?

Koln and Taln were still together and had one child and two Sidhe orphans. Taln was getting ready to give up leadership to someone new but the man still smiled and enjoyed life. Or rather. He did now. Durth was more surprised to learn that Taln was a rape victim, than all the other information Lel and Mik told him. The man held himself like Tanek did, commanded respect like Tanek did. There wasn’t a meek bone left in his body.

Tuhn, Ashun’s old partner, worked up in the tree as a story teller and sort of ambassador between the people and any Sidhe who entered the tribe’s territory. Durth met her a few times, once when she had thrown an upstart adolescent from the tree, literally, and had come down to find out why he hadn’t returned to grovel at her feet.

Souse, tall male with a single brightly coloured bead at the end of a little braid, asked gruffly about Edno. The man who Durth knew only as Brother Edno. All Durth could do was shrug and say that Edno had been alive and well the last time Durth had seen him and Souse nodded and walked off.

The president of Norash was there, Dowfen Talen. The man was nearly gray and had four children, all from before the end of the world, and six grandchildren with two more on the way. He grinned and chatted up nearly everyone who would listen and that was his job. Tell stories, learn new ones, he was the basic bard of the village except-

“I don’t sing and I don’t dance.” Talen grumbled, “but Ishle, here, he will.”

Ishle was training to replace Talen as bard. The young man could recite the entirety of Mik’s and Lel’s tales without skipping a beat, knew the Two Lovers as well as the Tale of Two Lovers and the contents of several bibles. He had a little guitar like instrument that someone had slapped together for his performances and he had a nice singing voice and did, indeed, dance when called upon to do so.

Mik’s mother came down from the tree as the troupe was preparing to leave and Durth met her. She had almost been fifty when the world had ended and was almost all white, her eyes were dim but her wit was as sharp as ever. If her quick tongue was any indication, that was. Durth very quickly realised why everyone in the village called her simply ‘Mother’ or, in the case of the Sidhe, Mommy or Mummy depending on their mood.

Durth was personally surprised to find one so old, given that there were few elderly still alive. Most had died off, having no medical help to keep them alive. Some couldn’t adjust and had gone mad, then ended up starving themselves. Mik’s mother, on the other hand, was spry and still kicking despite her arthritis and the fact that she often had to lean heavily on her escort, a Sidhe male named Jay.

In the end, Durth had asked Una who Mother actually was and he learned. He also learned not to call her by her name, she was quick with her cane and, despite her eyes, could catch whatever she swung for.

Durth lost the blessing of languages, which was fine by him because he couldn’t tell when people were speaking another language when he had the blessing. Thus, over the winter months, Durth learned a little Sidhe and some more ancient.

Early spring was Sidhe mating season and Lillow and Hohi became mates. This was quite the talk of the village, who had never expect Lillow to give herself over to a male entirely. The pair were still gone as the final preparations were being made and would rejoin the troupe at a later date.

The trailers were outfitted with new findings and fixtures. Una received a new, larger trailer for he and Durth. The trailer had a larger bed and cupboards enough for both of them to have too much stuff. Over the big bed was a smaller one for any wards the pair might take on. Oh yeah, and it was made out of old time tree and laced with spells so that it would last a thousand or more years.

While old time trees were supposed to be used for absolutely nothing unless they were found standing dead, certain exceptions could be made. Such as when the legal and full owner of the forest said that it was alright. Durth didn’t quite understand what it meant, that the forest was Una’s, but he had a good deal of time to learn what that meant.

“Durth…” Mik said, snapping Durth out of his daze.

Durth pulled his hand away from the lacing spell across the door of the new trailer, “I wasn’t caught in thought, nor was I thinking.”

“…Right…” Mik shook his head and held out a carefully wrapped, long item, “Una gave this to me when the world ended, or just before, I suppose. I’ve kept it safe all this time, as he asked me to, and learned to use it. But Paw is insisting that I give it back now. Something about how it belongs in the hands of an immortal instead of in a village off in the forest somewhere, where in three generations no one will recall where they came from or what it means. Then apparently it will be in the hands of stupid people like the ones who may or may not have tried to massacre Paw’s tribe so. I have to give it back.”

Durth blinked at Mik and then turned his attention to the wrapped something. He took it from Mik and turned the heavy weight over in his hands.

“What is it?” he asked.

Mik rubbed the side of his nose, “it’s called the pathway to the heavens or the path to the heavens or the gilded trail. Some call it the starry way. It’s names actually vary greatly. But it’s a broadsword and I believe it’s the one that Raya keeps muttering under his breath about.”

“That he wants a sword and why are all these other swords not acceptable,” Durth grumbled, unwrapping the blade and pulled it out of its sheath and inspected the black surface and the fine silvery lines across it. The groove that was just the right size for the thinner blade that Raya had been carrying about, “this goes with the seal of the heavens, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. Muan’s a bit obsessed with the blade but Una says that has something to do with the headaches and fever and the fact that he can trace his bloodline through several paths and back to Harella-shey.”

“Muan is a godling,” Una growled as he appeared out of no where. Literally, one moment the space was empty, the next it was occupied by Una, “but don’t go spreading that around. I’ve left instructions with his sister, she will care for him as he presents. What an odd time for him to present though, unless Muan’s tribe had the second growth, but I thought that was only dog and cat tribe.” the immortal shook his head, “he will be fine. What’s this? Mik, I told you to keep that blade safe for me.”

“I… didbutPawsaysIhavetogiveitbackwhatdoyoumeanhe’sagodling?” Mik said so fast that Durth had to take a moment to comprehend what had been said.

“Muan is a godling, he will go through the fever and could become a god. It happens quite often. Becoming a god is the difficult part. Though if his sister’s reaction is any indication, he will succeed at becoming a full fledged god. Did you think only people could become gods?”

“It’s not that, it’s the fact that this is Muan we’re talking about. Him, Tahl-ra’s child.”

“Oh no, that child has yet to be born,” Una muttered, “Muan is a throwback. Harella-shey often joined with her Sidhe and produced children at time. All of that blood that she shared has culminated inside of Muan, making him a godling. If he passes whatever test one must past, he will become a god. Which makes his sister’s cryptic remarks years ago make sense.” Una was caught in thought and muttered to himself in another language for a moment before shook his head, “very well, if Paw says we must take it back. We will.”

“Have you ever,” Durth motioned to the groove in the blade, “you know, put the seal into the path?”

“Are you mad? I have enough ‘adventure’ just trying to get the mail to people, let alone going to look for it.” Una grumbled, “young people have such energy and I’ve no idea where they get it from.”

“From adventure,” Mik said, “Una, you’re only as old as you think you are.”

“Right now I think I’m very old indeed and would like to get back on the road. To regularity and things that are within my control. Now that I am one of the few with power, that shouldn’t be too hard.”

Because Una was related to Mother who was related to Ayato who had allowed those of Mother’s blood to use power, the immortal could still use his powers. Not only could he use his powers, it seemed that Una could more easily use his powers.

Mik’s head tilted as if he were listening to something.

There was one last change.

A few days after Ayato locked away power they had noticed a voice calling to them at the back of their minds. Motherly, perhaps even a little sad, she wondered what they were doing, why they ignored her pleading for them to stop.

Mother.

“Come, Durth, we’ve only a few more days of nice weather before torrential rains start,” Una said quickly, “I’d rather be away from the forest and following the sunny patch.”

“Wha-ell, how do you know there will be a sunny patch.”

“She told me there would be one,” Una said, as if it should be obvious.

“Oh. Tell me, do you often hear voices?” Durth asked, poking Una even as he grinned and heard a chiding response to his poke. Not from Una, but at the back of his mind.

“All the time, it’s when they’re quiet that I worry. We’ll be back in a year or so, Mik. Come on Durth, we will see them all again but if we stay about here much longer we will be here another year and I will get anxious and annoyed and bored.”

Durth rolled his eyes and shrugged in response to Mik’s look. He opened the trailer door and tucked the blade on the floor and against the cupboard. Everything else was locked down, so the blade wouldn’t be damaged during travel. Locking the door firmly in place, Durth joined Una in the seat and slid as close to the immortal as he could.

It would be years before they found out if Durth was actually immortal but Una had sworn to be there for Durth’s entire life. If Durth ended up dying, he would still have Una to care for him.

“Durth.”

“Mm?”

“You’re sitting on the reigns.”

“Oh,” Durth shifted his weight and allowed Una to pull the reigns up off the seat before he settled back down, “sorry.”

“No problem, I could have just grabbed them or possibly driven with them where they were, but that would end with me pleasuring you and then we’d be delayed longer.”

“Ah, away we go, then?”

“Away we go.”


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