Scents of Normality

“Marduk he has progressed in a way that makes me….question things.” Noel sat in the same room he and Jese were in a week ago to interrogate the wolf.

Noel being the only one present in the room, it very much appeared like he was talking to himself.

“He does not even need words or actions to use his abilities. He has mastered every ability that he has at his disposal. Teleporting has come to him with a single thought, he has to only think of a place, want to be there, and he is. The Poseidon line has also given a quite a unique ability as well. He can multiply himself and the replicas are not unable ones either. They are literally clones that can be recalled. I have yet to discover whether this splits his powers or not due to the fact that he changes his habits often and never does the same thing twice. He has truly become a talented warrior. I foresee other problems.”

Noel paced back and forth in the room by the fire place. He occasionally nodded, he paused opening his mouth as if to speak but nothing came out.

“You have a….unique way of viewing things. He is too human, you want him to continue to rise in our ranks yet the very things that tie him to humanity are what hold him back. He is not respected among us. The few that know him understand but that can only go so far. You have made him a lieutenant in your army yet there are none below him that would take orders from him. He has completed few tasks; he has not yet proven himself to them. Defeating Santos has not granted our ranks any respect toward him. He has yet to really feel loss and many feel as if they could take on Santos as successfully as he did. His power has not really been shown nor has his willingness to fight. He wants no part of this and it shows vividly. Most especially after he killed Santos. He would not speak to any of us for days. His humanity is the one thing that will undo him.” Noel bellowed making his way to his chest. He pulled another horn out, this time it was red with small specks of black.

 

 

“You okay?” Jese’s wife asked him as he was watching Smallville.

“Yeah I’m fine. Just a little tired.” Jese assured her though he could not stop thinking of Santos and what changed him. He kept trying to figure out why he turned on them.

Osiris must have gotten to him. There wouldn’t be any other reason. Marduk wouldn’t have chosen him otherwise. I need to start figuring this all out and figure where everyone stands or I don’t have a hope in any world of saving this one.

Jese went about his normal day off. He didn’t have to work at Advance Auto Parts and he had quit Wal-Mart giving more free time. His wife, Alyssa, enjoyed the peace and quiet while the kids took a nap, which did not happen often and more rarely, at the same time. They decided to watch a movie.

The kids woke up not long after. They needed to go to the store to get some groceries; they got the children ready to go out. Jese wore his usually Harley clothing while his wife wore her Batman clothing, shirt, belt, and even shoes.

They went out and got their groceries, bought a couple of movies to watch, though they had enough to begin with. The book shelf they used had enough movies to watch for a year straight without stopping, they were already out of room and yet they still bought more regardless.

They usually watched a movie one time and that would be the last time. Unless Jese got a superhero movie which he would then watch for a week straight. Usually it annoyed Alyssa after the first couple of days but she let him do it as long as he wanted, if that was longer than a week.

Lexi and Kara did as they usually do and cause chaos, small chaos, in what ways they could. Lexi craved attention usually every minute of her waking hours. Running around the house repeating the names mommy and daddy every two seconds when she wasn’t occupied with something else, which wasn’t something that happened often or very long.

Her activities usually included running, yelling, playing tea party, playing with her balloons, eating, more eating, more yelling, and more running, coloring, and crying when she was told to stop something she didn’t want to or was told that she had to do something that she didn’t want to do.

Hotdogs, Cheez-its, Scooby snacks, suckers, baked beans, muffins, mac and cheese, cereal, milk, chocolate milk, lemon flavored water, sausages, kinder chocolate, pop when she could get her hands on it, and anything else she shouldn’t probably have. She was a picky eater and wouldn’t eat anything she did not want to no matter what. She could be told that she would either go to her room or eat and would choose her room.

She was stubborn like her mother, though she would argue it was her father that gave her that trait. She had dirty blonde hair that reached half way down her three year old back, which was curly and straight. Some strands of hair would have both types making it hard to brush her hair or put it in a ponytail. She was ticklish mostly on her arm pits and under her chin which Jese would exploit most often.

She had no fear, expect to when it came to bugs and sitting on someone’s shoulders. You could literally throw her across the room onto the couch and she would tell you to do it again, grab her by her feet and swing her around as fast as you could and would not let you stop doing it. She would play fight with you wanting to get hit (not seriously hit or even close to getting hurt) so she had an excuse to run and hide behind mommy.

She was much the child that would run into something hard and metal, like a dryer, head first, laugh, and do it again laughing harder than the last time. She would say and do the funniest thing making you laugh, really troublesome when you were trying to act mad so she would get the point that she was doing something wrong or that she shouldn’t be doing.

She always had a fresh set of faded painted finger nails and toe nails. They were always faded and chipped because she would never sit still enough or long enough for it dry completely. Her favorites word was no and please. Please usually came when she wanted something she had too much of, like chocolate, or when you were just too tired to do something she wanted after the countless other things she just had you to do.

Jese was not the blood father of Lexi, which to him was the smallest insignificant fact he did not even remember ninety-nine percent of the time. Though her “real” father if he could be considered that made it his life goal to prove otherwise. Everyone that saw and knew Jese and Lexi, including him, could see the love they had for each other. There was nothing that could or would bring them closer or make him love her even more. He never introduced Lexi as his step-daughter. Most people did not even know that he was not her biological father and often times commented on how she acted and sometimes even resembled him.

Kara is his third biological child, all of which are girls despite his hopes for a boy. Alyssa and Kara were on the verge of dying when he took them to the hospital a few short hours before Kara was born. She was six week premature and was born four ounces past three pounds. She was unable to breathe on her own, was unable to eat from a bottle, and was just in a bad situation. Alyssa was hospitalized for four days barely able to walk or move but was not alone. He was in there while they prepped her for emergency surgery, during the surgery, and after. He would spend his time going from one room to the other due to the fact that Kara was put in the Special Care Nursery. He would not leave or go far from the hospital for anything but food.

She was their miracle baby and were told often that she was the best case scenario for this type of situation. Jese and Alyssa had no choice but to leave and go home after the four days leaving Kara behind in the hospital. A week and a half later she was able to come. Ever since then she acted just like a normal baby. Crying, screaming, eating, and not much sleeping took up the majority of her time. She did not allow Jese or Alyssa much sleep either. For two months it has still stayed the same. Their hands were quite full and the kids took up much, if not all, their time. They didn’t mind and it doesn’t really bother them. They were both just happy that they able to have a healthy baby and three year old no matter how much they drove their parents crazy.

The day was at the end at about nine thirty Lexi was put to bed as she usually was at the time. She gave Jese a kiss as well as her sister. Jese sat down to read his Game of Thrones book. His mind left him at that point. He took notice of his third body which was in Iran. He ran into an old friend there he believed to be dead. It made it rather had to read his book.

 

 

“Thena, you were not someone I would have pictured seeing in a place like this.” Jese walked up from behind Thena. They were both dress in old Greek clothing. Her hair wore the most elegant curls any human could have imagined. Her eyes were the most amazing feature yet on her. There was no pupil or anything of the sort, leaving her eyes completely white. Normal humans would be entirely frightened by the sight; Jese was used to most anything abnormal or supernatural to the human view of the world.

Her body was that of an average human female in her early thirties. Her arms were the definition of normal having pink flesh running down to the middle of her forearm till they began to turn into a flesh of crystalline skin.

          They stood on a small flat clearing on the mountain side. Thena was staring out onto the Persian Gulf as the sun set behind her. The sun sparkled so perfectly off the water that it still amazed Thena every time she captured the sight.

“I would rather not been seen at all. Young human, I valued the prospect of being dead to all of your kind as well as mine.” Thena crossed her arms pushing her eyebrows down as she thought of memories of the past.

“We all thought you died fending off the Dragon-God.” Jese stopped next to Thena watching the water as well.

If only all days could be so beautiful.

“Every day you draw breath is beautiful young king. You thought as I wanted. I no longer wished to be present in the events that are occurring and shall occur. My role has come and passed. I wish to only watch and learn as I have always wanted.”

“I can understand.” I wish that I could do the same. “Can I just ask you one thing?” He adjusted his gaze from the gulf to Thena.

“How I escaped the Dragon-God?” Jese nodded in her correctness. “I did not escape. I was set free. I was allowed to leave after Marduk’s warriors escaped. The Dragon-God you all set eyes upon is not from this time or this universe. His power is behind the comprehension of even the great Marduk. He does not exist in time or space. He goes where and when he pleases to be. Being the creator of dragons and dragon-kin he returned to them to aid them. He knows what will truly happen and has granted me the privilege escaping the fate of suffering through it. I did not question the creator. He granted me the greatest gift I could have asked for. I had nothing left in the life that I left behind. Marduk and I were no longer bonded, all of my children are no longer living, and I had no desire to die or live. I had nothing left to give. I was set free.”

Jese stood there silent thinking on what Thena revealed to him. He had many questions to ask her but refrained from doing so out of respect.

“You may ask your questions human; I will answer, with one reservation. You forsake all you will learn and have seen here.”

“You have my word Goddess.” Thena turned to him and bowed her head knowing that he would keep his word. She reached her hands up cupping his face and closed her eyes.

 

 

Tiamat rose from his throne of fire and blood. Infuriated by the news he just received he killed one of the half-dragons in the room standing guard. The rest of the guards stood fast as if nothing had transpired. Tiamat yelled out in his frustration. “Isis get your beautiful treacherous a*s here, right now.” The purple flames from the torches flared.

“You would watch your tongue if you knew how quickly I would kill you. Remember your place. Tyber may have once tolerated that speech when he ruled this realm but I shall not.”

“I need not remind you that neither you nor Tyberian rule this realm. I shall speak how I please. I am not your servant, I am your collaborator. Should you talk so sweet to me I might invite you to relive some distinct interactions we shared.”

Isis changed the smile on her face to something lesser beings would be frightened by. “You value the short, and I do mean short, actions of one who was lustful and one bored, very highly. You speak to me in that manner again and you shall no longer exist. Your entire line will never have started.”

“You overreach Isis not even you could alter the biddings of beings far superior to you. However, I would like to reveal to you the events that I just come to my ear.” Tiamat walked up to Isis placing his lips close to hers and then walked back up to his throne.

Isis walked up the steps to the platform the blood and fire throne sat on. “Luncil has discovered were I once rested against my will. I am aware, far more than you are. You should also venture to consider that maybe Osiris is not as trusting of you as you may think and has learned something from the blood that he has not told you.”

Tiamat sat down putting his hands on the arms on the chair. “He knows the location of the spear.”

“Better still, he knows what the spear truly is and but has yet to unlock the entire secret.”

“We have to take countermeasures.”

“Kill Luncil. The blood has no further use and has already proven that he is and will only be loyal to Osiris. Kill his entire covenant. The demons grouped with them will have to be extinguished as well. Even the dragon-kin you have set in their ranks. All liabilities that we cannot afford.”

“My third-born will not be among them when I unleash the drakes upon them.”

“Taloi will be among them. They are all risks that can and will jeopardize my plans.”

“You are mistaken to think that I will allow such a thing. My daughter will not change her loyalty and never has given notice of such things.”

“How will you stop me? Would you like to join her? How do you think things will turn out when your usefulness comes to an end?” Isis smiled leaning down over Tiamat as he sat on his dark chair.

“So be it.” Tiamat growled revealing his blood line through his growling sneer of compliance.

“Was there ever a choice?” Isis leaned further down kissing Tiamat’s neck in an illustrious way.

A full blooded dragon let out a large roar of fire lighting the room out from above. The dragon landed between the demi guards with such force the ground beneath it cracked and broke. The floor crumbling from under the dragon let out a light even further below it. The dragon changed form to a demon similar to Noel’s race. Isis and Tiamat immediately rose to their feet and then fell down to their knees.

“Tyberian, my lord.” Tiamat’s voice trembled in fear. Isis slightly turned her head toward Tiamat realizing something remarkable. She smiled from the discovery.

“I am no longer ruler of this realm?”