Chapter Thirteen

 

Morning came again and I emerged from my hut just as the first of the people seemed to be stirring. I had not noticed that anything was amiss at first. There was an old woman who was talking quickly and quietly to who appeared to be her grown daughter who was holding a newborn baby. Eventually another woman joined their hurried conversation as well as two younger men. I tried to listen carefully, willing myself to be able to understand but the effort was to no avail. They seemed worried but I could understand little besides this. After a few minutes of speaking the split up into groups of two and spread out throughout the village. They appeared to be looking for something or perhaps someone. 

            After only a moment the same older man who had shown me to my hut the night before came to me and started speaking in a quick tongue. I had never wished so badly in all my life I could understand. Something was wrong and they needed my help to fix it.

            “The ancient grandfather has wandered off and they want you to tell them where to find him.”

            I was startled to hear the smooth voice that suddenly seemed to speak a familiar tongue. She was speaking English.

            There was a woman standing twenty-four feet from me. She seemed to have the same coloring as the rest of the natives but she was dressed strangely. She wore men’s trousers and a pair of heavy boots, not too dissimilar to the ones I myself was wearing. Her hair was thick and braided into a thick rope that ran the length of her back. Her eyes were dark and deep, set behind thick lashes. Her lips were perhaps a little too full yet she was incredibly beautiful in a strange exotic way.

            There was a slight breeze blowing from behind me but as she came closer the smell floated into my nose. Ever.

            “And why do they think I can find him?” I questioned.

            “They know what you are,” she said as she came closer, a smile spreading on her face. “Well, they think you’re a god but they have heard about beings like you. And actually they have the legend confused. I’m the one that can find the ancient grandfather.”

            I found myself very confused at her words. And I was only more confused as the man I had been speaking with looked this woman in the face and suddenly dropped to his knees, touching his forehead to the ground.

            The woman sighed and rolled her eyes. She muttered something in the language I recognized as the local and the man stood, his eyes wide, his expression excited.

            “Quiet,” she said and repeated it in the other language. She closed her eyes and suddenly became very still. I wondered silently what she was doing but did as she had bid me. She opened her eyes a few moments later and a slight smile spread on her face.

            “Come with me,” she said simply as she walked past me. 

            I had no actual reason to follow her. I had no idea of who she was or if she could be trusted. She could be leading me away from the town to try and destroy me, she would most likely not succeed but this could be her intent. She might have other Ever waiting for me that could help her. Yet I followed her for no good reason.

            Once we were to the edge of town I finally opened my mouth. “And you are?” I questioned.

            “Shada,” she said simply, her eyes focused and intent on the direction we were headed. “And you are?”

            “William,” I said simply as I increased my speed to keep up with her.

            “William,” she repeated. I was surprised at how my name could sound so different on someone else’s tongue. It was not that she held a heavy accent, she spoke perfect English. It was the thoughts that seemed to be behind the word. I felt embarrassed for no visually obvious reason.

            I was about to say something when she suddenly shushed me, her eyes narrowing as she looked ahead. “There you are,” she whispered. She turned her face slightly towards me, a grin spreading on her lips. “Try to keep up.”

            Without another word she took off at full speed and I was close on her heals. She was fast, just a fraction faster than I was. It took me only a moment to realize what it was she had seen. We were approaching a mountain and at the foot of it I could see a form on the ground. An old man.

            It took us only thirty-three seconds to reach him and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight before us. The form was indeed the ancient grandfather. He was defiantly old, his entire body was covered in wrinkles, his hair turned a beautiful snow white. He was curled up in a ball his overcoat pulled over him, fast asleep.

            “They said he has problems with his mind. He can not remember his own name most of the time. He has wandered off before but they have always been able to find him. He made it quite a ways for one so old,” she said as she bent beside him. “He seems ok.”

            He did seem unharmed as he slept peacefully.   Oh, to be so blissfully unaware!

            “Should we wake him?” she asked, looking unsure.

            “It sounds like he had a long night of travel. Let’s let him sleep,” I said. I bent beside Shada and ever so carefully slid my arms under his frail form. As I straightened he gave a soft snore but did not stir.

            “I guess so,” she said with a chuckle.

            Holding him slightly away from my body so as not to jostle the sleeping man we raced back in to the village. There were so many questions I wanted to ask this woman but I hesitated. This woman was intimidating for some reason. I did not think that she was a threat but looks could be deceiving. I doubted her only because of her strange dress. She was obviously not trying to hide the fact that she was a woman, this was quite obvious. Why would she dress as a man though?

            We re-entered the village and brought him into a hut as directed. I lay the still sleeping man gingerly on the bed and we silently left the building.

            I was surprised as we came back into the heart of the village to see that there were fifteen men working furiously on the stone wall I had repaired the previous night. Its size had nearly doubled. I turned to Shada to question her as to what she was doing and found a mischievous grin on her face. 

            “Walk with me,” she said simply.

            Again I did as she requested. As we made our way to the end of the village I could not help but notice the looks the women were giving us. The giggled and covered their mouths before whispering into their friends ears. I silently wondered what they could be gossiping about.

            “You have not been an Ever very long have you?” she finally spoke as we passed the last of the huts. 

            “No,” I said.

            “I can tell,” she said with a grin.

            I wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean but I did not question her further on this. “How did you know where exactly to find the old man?” She had not wavered as she set out for him. She had gone exactly to where he was.

            She looked at me as if it should be obvious, like I was missing something that was written on her forehead.

            “That’s my gift. I can sense people, find them if you will.”

            “Your gift?” I questioned. Apparently there was still more for me to learn about my new life.

            “Yes,” she said as she gave me a strange look again. “My gift. You do know about the gifts right?” She must have taken my silence as a no for she continued, shaking her head in disbelief. “We all possess a gift William, they are all unique. Some are more powerful gifts, some are very subtle. Like I said, I am able to find people, or sense them which ever explanation you like best. Have you not noticed anything unique about what you are able to do? Something you can do that no other Ever can?”

            I suddenly felt embarrassed for my lack of knowledge and ignorance. And at the same time there was frustration towards Zachariah for not having explained everything to me. “I must admit, I had no knowledge of any of this. I guess I have not noticed anything different about myself.”

            “Has no one told you of all of this? Were you alone when you became conscious?”

            “Yes I was alone,” I began. “I met my creator soon after though. I am afraid he fled from me in the beginning because he sensed my desire to take his life for the things he did to me.”

            Shada chuckled slightly at this. “Yes, I cannot blame you for wanting to kill the person who gave you this life. It can be difficult to deal with sometimes. And the knowledge of having forever set before you as your course can be impossible to bear. Believe me William, I understand. Perhaps better than anyone else.”

            With this she looked into my face and I tried to understand the emotions that panned out across her face. The expressions were mixed. The first was quite sad. The face one would expect to see upon a person who had seen countless horrific things, experienced things no one should have to. The second emotion I saw was longing. I understood the need for companionship. But I could not understand why she would look at me as if I were the one she suddenly wanted by her side. I was neither experienced nor a stable being. I was a wreck, a mess that was trying to somehow figure out how to put itself back together. I would never be a suitable companion for anyone until I could figure out who exactly I was. But the next emotion was desire. I could read it in her face, she knew what she wanted and she was not going to give up on it until she had it. I suddenly felt frightened slightly that she was looking at me this way. I suddenly felt as if I were the bulls eye and she was a shot arrow that never missed its target. 

            Trying to redirect her slightly uncomfortable attention I spoke. “How old are you exactly?” I questioned and could not even guess what the answer might be.

            By this time we had made a wide circle around the village, just beyond the capacity of human ears to hear.

            “Are you sure you want to hear the answer to that question?” she asked as she gave me a sidelong glance. I simply nodded. “I am not exactly sure. When I was a young girl I remember hearing that the one they called Jesus Christ had just been crucified. This is the only human memory I have, it was so long ago.”

            This information boggled my mind and I could not wrap my head around it. This would make her over a millennia and a half old. I was not exactly an educated man but I knew that it was with the birth of Christ that time had even started really being counted. This would in a way make Shada nearly as old as time it’s self.

            “Now you see why I asked if you really wanted to know. It is hard for some to comprehend that amount of time. Imagine living it.

            “I was changed by a very bad man. He was looking to destroy all the humans in my country and he was looking for a partner, a mate if you will. I do not remember exactly how it happened, how I was changed. As I said, I only have one human memory. I believe I must have been about twenty-four. When I woke, he had me bound and in an unfamiliar place. He held me there for months trying to convince me of the rightness of his very wicked ways. I would never believe any of it though. I had been human myself for so long, how could I ever develop the desire to destroy them all? 

            “And then Joshua found me. He rescued me from my captor and promised to keep me safe. 

            “I did not know who I was after that. While I was so filled with gratitude towards Joshua I cannot even express in words the hate that filled me. It consumed my every thought and desire. I was going to destroy the man who did this to me.

            “Joshua had been a captain and warrior in the largest army the world had ever seen at his place in time. After he was changed by Zimri, one of The Brothers themselves, he remained in his position for several years following, becoming an even fiercer fighter.

            “And so he taught me everything he knew. He trained me day and night for weeks and months on end until I could learn no more from him. I was every bit as fierce a fighter as he, if not more so. Joshua and I tracked down my maker and his band of followers. We killed all thirteen of them in on night. There was not even any struggle.

            “We fought side by side for centuries struggling to keep the mortals safe and ignorant. They were fragile then, they still are now, but more so back then. Should they find out what we were capable of it would have destroyed them. We had to keep the knowledge of all of this from them. 

            “Roughly fifty-three years ago we heard of a man named Adofo. He and his followers quickly became a problem. We heard of the heinous things they were doing and decided to intervene. They were raping and murdering women for sport. It was a game of numbers to them. One night when we were separated they came upon Joshua. He fought hard and long but there were too many of them. He managed to take a few of them out but he was far too outnumbered. They ripped him to pieces. By the time I found him, it was too late. He was gone.

            “While it may sound Joshua was my lover this was not the case. Joshua was family to me, my brother, a father at times, a teacher and mentor. I owe everything to him. I continue this last cause in his name. I have vowed to destroy Adofo.

            “I’ve been tracking him all this time but he always seems to be one step ahead of me. I suspect this must be his gift. Evasion. You can’t understand how this has tortured me.”

            I was unsure of how to respond to all of this. I could hardly comprehend all the history she had experienced, all that I was now facing. To live forever…

            That same look of longing and desire crossed her face and I once again began to feel slightly uncomfortable.

            “What are you thinking?” Her voice broke through my churning thoughts.

            I said the first thought that broke into my head. “I am trying to understand how someone could bear so much and still be able to function and live in society.”

            “What choice do I have?” she said with half a smile. “This is my life, I really haven’t known any other.”

            She was right. Every Ever seemed to be telling me the same things over and over. What choice did I have? Daniel had said it, Zachariah had said it, and now Shada was saying the same thing. This was my life now.

            As I looked up I realized we had circled back into the village. The light was beginning to fade slightly and as we neared the heart I noticed a faint glowing. As I looked for its source my eyes rested upon a great billowing fire. Something sparked within me and excitement rose. There was that strange sense of familiarity as I gazed into it as it danced and licked the sky.

            “It seems they have a party prepared for us,” she said with a smile. As I tore my eyes away from the flames I noticed that it seemed that everyone from the village was gathered. They all appeared to be dressed in their finest clothing and they gazed upon us expectantly. Two men and two women approached us and started speaking to Shada in excited tones.

            “Go with them and they will prepare you,” she said with a smile as she started walking away with the two women.

            I followed the two younger men in silence, wishing all the harder that I spoke their complex language. I knew it would not take long before I would understand but I needed to understand now.

            They lead me to one of the huts and hurriedly dressed me in some of the finest clothing I had ever seen. I wore a pair of cream colored trousers, the hems embroidered with intricate patterns of golden thread. My tunic was longer than I was used to and hung almost to my knees but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was a deep burgundy, trimmed with the same cream as the trousers and embroidered with gold designs as well. They placed upon my head a cap that was of similar style. I wondered what I was supposed to put upon my feet and I realized that the other men were bare footed and assumed I was to be as well.

            After I had been redressed they lead me back out towards the fire. I was directed by pointing fingers to a heavily decorated mat and I stood upon it. Everyone seemed to be waiting and I realized in just a few moments what they had been waiting for. Shada emerged from the shadows with the two women and I drew a quick breath in. She was absolutely stunning. Her hair had been done in several braids and twisted about her head in an elegant way. She had been dressed in a gown the same color as my tunic and it too was ornamented with elaborate gold thread. 

            She smiled broadly as she joined me on the mat and without a word everyone but the man who seemed to be in charge took a seat on the ground.

            “Do you know what is going on?” I whispered low enough I knew only she would hear me.

            “It’s a celebration of our return,” she whispered back.

            “Our return?” I questioned.

            “Wait,” she whispered as she pressed a finger to her lips.

            Just as she said this the man who I had started to assume must have been the tribal leader or chief stood and started to speak. His tone was excited but with obvious reverence.

            “Tonight we celebrate the return of the gods to our mists,” Shada translated softly. “It has been hundreds of years since they last walked among us but we rejoice that they have chosen our generation to return to.

            “Long ago two gods came to Earth. They wandered all the lands, finding those that needed protection. These gods had special gifts of speed, strength, stamina, and eternal life. They each possessed a special gift, one with the ability to find what was lost and the other to bring pleasant dreams. In their wanderings they found each other. When they did so their gifts were increased and they chose to spend the rest of their existence together. They became great lovers. As they traveled they came upon our ancestors who had been in bondage. The gods freed them using their gifts and lived among our people, vowing that they would always protect them. And while the gods had to leave our ancestors, they were always protected and no harm has come to us since.

            “And so we are overwhelmed with joy that the gods have chosen to return to us. They have already begun to protect us again and have saved two members of the tribe. Let us give unto them our praise!”

            With that a great cheer went up in the crowd. I heard music start up in the background and everyone stood. Shada and I rose with them and I could only hope that I was doing the right thing. Two women appeared holding arm loads of flowers. They approached us first, draping a necklace of the flowers around our necks. I nodded my head slightly and smiled to the woman as she slid it over my head. They slowly made their way around the circle, repeating the same thing with all in the circle.

            Once everyone had received their necklace everyone simultaneously broke into dance. With a smile that could not get any bigger Shada grabbed my hands and pulled me into the mist of all the dancing. I could not help but laugh as we whirled around and around. Truly I could not have come to a better place. While I had no wish at all to be worshiped as a god they were accepting me. I had always thought I was going to have to be so cautious to never reveal what I was but it did not matter here. And something within me knew that this was probably the only place in the world where that would be the case.

            The dancing continued and grew in intensity and I eventually found my way to the source of the music. There were three men there with different instruments, one of which looked very much like my guitar. With a cautious and polite smile I extended my hand, asking for permission to give it a try. The man who was playing it was more than willing to hand it over to me.

            This instrument was more crude than my guitar had been. The body was shaped slightly differently and there was one less string than I was used to. I strummed my fingers along it cautiously at first, giving myself a chance to adjust to the differences. It took only a moment and I fully gave into the music. 

            The people of the circle had stopped for just a moment to watch me but once I had grown in confidence the dancing continued.

            It continued like this for nearly an hour as everyone swayed and spun with the music. I heard a bell ring and everyone started filing towards one edge of the circle that had been created around the fire. As they cleared I saw a very long table had been set up and had heaping amounts of food upon it. From the looks of it it was probably the finest of everything they had.

            We were lead to the head of the table and I noticed that there had been nothing set out for us to eat upon. This seemed strange to me until we sat and Shada spoke.

            “They know we do not have normal human needs as they do,” she whispered.

            I nodded in understanding. Out of all the legends I had researched theirs were by far the most correct. Except for the being a god part.

            The feast was eaten within half an hour and the chief stood at the other head of the table. As he started speaking, Shada translated for me again.

            “Again we thank the gods for their return to us. We hope that our celebration has been pleasing to you. And now as night is coming upon us we will return to our beds and let the gods to themselves to do as they please.”

            Another great cry went up among them and everyone stood. As the crowd started to disperse we were joined by the chief and what I assumed was his wife.

            “They have a special gift for us,” Shada said as we started to follow them.

            We did not walk for long before we stopped and they both extended their hands before them. As I looked at the building that was before us I wondered where it had suddenly appeared from. It was built of stone and looked absolutely solid. As surprise filled my face I realized that this was actually the stone wall I had repaired. They had finished it into a full building in one day.

            “William,” Shada called as she started to walk through the low door.

            I nodded in gratitude at the two next to me and followed Shada through the door. It was two rooms it seemed. The first had a pit in it, a small fire blazing in it. There were some of the finest furs and silks I had seen adorning the room. And through the next doorway I could a bed had been set up, made of more furs and silks. I noticed that my few things I had and my clothes I had worn earlier had been placed in the back room, along with Shada’s strange clothes. 

            “They finished this all today?” I gaped as I stared around me. This must have been the finest of all they possessed.

            “They wanted only the best for their gift to the gods,” she said with a half smile as she sat upon one of the rugs.

            “Does it not bother you that they think you are a god?” I questioned. I knew that it was burning at me and it had taken quite a lot of effort to not try my best and correct them.

            “Think about it,” she said softly. “To them you are the god of their legends. You possess all of the same abilities they did. Would it make you feel better if they called you Ever?”

            Yes it would, I thought

            “It’s just a name. All they’ve done is gotten the name off,” she said.

            “They still worship us,” I pointed out.

            “Yes,” she said, her eyes dropping. “We might have to do something about that.”

            This made me feel slightly better. At least she did not seem to enjoy being worshiped wrongfully either.

            I looked around me again and my eyes fell to the bed. “I thought you said they knew our needs were different?”

            A sly smile spread on her lips as she looked up at me. “The gods were lovers, remember?”

            I suddenly felt incredibly embarrassed and knew if I had been human I would have been blushing furiously. “Oh,” was all I said.

            “It’s all right, William,” she said, though the sly grin did not leave her face. “I’m not going to rape you.”

            There was something in her eyes that made me think yet but I sat on one of the other rugs.

            Trying to dispel the uncomfortable silence I spoke. “Are you from around here? You speak their language.”

            Another, more innocent grin danced on her lips. “Sort of. I was born not far from here, but as I told you before, it was a very long time ago. The country is nothing like it was back in my day so it’s hard to say that I am from here. And yes, I speak their language though it is not what used to be spoken here. Languages evolve, change. But I also speak all the major languages that are spoken in this day. I’ve traveled around a lot, you see and hear a lot of different things when you’re so old.”

            Again I could not help but feel baffled by the amount of time she had seen.

            “Tell me about yourself, William,” she said as she settled herself more comfortably.

            “What do you want to know?”

            “Everything,” she said and I saw that deep emotion in her eyes again. The longing, the desire, and the loneliness. “Tell me about your human life.”

            It was strange the ease that came in telling Shada of my past. I held nothing back as I told her of my childhood, told her of my family. When I had come up to the point of that fateful day I continued with the new story of my changed life. She listened intently and encouraged me to go on when I paused. I told her of how I had come to find Daniel, how I had been appointed to end his life. And finally I came to the most recent events, how Daniel had found Katherine and how I had felt that I had in a way lost my best friend.

            “Are you not happy for him then?” she questioned as she looked seriously at me.

            “Of course I am happy for him,” I said with a sigh. “They are perfect for each other, it’s just hard for me to watch them. That’s why I had to leave. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

            “You are jealous,” she mused.

            “Well,” I paused. “I guess when you get down to it I am,” I admitted.

            “This Elizabeth, you mourn the loss of her so much. She is what you want more than anything, isn’t she?”

            “And the one thing I can never have,” I said as I rubbed my eyes.

            “Can there never be another to take her place in your heart?”

            I was thoughtful about this. Was it possible that I might eventually move on, that I could come to care for another like I had Elizabeth? It seemed impossible, I would have to be able to move on with the hurt I was constantly feeling.

            “It would be impossible for you to be with a human, William. Don’t you see that? You could so easily kill her without even meaning to.”

            Yes, I had thought about these things. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.

            Shada stood and walked over to sit next to me. “Not everyone is so breakable,” she whispered softly as she placed a hand on my cheek. Her hand was hot where she placed it and my heart suddenly started racing. She slowly leaned in and placed a hesitant kiss on my opposite cheek. I saw a slow smile spread on her lips and she stood.

            “I can’t stay here long,” she said as she stood. “I have to find Adofo before he gets too far and I cannot find him again. He slipped out of my reach for over five years; I don’t want to have to start all over again. I’m ready to have all this over.”

            There was something in the way that she said all that made me think she meant something much bigger than it appeared.

            Just as she was walking back into the second room she turned back to face me. “I’ve been alone for a very long time, William. I do not think it is good for us to be alone so much. I would like to ask you to come with me. I am not asking for an answer right now. Just think about it.” 

            With that she turned again and walked into the second room. She drew a curtain and I could hear her as she slipped out of the elegant dress and pull her strange cloths back on.

            Her proposal was indeed something to think about. I had to admit, even though I had only known her for one day I felt an immediate connection with her. I could talk to her in a way that I couldn’t with Zachariah or even Daniel. She seemed as lonely as I was and was starved for any kind of affection. It would be easy to have a relationship with Shada. She would be able to understand me like no human could and as she said, she wasn’t breakable. She would never grow old and she would never die. But something within me just could not think about being with Shada in the way I knew she wanted and was asking for. Shada and I would be forever friends but it was hard to imagine being more than just that. But perhaps that was something time could change. I was not going to rule the idea out completely. If I was going to get over Elizabeth I was going to have to move on with that aspect in my life. 

Reviews

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Ah, to be worshipped as a god surely can't be as bad as all that, goddesses at your beck and call and all that. Wonder if I could apply for the job since he doesn't want it.