Chapter 5 ~ "We Were All Gods"A Chapter by Cierra Arcubella learns why Anapa favors her and desperately seeks new answers to the different realms. She also begins to take charge and help her own race. Chapter 5 ~ “We Were All Gods”
Over the past couple of days, I spent most of my time lounging in bed. At times, the pain in my side became too much for me to handle, causing problems with sleeping. I made frequent trips to and from the infirmary but there was only so much the doctor could do. Anapa was off the ship most of the time, fighting a war that broke out with the Dwellers as they continued to come. Luckily, they weren't all coming at once. It was like a swarm here and there, but it was becoming a little bit overwhelming to all of us. More of the human race was dying off, little by little. It became unsafe to be on the outside world, simply because you didn't know when the next swarm of Dwellers would show up.
When Anapa came to bring me my dinner, I grabbed his arm before he left. “We still need to talk, Anapa. I have questions and I want answers.” He glared at me, pulling his arm away. “There is nothing you need to know.” He growled, walking towards the door, but I jumped over my bed and ran out in front of him to stop him. “No. I deserve answers, Anapa. I've been attacked twice here, you've kept me locked up in this room and you've been vague when I asked you questions.” I could see the rage filtering through his eyes, but at the same time, he started to calm himself, walking towards a chair on the other side of the room. “You asked where I came from,” He began, with a heavy sigh. “Your race believes us to be aliens.” I watched as his eyes scanned the ground as if it provided guidance.
“Is that not true, Anapa?” His eyes finally met mine and just then, I got my answer. It wasn't true. They weren't aliens. “Are you the Anubis God?” My question didn't seem to phase him, but instead, left him with another irritated expression. He said nothing to my question, only leaving me with more. “If you're the Anubis God, what part do the Dwellers play?” My questions would only pile up, if he refused to answer. “You ask a lot of questions.” He exclaimed, placing a finger to his temple as he rested his head against his hand in thought. “I'm only one Anubis God of many. Our realm has been taken over by the Dwellers. They keep multiplying. So we surfaced from the underworld to here.” As he began explaining, I only became more and more confused. “If your Gods, shouldn't you be able to destroy these... things easily?” Clearly, my questions were just becoming more bothersome to him. I knew there would be things I couldn't understand, but I could sure as hell try. “You and your people only know of specific realms. There's more to the universe than what your race knows. The Dwellers a type of God that belong to the other side of the Universe. We are Gods, but we're not as powerful as some of the other divines out there. I cannot explain everything to you because it goes beyond your comprehension.” He was right - I was trying to wrap my head around the “realms” portion. The universe was a big place and way beyond any comprehension of even the greatest mind.
Just as he got up to take his leave, I stopped him once more and he exclaimed his frustration with a heavy sigh. “I have two more questions for you.” Well, I actually had a lot more, but the two questions I wanted answers to were a little more important. “Why did you enslave the human race and why did you take me under your wing for protection?” I scanned his eyes for an answer as he remained silent. Pulling away from me, he took his leave. Now that I had some knowledge of where he came from, I might be able to find a weakness to his kind. A part of me wanted so badly, to take back our world, but the other part wanted to remain faithful by his side. I wasn't sure why... The connection we had was strong but the fact that I had no idea why I was so tied to him was driving me insane.
Over the next few hours, I stared at my food that was now cold. Eating didn't seem too tempting to me right now. Annie came in with her same bucket of supplies. Her eyes stared at the portions of food I had on my plate; it was much more than the servants got by a lot. “Do you want it?” I scooted my plate towards her and she nodded quickly, setting her bucket down almost immediately, and began to eat. “Annie, can I ask you something?” She nodded, sitting down on the floor while she ate. “When I first met you, you said I could persuade him... What did you mean?” Slowly, she put her plate down and pondered my question, staring up at me, “He'll listen to you. Tell him to set us free.” The pain in her eyes shot through my heart like a tranquilizer. I gave a shaky sigh and shook my head. “It's not that simple, Annie... But I can see what I can do for you.” Nothing more was said on the matter and we went to our usual routine after she finished the food.
Days had passed, and Anapa had allowed me to walk around the ship freely now, so long as I promised not to go outside. I stayed true to my word and began to visit the servants that worked on board, slipping them a piece of bread. Usually, a guard would strike me with a dirty look and I would only grin to them. If they had a problem with it, they could take it up with Anapa, who would then come to me. I started thinking more and more about what Annie said about persuading him to let them go. I already knew that he wouldn't do that, but perhaps, I could persuade him to show kindness and become a ruler that everyone would favor later on down the line, as well as playing my part to show servants that I wasn't just like him simply because he favors me.
When the guards reported to Anapa that I was giving bread to the servants, he immediately called me to his throne for a talk.
“You've been feeding them more than their given portions?” I could see the anger in his eyes as he spoke to me.
“Yes. You can't expect them to live long if you keep feeding them such small rations once a day.” My response only flared that anger more. He got up and slammed his staff against the ground. I guess it was his way of showing some sort of authority over me. Flinching a little, I remained strong.
“It is not your decision, Arcubella. These are my servants!” He began to raise his voice and for some reason, that sparked some quarrelsome attitude in me. “And these are my people! If you want me to remain loyal to you, then things need to change, Anapa. I will not stand by idly and watch my people suffer and die while I live a cushioned life!” His challenge had been met and the warriors that stood by his side began to move up in arms towards me. He stopped them, giving me a glare of hate, yet understanding.
“What would you have me do, Arcubella?” His tone became a little more calm, and he sat back down on his thrown. Relief seemed to wash over me. I thought for a moment there, I was finished.
“Give them larger portions, three meals a day. Something nutritious, not that slop you've been feeding them.” The two warriors that sat beside him looked almost appalled by my recommendation, but Anapa nodded in agreement. Without another word, I left, visiting back with the servants one more time before I retreated to my room.
That night, Anapa came to visit me before Annie was due for my bath. “You are not the leader. You cannot make demands.” Sitting up from my bed, I looked at him as he spoke, scoffing a little. “What am I then? If not a leader, if not a servant, if not one of your kind, what am I? You're not making sense with me, Anapa and you refuse to answer the question as to why you took me in. What am I suppose to think?” That's when he turned to close the door, and sit down by my bedside. His hand slid up under my chin, staring into my eyes. “You feel that connection between us, do you not, Arcubella?” I gave a nod, “You were someone else in another life, taken from me. But now you are human.” This was the first time I was finally able to see through Anapa's tough exterior; he had pain in his eyes. “You too, were once a God... A Goddess. Everyone here, on this planet, was once a God in one of the other realms before their passing.” I couldn't respond to his explanation, mostly because I couldn't really understand it.
He removed his hand from my chin and relaxed his arms in his lap. Finally, after getting over my overwhelming thoughts, I was finally able to speak. “I was a Goddess?” He nodded, turning to me. “You were my daughter.” My eyes widened in shock. His daughter? How did he even know I was that soul? Was there some kind of aura about me? Do Gods just... know? “How did I die? What was my name?” He seemed hesitant on telling me. “It does not matter.” Oh, of course he would ignore my question once more. “What matters is that the veil between realms is broken, and everyone is in danger.” Before I could question him, he made a hasty retreat from the conversation and left me more questions, as usual. Annie came in shortly after he left me in thought. She looked a little bit happier - well fed and well rested.
After my evening meal and bath, I found myself retracing the conversation Anapa and I had earlier. What really interested me wasn't that he told me I was his long dead daughter in a human body, but that we were all Gods once.
© 2014 CierraAuthor's Note
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