Sequel

Someone in a review a while back demanded to know why the gods were so evil, playing with people like that! Or... something along that line. Well they aren't changing into bulls and seducing women. They don't fight in the land of the living. And they tend to be ... fair to their followers. But there are only so many gods to so many women.

Then I wrote this. And now I'm wondering if maybe nothing's changed, no god has come down on a golden steed with a flaming sword in one hand or some such because... no one has actually asked the gods for help. Sure, Muan's asked why, why oh why did this happen to him.

But none of them have said "gods. I don't usually ask for this kind of thing but... could you fix the world?"

The image that just popped into my head. Wow.

Mik's off and missing and it's annoying me beyond anything I could possibly describe. It'll sort out, given enough time.

This is better than the last chapter. Yay.

Read, Review and Enjoy.





Waiting was the hardest part. Because Mari was upset, Rel and she had a lengthy conversation as Raoh and Osht edged closer and closer. Rel didn’t much like the conversation and frankly was too worried about about Mik to think about anything else. Mari had enough to worry about without hearing about Mik’s soul being lost in the underworld and none of them being sure if they could get it back.

Muan started a new game. Well, technically it wasn’t a game, it was bragging. Muan presented Rel with a light bulb, one of the ones Rel had removed from the light over the mirror in the bathroom, and had lit up the bulb. A bright light that flickered in time with the Sidhe’s heart. Wondering, wanting, Rel had taken the light bulb from Muan, extinguishing the light. Until Rel had told the light bulb to light and it had.

Like magic.

Then Muan had reached out and shut the light of with a tap of his finger and a power struggle ensued. It ended when the light bulb went ‘pop’ and the inside of the incandescent bulb turned black.

Next had been the seed, as Mari and Rel were having a discussion about realistic budgeting in a low income household. Muan had presented the seed to Mari, who took it delicately between two fingers and smiled at Muan. As the woman moved to place the seed in her mouth, the smallest of stems grew out of the seed and then bloomed into a huge flower. The bloom was the proper flower for the seed, but it was larger than it was supposed to be, more brilliant in colour.

Mari pulled the bloom away from her lips, startled even as Rel reached out to take it from her. He took what Muan had made and grew the roots of the plant out, grew several perfect leaves. The pull and tingle of power shivering through his fingers told him that he was pushing beyond the boundaries of his capabilities, but he didn’t stop until he had a self sustaining plant. Thus he handed it back to Muan who blinked at the plant and then stuffed the entire thing into his mouth, crunching on it with a grin.

“All that work for you to eat it.” Rel muttered.

The summation of any given life. Rel shivered at the thought and looked out the window of the apartment, as the very fragility of his existence dawned on him. He was so small.

A hand settled on his shoulder. Muan leaned close and brushed his lips over Rel’s temple. Raoh growled from his place on the floor a few feet away. Muan lingered a moment longer than was really allowable. When Muan pulled away, Rel realised what was going on. A pissing contest between Muan and his parents. Was it a show, was it Muan claiming he had the right to touch Rel, to advance the relationship, or was Muan just being prickly? And how did Rel know the difference between the two?

“I’ve got a craving for salt,” Mari murmured, “at the Illuen house we aren’t allowed to give into cravings so I would really like it if someone got me something salty to eat.”

And Mari looked right at Muan, who, in turn, looked like he had just stepped in a bear trap. The male swallowed hard and scuttled away from Mari and Rel. Mari didn’t take her eyes off of Muan. Muan whined and went towards the kitchen.

“That’s scary.” Rel muttered.

“What is?” Mari asked innocently.

“Look at Osht.”

Mari glanced at the male. Osht’s one good eye widened, he went a funny sort of colour and immediately began studying his sock.

Mari looked back to Rel and shrugged, “I don’t notice anything strange.”

“Like how every male is uncomfortable around you? What’s up?”

“I started bleeding this morning,” Mari said with a shrug.

“Meaning…”

“I’m. Not likely going to have another one. At least. Not one that’s viable,” Mari muttered, drawing her knees up to her chin with a huff, “I kind of. Half hoped. You know? That,” Mari scratched at nothing at all on her knee, “maybe I’d be pregnant after the drunken night.”

“Could still be,” Rel muttered in response. Because he had to say something that might cheer Mari up. He didn’t want to have to deal with a pissy, crying woman. “I mean. I’m not a professional or anything, but sometimes women bleed during the first part of a pregnancy. And a sex ed course I had to take back first year university said that if you don’t know with irrevocable certainty that you aren’t pregnant, you should treat yourself like you are. Maybe,” he shrugged, “treating yourself like you are pregnant would help. You know. In the long run.”

“Logically speaking. I should treat myself better.”

“Una is insisting we get used to living without processed foods. Can’t have coffee now, damn it. So. We are going to have to go along with the crazy guy anyhow.”

Mari huffed out, “but I haven’t tried illegal substances yet.”

“You’ve never tried an illegal substance?”

“No. The coffee the Illuen serve is even a local variety of some plant,” Mari waved her hand dismissively, “if it isn’t prepared properly it’s actually poisonous. And we aren’t allowed alcohol but some of us used to sneak it in. Proper medication and vitamins and all that. Weekly check ups.”

“Are you even certain that they told you the truth about…”

“I.” Mari sighed and looked at Muan as the Sidhe returned with a bowl of buttered rice and the salt shaker, “went to a third party. I. don’t want rice. I want meant with salt. Like. A piece of well fried fish with the skin and when it like sticks to the pan. Mm. Or. You know what would be good? Bacon. And fries. No. Not fries. Ice cream. Wait. I don’t like sweets. Oh. Fries in ice cream.”

Muan blinked at Mari, then at Rel as if asking if he should really go about making such an order of food. Rel gave his head a little shake. The Sidhe set the rice and salt beside Mari and backed away, bobbing his head before he retreated to beyond Raoh and Osht. The pair of males glared at Muan as he retreated.

Mari sighed and picked up the rice, nibbling on it.

“It’s just not fair. And you can tell them that. It’s not fair and. And who are they, anyway, to interfere with our lives like this with their game and their pieces and their stupidity,” Mari grumbled.

“Gods.”

“But.”

“Gods. The gods who made us, the gods who created our world and our people and coloured our culture. They didn’t ask for us to include them so thoroughly, we chose that. We asked them into our lives, we prayed for. For luck, for good tidings. For the ability to over come adversaries. And in return for what we asked for, the gods asked for something else. A trade across the board for what we wanted, for what we craved. Until one day someone looked at another person who was indebted to a different god and said, ‘I want what he has’ and then the gods had to step in, had to mediate and that. Evolved.

“Between now and then, I’d rather now. Minus civilization. But now is better. Without gods there was nothing consistent, nothing real. Before the first soul asked the first prayer of the gods, no one had souls. You were born and you died and that was the end of you. We were no better off than the daemons. Who live and die and war amongst themselves so often because even though they are followers of the gods, they cannot claim what we have.

“Eternity. For the trading of a few lifetimes, you shall have all eternity to enjoy the rewards you reap.”

Mari sighed once more, “I’ve decided I don’t like Whispers. Why can’t you just let me be irrational?”

“Because if I let you be irrational you’d likely start crying and I don’t want a crying, annoyed woman on my hands when I don’t know how to deal with an annoyed woman.”

Mari glanced about the apartment. Muan was glaring at her, the woman huffed out and turned her attention back to Rel.

“Why is he glaring at me?”

“Why does he glare at Paw?” Rel muttered, “I can have open sex with you but not with him,” to which Muan huffed as if that didn’t matter to him and turned away from Mari and Rel, “though I won’t have open sex with you or anyone else. So he really should just get over himself.”

“Every time you have a change to touch him, touch him. Let your touches linger a little longer each time,” Mari murmured in response, glancing away from Rel, “that’s how Lillow and Hohi have come to be able to cuddle in public.”

“You’ve kept this information the entire time?”

Mari shrugged, “didn’t seem like it was all that important until now.”

“Women.” Rel muttered.

“Whispers.” Mari responded in the same tone.



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