Little Cherine Book 12 - BPost009
“How would you respond if someone offered?”
“Politely.”
Robbie grinned. “You would politely refuse?”
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“I don’t know. I’ve imagined it happening, but it didn’t so I decided I should just get on with my life. After all, not everyone can be linked, as I understand it, there must remain a reserve of Normals.”
“Where did you hear that!”
“I…maybe I read it at some chat site.”
“It’s not true. Daniel, you don’t have to wait to be asked, if you feel you would be a good Cherinian or Ipohin, you are allowed to ask. The worst that can happen is that you are refused if they sense you are not ready.”
“Boy, what a blow to my self image that would be!”
“Cherine?”
She smiled. “Ask someone Daniel - not me, I don’t link outside my family and close friends anymore, but any Cherinian or Ipohin would be happy to link you.”
As for his claim that we took over the world, he claims that since we are now the majority, we have effectively done so. He added, “Anyway, that is only for those who are sticklers for facts and can’t see further than their nose. You two took over the world the day you loved each other.” As romantic as it may have sounded, we did not like what it implied.
Orgg brought Robert back. He has obviously spent many hours in the sun as he has tanned darker than we’ve ever seen our Robbie. Even his hair has slightly lightened, with an almost blonde streak here and there. Our healers keep us at prime health, but when we also do exercise and live a healthy lifestyle, we say we are fit. We are fit anyway, but it is just a way of describing how exercise or good work makes us feel. He has done a lot of walking and Robert looked and felt fit.
“After all the trouble you went to, to bring me back to life, you must have thought I was very ungrateful.”
Robbie nodded. “I suppose so…” he grinned at our anger, “you were in shock, that is why we brought you to Orgg. It was a choice between Orgg or Socrati, but Cyprus is too tame now.”
“Every time I told Orgg we’d walked far enough, that I was tired, he’d tell me that I must become strong for my Cherine and he’d make me walk another ten miles!” There was no bitterness in his words and we could feel how the two of them have bonded.
Alki said, “The ancient Greeks had the saying, a healthy mind in a healthy body. Are you strong enough in both to suffer for your Cherine?”
He tilted his head. “She will make me suffer?”
“You will not suffer when you feel her pain? Your death will be as nothing compared to what he did to her. All of Freddie will suffer, you will not?”
We had to send Robert to another reality for her sake, not his. Her shame, fear, death-shock, all of it was more than she could handle and having her Robert trying to share was not what she needed. Neither did she need the additional guilt of sensing how she made him shrivel inside with his pain for her. His need to suffer for her was less important than her needs, so he was taken to an alternate Teller family for them to help him while we try to help her.
o00o
The prime Teller family still name the alternates Robbie met during his lessons according to the names he used then. In a way it is ironic as they are the wealthiest of all of us and yet they still call my Robert the Rich Robert. I am the rich Samantha I suppose. Greetings Arthur and all future generations. I am writing for Samantha who remained behind, as I am closest for writing for her without being Samantha herself - if that makes sense to you in the way it does for us.
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While her family experienced the above as described by Spice (it did come through to this copy of the diary as it was written and is re-placed for the sake of continuity), Samantha with the few who waited with her back on Prime Earth, felt as if they were living on the edge of a knife, keyed up for an attack that did not come. The one time there was a bit of excitement, it was proved that nobody of power was to blame - they went to a taverna outside Athens and while they were eating, the vine covered beams collapsed. Luckily the beams themselves missed all at her table but the wire mesh and vines did hurt them and they had to struggle to get out from under as they did not want to jump out as the further collapse might hurt one of the other customers who were also trapped. It was a freak accident and investigations showed that the beams had rotted through and should have been replaced years ago. The owner of the taverna may have thought he was saving money by not replacing the beams, but by the end of that evening he was far more distressed by what the misadventure had cost him. Samantha and her group untangled everyone, healed those who’d been injured, cleared the area and then insisted on sitting to finish eating, with nearly everyone following their lead, Dimi prompting them to laugh and make a joke of it so everyone was soon in a good mood and they drank more than they would have. Since there was dirt all over their food the taverna had to bring fresh supplies for everyone and then the owner realised it would not be right to expect his patrons to pay, so he refused to charge them.Samantha did not have hard facts, it was mostly a hunch that led her to expect an attack. As the days went by she worried that the others would return before anything happened. At that time she was more worried about the teasing she would have to endure and did not try to analyse what might happen and how.
Dimi, Tasso and family, Luigi, Manoli, Andrea and Britta among other, scrupulously ensured there are always two or three of them with Samantha and Lusalith. When Dimi called to excuse himself, telling Samantha that he is with a girl, she did not give it a second thought. Gradually all those who were supposed to replace those who’d spent the night with her and Lusalith called in with an excuse as to why they could not come. Manoli and Wing did not want to leave, but Samantha insisted. As soon as they were gone she convinced Lusalith to wait at the lunar facilities - pointing out that it did not make sense for both of them to be drawn into whatever trap was being spun and that Lusalith could do more to help from outside. They established and kept a link permanently open between them while Samantha lounged around and read magazines.
At 15:32 Athens time, Lusalith was enclosed within a sphere that cut the link. When the sphere disappeared, Lusalith could not feel Samantha and when she jumped to the house she found it empty. Samantha could not be sensed anywhere on Earth so all efforts were immediately made to find to which reality she had been taken.
The search was disrupted a number of times as Samantha's presence would be detected and then lost within seconds. They finally decided that her brief appearances were not accidental, that Samantha was fighting back and succeeding in breaking out of whatever mental cloaking system was being used against her for brief instances. Cherinians and others continued monitoring for her in the other realities but now the largest and most concentrated search for her was within the prime reality.
Now that Lusalith knew where to search for her she was able to establish a faint link that only served to confuse her and everyone who tried to share it. It was as if the link was passing through a crystal of millions of facets and each facet pointed the link as coming from a different direction. Not all the links were the same strength but the focusing agent, whatever it was, seemed to dart to and fro from facet to facet. Lusalith was actually forced to spend most of her time in water as the link was making her feel nauseous - a first for any god of her species!
I felt it was necessary I give a representation of the efforts to find Samantha so as not to interrupt the continuity of her story with explanations the reader may have otherwise required.
At first Samantha did not know she had been abducted. She was highly suspicious of the fact that none of her supporters had appeared to be with her, but when she lost her connection to Lusalith she prepared for a battle on her own, for to her it had seemed as if Lusalith had been attacked and blocked.
The next she recalls, she was walking in a street and she was two people. At the surface of her mind she thought she was Eliza Everton and she was on a two week holiday. Deep within herself she knew she was Samantha Teller, but she could not break through to her surface personae. Eliza noticed the Cherinians she came across and her face reflected her sullen mood, for she was angry that her two weeks were being wasted in London when Cherinians only had to wish to be somewhere exotic and they’d be there. Cherinians felt her surface resentments and avoided trying to sense her emoting.
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Her abductor must have planned well, for Eliza had a tiny one room apartment she could return to when it was time to sleep. The next morning, as Eliza ate her cereal, still dressed in her nightie, Samantha made a concentrated effort and it was as if a veil was suddenly torn and for seconds she was totally master of herself. Before she could do anything or even think of who to contact, she was thrust back and everything turned dark.
Each time Samantha came out of her personality submergence, she’d find herself with a different surface personality. Samantha worked out that it was deliberately done so as to confuse anyone who managed to sense her when she briefly broke free, but she also sensed that the newer personalities were not as fully thought out and planned for. She no longer had a room of her own and whatever personality was in charge found herself confused and thinking she must be suffering from amnesia, for she could not recall family or friends. At least she found each time that she has enough money in her jeans to pay for a hotel room and a meal.
Samantha stopped herself from fighting like a wild animal and tried to analyse all she knew and sensed. She came to the startling conclusion that she had not succeeded in breaking free even once - someone else was helping her and tearing the veil for her. Why would anyone help her, but not let her friends know where she is? Her question answered itself - it had to be the power she and the Dalai Lama had sensed. It did not want to reveal its existence and was even trying to make her think she was breaking out through her own efforts.
There was a lot to confuse her. For instance, she’d expected her attacker would be part of the group belonging to Craig. Why then wasn’t she being hurt or killed? What was intended? If the attacker was not part of any group, what was the purpose of hiding her from others and why was she still on her own Earth?
Samantha carefully primed herself so that the next time she has even a second of freedom she sends out a call for her friends to trace her - even if it only serves to soothe them, since they must be imagining the worst scenarios. She was also determined to fight and hold on for as long as possible.
The next time she was in charge of her mind, Samantha tried to call out while also trying to use her powers to block her mind from her assailant. Surprisingly her attacker lost control as it tried to force its will on her and Samantha suddenly saw a being that was not of any species she recognised. It sensed her and she was viciously attacked and as she came to she was already dying, her lungs torn, bleeding as her body reacted to suddenly being in a vacuum. Her mind felt shattered and she had difficulty in concentrating and her healer seemed to be lost to her. A feeling of lassitude stole over her and she faded into a soft comfortable darkness.
As Samantha regained awareness she also sensed friends and loved ones arriving by the hundreds. She sensed her healer had repaired her, but she was covered in blood. Lusalith appeared by her side (the others jumped to the sitting room first, mentally asking permission to enter the bedroom, only Lusalith had never been shown that she is not welcome in the bedroom, here or in Freddie. Lusalith saw the blood, but before she could panic, Samantha turned over to look at her.
“I’m alright.” She cleansed herself of all the blood. “Lusalith love, you and the others, you must leave right now. Please, I’ll call you as soon as I succeed in contacting it.”
Samantha urgently called for it to contact her again, promising there would be no reprisals, but she did not sense her thoughts were being sensed by anyone. She tried thanking whoever or whatever had helped her and saved her life, but again there was no sensing of her thoughts being received by anyone. Samantha jumped to a television station and rushed into the studio she saw was on air.
“I’m sorry, it is urgent I speak, may I use your station? Are you live?” The news broadcast was interrupted and the cameras concentrated on her. “I understand why you did what you did to me, you had to know what is the extent of my powers, I do not hold it against you, I am not angry. I even understand your sudden panic when I saw you and your attempt to kill me thereafter. None of that matters, make your terms for meeting me known and I will stick to them without allowing anyone else to try and trap you. We must speak before fear spreads - fear leads to war and I would rather you take me over again if it is the only way for us to communicate than have our people at war with each other. I’m going to my home and I’ll wait for you there on my own. Please respond.” She turned to the broadcasters, “Thank you, please repeat the message as often as you can - and - I’m sorry, I cannot explain just yet, later?” Stunned, they agreed and Samantha jumped home. She had to be very determined and stern before everyone (including Dimi) agreed to stay away.
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Samantha was starving, so she made a sandwich, a cup of coffee and sat outside. She tried to keep her mind calm and open, but she did not receive any messages and nothing seemed to be happening. Suddenly she came out of darkness and as she sensed her body she realised it was dying again, suffering from the explosive effects of the vacuum of space. She willed herself back to her home.
Over the next twelve hours she was thrown into space another two times. She then sheathed herself and waited. As she came to in space, she sent out a message that she will wait to be contacted. She waited for thirteen minutes, but once her air finished she had to return home.
She walked around the garden as she talked aloud. “I don’t understand, what is it you want? Why space? If you can’t meet me on my world, why not in your ship? Is your atmosphere poisonous for me? I can create a sheathe that converts your air or else my healer could change me to be the same as you if you let it sense you.” She did not receive an answer. “Would it help if I leave my body to meet you in the void?” Nothing. Whatever she offered, it seems, was not enough to tempt her attacker. Samantha worried, for she realised that it either could affect people, forcing them to do as it wanted or else it could take on a Terran aspect and take action directly, for how else could Eliza have had an apartment? She could not believe it was afraid of her and if it was, she could not think of any way she could alleviate its fears. She did not try to contact the power she was convinced had helped her, hoping it could sense she is grateful and that she respects its wish to remain hidden.
Two days later, Samantha invited Lusalith and her friends to visit and she told them all she knew and they shared with her what they had done to find her and how they’d sensed her a number of times. What Samantha found the most interesting was the way the link was altered for Lusalith and she took a memory of it for examining again and again, hoping it would yield a clue that would lead her to the alien.
o00o
Spice here.
Robbie returned in time and watched as Craig killed Cherine. He sent his healer into her body to keep the brain undamaged and waited to see what Craig would do with her body. For nearly half an hour he ignored it and then returning to it he teleported it into space with enough velocity for it to disappear within the sun. Instantly Robbie grabbed her and sheathing her he slowed her to a stop and then she was transferred into Freddie. A Sparkler had collected her soul so we went to the void to introduce ourselves while her body was fully healed.
Cherine did not understand what had happened nor where she was, all she knew was that she was still alive and she did not want to be. She was shocked when she sensed Marian as she had never felt so much maternal love from her. She allowed her mother to fold her within herself and her pain then poured out of her as she talked and talked, telling her mother all, from the fact of her being a freak to the foolish mistakes she made with Robert. Marian did not interrupt her, only made encouraging noises for her to continue until she had told her everything.
*My sweet little girl, how can you blame yourself for what an adult did to you? The shame and blame is his, not yours.* She talked until she felt Cherine relax and begin to accept that she is not to blame and is still loved by her mother. Once Marian felt she is over the worst of it and that her curiosity is beginning to re-awaken, she told her that they don’t have bodies where they are, but she wants to take her to a dream world where they can both have bodies. She took her to Meli’s world.
Once they had bodies, Marian could sense that Cherine felt her previous confessions were not real and needed to speak of the past again. She encouraged her and once she had spoken for hours and wept all the tears she had, Marian then asked her to listen to her and try to understand what she tells her.
“Cher love, the man you know as Robert, his real name is Craig. He knew you were supposed to meet a man called Robert who would love you so much that his mind would open to yours and the two of you would be linked by your love and become powerful. He feared that happening and everything he did was to prevent you meeting or loving Robert. Cher baby, just as he killed you, he also killed Robert.”
“But I’m not dead!”
“You are not in your body love, this is a make believe body. Soon, both of us will return for you to enter your body again. Before that happens, I have a strange but wonderful story to tell you.”
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Cherine did not only listen with her ears. She monitored her mother’s emoting and as crazy as she sounded, Cherine knew she only spoke the truth - at least, the truth as she knew it. When she told her about Meli and that she is her sister, Marian realised it was time she confront her with something real. Meli walked out from among the trees and Cherine rudely dug into her mind as they were introduced. Meli only welcomed her with love and once Cherine started to believe, she hugged her.
Not even the raspberries were as sweet as the story Cherine was being told and she so desperately wanted to believe that she allowed herself to believe most of it. When she was asked whether she is ready to meet prime Cherine she recalled her shame and was embarrassed. Cherine walked out from the trees as Meli had done, giving her time to get used to her existence as she walked to her. Our Cherine allowed her to see how she does not pity but feels empathy - an empathy so strong and pure that she cried.
They talked about many things and the Gillians brought them food and fruit juices and the hours passed as little Cherine opened her heart once again, allowing herself to dream. Of one thing she could not be convinced. How could any man love her after what she’d let Craig do to her. Our Cherine took the risk and after warning her that her own Robert would be just as special, she allowed her a very quick glimpse of what the love between her and Robbie is like. She cried until she fell asleep.
She was returned to the void and then sent to her body. When she opened her eyes she saw her mother, Cherine and Meli. The rest of us kept our distance until she’d adapted to being in Freddie. When they took her to a window and she saw a treehouse, she believed and feeling that a miracle has happened to her, she was overcome by awe. It was strange for the rest of us, feeling a Cherine so cowed and awed, but we knew it would not last for long. Marian felt our impatience and laughing, told her it is time for her to meet her alternate family. As we talked, laughed and cried with her, we loved her and we felt her love us, but we did not mind and even enjoyed it - as long as our Robbie kept his distance.
We now had to be patient, she would need months for the worst of her pain to heal. We found it a pleasure waiting, for we felt the changes in her day by day and seeing a Cherine emerge from within the ruins made us want to weep with joy.
Vincent and Kirsten came to Robbie. “We can sense Samantha is in danger, we must return to her.”
Robbie felt the same disquiet, but he struggled against his fears. “Vincent, I ask that you do not leave. You can feel it, the need to go to her is not acute, which I think means she will suffer but we will not lose her. She can let her sliver go if she needs you, don’t spoil it for her.” Cherine also asked them to stay and with a worried look, his arms around Kirsten’s waist, they walked away to talk and convince themselves that Robbie was right. In privacy, Cherine asked Robbie whether Samantha would remember to release Vincent’s sliver if she is in danger. She knows our Samantha and does not trust her to ask for help if she needs it.
o00o
Samantha had prepared for an attack again so when it happened she did not succumb as she had the previous times. She found herself cut off from everyone and did not immediately recognise where she was, but she was in control of her mind. As she’d hoped, the control allowed her to open the block and she felt Lusalith and everyone just before they appeared by her. She laughed.
“It has some strengths or abilities that are amazing, but in some ways it is also very limited. It keeps repeating the same attacks and is unable to adjust to changes within me.” She grinned at their dismay, for they felt that by taunting the alien and pointing out truths to it she might help it grow stronger. “Let me give you an example. It seems to be very determined to part me from all of you each time. What would it do if I spent all my time holding hands with at least one of you?”
The next time, Samantha found herself on her knees in the moon-dust, the sun blazing down on her at a terrible temperature and she just had time to see a comet shooting towards her from space. Instinctively she jumped to the garden of her home and running, leapt into the swimming pool to cool down the sheathe - especially below her knees where she’d been ‘touching’ the lunar surface.
Samantha grinned as she was quickly surrounded, Lusalith in the pool with her. “Robbie will be furious, I think I brought some moon dust with me. My loves, why do I get the feeling it is trying to anger me? What do you think it expects me to do if I get angry? It must be feeling very frustrated at my lack of response.” She laughed and soon had them chuckling.
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Samantha quickly ate, had something to drink and stuck a couple of chocolates in her pockets. Dimi was not amused and tried to stay close to her, determined his link to her would survive her jump this time. Sam did not protest and only prepared herself for an arrival within a hostile environment. She made certain the sac in her chest was filled with concentrated air and warned her healer to remain alert.
As Samantha arrived, she instantly jumped to the space she saw before her and the surface of the rock she had arrived on was smashed in a collision with another rock. Samantha jumped back home.
“Next time you try that you be there to fight with me. You are a coward, you don’t dare face me!”
Instantly she was on the moon again and the alien stood before her. It lashed at her with energy, but Samantha had to jump as her friends had arrived. As they returned she spoke aloud. “Do not jump to me, if it wants a fight I’ll handle it on my own. If you keep joining me it’ll think I’m a coward.” She looked above their heads, staring at the ceiling. “If you want to fight then we agree to certain rules or else I’ll refuse to play with you. If either of us says stop then we stop. I don’t know if you need to go to the toilet now and then, but I do. Secondly, you give me the chance to hit back instead of trying to mess with my mind. I would like to know why you are doing this, but if you don’t want to tell me now, then you can tell me after I beat you. The fight remains strictly between the two of us and you do not hurt others. Other than that, no conditions, do your worst.”
Dimi refused to obey Samantha and followed every time she was taken elsewhere. He did not try to interfere as he saw Samantha was holding her own and even managing a few counter attacks. They seemed to enrage the creature and Samantha was surrounded by a hail of rocks, lightning and energy balls. Samantha hit back just as hard, using the talent she’d practised with Orgg and Vincent and sent everything back at the alien. Suddenly she found herself within a storm of gas and guessed it had sent her to one of the gas giants and concentrating on arriving where she’d been she jumped and attacked. The alien disappeared.
Sam cut a thick slab of honeycomb and spread it over the toast and greedily bit into it. She talked with her mouth full, as she did not know how long she has, so nobody thought it rude of her. “I get the feeling I’m fighting some kind of Sebura. It is not very sophisticated and a lot of the rules of combat we have it did not seem to have until I demanded it obey them. I am surprised by its quick compliance to our rules. I doubt it is adopting the rules for itself, I think it feels it has to beat me according to my rules.” Lua refilled her glass of milk and Samantha drank it. “Doesn’t that make it sound like a noble savage?”
“Why don’t you let us help you overpower it? You can ask your questions afterwards.”
“No, I have to obey some of its rules also. Don’t any of you feel excited? I mean, this is a new species! I find it exciting trying to work out how it thinks.”
“A lot of your fighting was visible on Earth - you put on quite a display. Satellites filmed some of the fighting and they are showing it on most of the television stations. You’ve got an entire world rooting for you.”
Samantha grinned. “Makes a nice change.” She called out, “Alien I find our battles boring, you can’t hurt me and I doubt I can hurt you. How about a fight without using our mental powers? A sword or spear or any other weapon you are comfortable with. If you kill me you win, but you must accept that I will not stay dead.”
*Accepted. Others not follow and link stay off.*
“You are asking me to trust you? Give me a reason.”
*Fight on my world.*
Samantha laughed, excited. “You know how to provide me with the right incentive. Give me five minutes.” She explained and then ignoring their arguments, prepared herself.
As she filled a plastic bottle with water Dimi placed his hand on her shoulder. “I have to admit that Lusalith is more powerful than I am. Let her come with you.”
“I can’t Dimi. It is afraid of our world learning where their world is. Tell you what, once this is over, we can all go there for a visit if they agree.”
Before Dimi could marshal new arguments, Samantha disappeared and the link was cut again.
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Samantha stared at the strange world around her and asked her healer to check how hostile it would be should her sheathe disappear. She saw the alien was standing at some distance from her, but it had its back to her. She waited, using the time she had to examine the terrain. It was rough country, what vegetation there was seemed to exist under severe conditions with very little moisture. She found a small overhang and placed her water in the shadow within it. She walked around and climbed a striated and weathered rock to see more of the environment she would be fighting in and extending her senses she felt something of power retreat from her. She saw a small crowd approaching, obviously climbing from a lower land, but ignored them, for a moment convinced they were not what she had sensed. Her attacker moved forward and then, from the gestures, she guessed they were communicating. A movement at the corner of her eye made her look and she saw something that looked like a long sleek lizard, but the tiny sharp teeth seemed to be outside its mouth. It looked around and dashed across to another rock. Samantha forgot herself as she stared at the insects and other small forms that timidly dashed from outcropping to outcropping. She wondered whether they feared predators or the sun.
The crowd seated themselves on the ground and her attacker turned towards her. We start. Choose weapons. She saw a spear, but then realised it was not a spear, it looked more like a scythe with a very long handle. She saw a knife and an awkward looking double bladed sword. She took the spear-scythe, preferring to use it as a stick.
*No powers?*
“Only my healer so that I can maintain my sheathe - your air is not good for me.” It nodded, the crowd nodded (about twenty six of them Samantha thought) and it picked up the same kind of weapon as she was holding. Now that Samantha had others of the species to compare with, she decided her attacker is male and young and she decided she had been wrong, the elders had to be the source of power she’d sensed. “You know my name, what is yours?”
Faiiis. Rather amateurishly, Faiiis swung as if trying to cut off her leg. Samantha easily avoided it and waited for the next move. Faiiis did not waste time and suddenly she was having to use all her Cherinian speed to fend off his complicated feints and counter feints, his swings and jabs that always tried to mislead her expertly accomplished, but not fast enough to confuse her Cherinian reflexes. Within minutes Samantha was covered in sweat and she wished she had not settled on a body age of fourteen, she should have gone for more weight and muscle. His furious attack suddenly stopped and he stepped backwards. She walked over to the overhang and slipping out the bottle she took a swig, washed her mouth with it and slowly let it dribble down her throat.
Samantha realised, after their third engagement, that Faiiis was fast but had little endurance; he was not stopping for her sake. She never pressed home an advantage and never attacked, only using the handle part of her spear to block his attacks. After their fifth engagement she decided it might be time she rids him of his weapon. As he repeated a manoeuvre he had tried a number of times, Samantha tapped his spear, spun hers around and with a sudden jerk knocked it out of his hands. She placed the tip of her scythe against his throat and then pulled back, feeling she’d made her point. He did not communicate with her, turning to those who’d silently watched and he gestured. One of them came to his feet and with a knife resting across his arms offered it to Faiiis. Samantha had been about to go for a drink, but realising what was about to happen she leapt and grabbing the knife she threw it so that the blade sank into the ground.
“No! He fought well, Faiiis lives!”
*Failed children do not live.*
“Failed…how can you say that, he fought like a warrior! Because I am faster it does not mean he is not a warrior.”
*Failed child, he dies, now or when you leave. He chose to fight you, his choice, he pays with life for failing.*
Samantha did not like the way the speaker sounded and she was distressed at the thought of Faiiis having to die because of her. “You were not a failed child because you chose an easy fight?”
She sensed the hardness of tone as he replied, *Faiiis choose to make big name with you, he die. I fight diklizr, not easy fight.*
“A diklizr…that is for weak children, prove you are not a failed child and fight me if you are not afraid.”
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Samantha fought him and then was told that the two of them would have to die. She challenged a third and then a fourth, beating them all. By now it was getting dark and they were tired of her - and angry with her. She refused to let them go and trying to hide her fear, she challenged them all. “When you all lose to me, what then, will all of you die and leave no one to protect your people?”
One stepped forward. *Tomorrow we fight.*
“Nobody dies until all the fights are over.” They agreed. She need not have worried, those who’d lost to her did not return with the others. Filled with dismay she stared at Faiiis. “Damn it, what made you choose me.”
*We know of Cherinians, we watch. Think, Samantha fierce, a fighter, I kill her, glory is big.*
Samantha chuckled. “What glory! Don’t you know that I won’t stay dead?” She looked at the others also. “Damn it, what do I do with all of you? Are all the others also going to fight and will they really have to die if they lose?” Faiiis told her they would all be relegated to failed children if they accepted her challenge and lost. “That is not what I wanted. All I was trying to do was show them that you did not have a chance to beat me.”
*Is known to me, more glory failed child fight you than kill a diklizr.*
“You are crazy! I want to go home for a wash and a meal. Will you take me?”
Samantha convinced all of them they should return with her so that she can be brought back to their planet, implying she would not have to learn where their planet is - which is rather stupid since she could jump there by mentally seeing the area she’d fought in. She succeeded in making it even more interesting (for them and us) by convincing them they should allow her to project Terran bodies for them.
We shared what her day had been like and it could be felt how a number of men fell in love with her. Samantha blushed, jumped to her bedroom and returned as an eleven year old. I think it only made her look sweeter and twice as tempting to many of them.
Samantha just does not seem to know when to leave things alone. She asked why the aliens feel they have to use primitive methods of proving they are male adults when they have mental powers that are of far more use. They answered that using mental powers in battle is not manly unless the opponent is stronger. They seemed to find their reasoning self-obvious and would not allow themselves to become involved in the discussion we tried to draw them into. Tactfully we changed the subject and tried to discuss other aspects of their lives. None of us was doing very well when Lusalith asked them how important glory is. They were not certain they understood what was meant so Dimi jumped to bring a Cherinian woman who has a gift that is similar to Claudia’s but weaker. We talked until both sides understood each other - Faiiis had learnt some of our language (Greek) because he’d arrived when Freddie was not here and he stayed in Athens to wait for Samantha.
“Glory is song of man when die. Good leave strong song.”
“Do your people kill each other - of other places on your world, for glory?”
They seemed shocked. “Not kill human - only animal! Adult only protect all people.”
“Does nobody kill out of anger?” They emoted their shame, but otherwise would not answer.
I said to Samantha, “Perhaps you should become a white demon again?” She grinned, but everyone was too afraid of causing a misunderstanding by laughing. These aliens are one touchy bunch!
Dimi did not hide his anger. “You say you do not kill humans for glory, but you chose to kill Sam? What you did proves you a liar.”
Samantha put out her hand. “I apologise, my friend meant that what you did does not agree with what you say so that it makes your words seem to be a lie. What is the truth?”
“Samantha not a human - Samantha a god. Allowed kill god for glory.” Lusalith’s emoting was to be treasured by all those who love her.
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Lua asked, “How many of your males will fight Sam?”
“All.”
“All?” Lua did not try to hide her emoting. “You would prefer to destroy your species than allow a failed child to live?”
“Not live without glory, then not human.”
Samantha gave Lusalith a weak grin. “There you are my love, a definition for your people - living without glory means you are not human.” She turned on Faiiis, hardly managing to conceal her frustrated anger. “If I am killed but return to life, he who fights me is not a failed child?”
Faiiis made a gesture we came to learn was a sign of respect. “Too much glory - must die also so that all remain same.”
Suddenly we felt Samantha was close to weeping as she asked again, “If I had lost when we fought, you would not have been a failed child, but you would have to die because you would have too much glory?” He agreed with her, they all did, pleased that she’d finally understood what was so important to them and we felt her collapse inside herself. Because I am a Samantha, they all looked to me for a way to help her.
“If you are killed as failed children or for having too much glory, but are brought back to life - are you allowed to fight again and choose a diklizr this time?” It sounded as if their debate would last a long time so I told the others I was taking Samantha to sleep as she would have a difficult day ahead of her.
The aliens, the closest we can get to their name for themselves as a species is ‘Reggheri’, understood that we were trying to find a way to save the lives of all their males. They may have felt honour bound to their stated course of action, but they did not look forward to the destruction of their species, for they no longer had any confidence a warrior of theirs could kill Samantha and it meant they would all have to fight her and be condemned to death as failed children. Even those who were immature would have to take their turn when they were considered old enough to fight, so there would soon be no more males and no more children - as far as they were concerned. Our sympathy (or empathy) was not as sharp as it should have been, for not once did they allow into their considerations what it would be like for Samantha having to kill hundreds of millions in single combat. I could not help working out that should Samantha agree to fighting one fight per day, she would never succeed in killing off all the males as they would breed faster than she kills. So that they do not stop breeding while waiting their turn, it would have to be agreed that they prove themselves no longer children (as a temporary measure) by fighting a diklizr. When the others saw my thought they were not amused (afraid for their Samantha) but Samantha was and hugged me.
To buy time for Samantha, each second she has apart from them important, the girls (Lua and other Cherinians) prepared us a breakfast and brought it in to us on trays. We felt how being pampered made Samantha feel so they all got praised or hugged once they left us.
“You seem to have recovered.”
She nodded. “I’m more angry than I was yesterday. How dare they not consider me a human.”
I grinned. “Being a god is not more flattering?”
“Lusalith is not human?”
“Sam, you’re stretching things a little. We have to concentrate on finding a face saver so that you can end this. Getting angry will not help.”
“It might help me.” She relaxed and smiled. “Okay, I’ve had my turn at being childish. Have you heard whether they agreed to your suggestion?”
“It was more of a question than a suggestion. No, no news.”
“We better get out there, I’m not fighting and killing anyone so we have to find a solution.”
As the others sensed us coming to the door, they warned us that they have the feeling that the Reggheri have come to a negative conclusion, but that not all of them are happy with their decision. Samantha asked to speak to Dimi in private (mentally) so we withdrew until they gave us the all-clear. We felt shock and amusement in Dimi. Samantha and I waited behind the closed door while Dimi spoke to them.
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“Is it for the child to choose their battle or do elders of your people choose for them?”
“The one who is to fight must choose.”
“With us it is the other way around. We understand that the child does not have the wisdom of our elders and they could make a foolish choice which could result in the waste of a good and useful person. Let me give you an example: let us say that a child told you, I wish to fight our sun. I will urinate on it until it dies. Would you not find his wish foolish?”
They found his example amusing, as Samantha had expected, being from a society seemingly not much further advanced than the Orati and it relaxed them. “Such a one would be foolish and should not become an adult male.”
“Perhaps. On the other hand, it could be that the child inhaled a drug that made him foolish or else, an adult male he admires but who hates him, advised the child to make such a decision, promising him it would earn him much glory? You do not believe in taking whatever action is necessary to protect your young who are often still foolish?”
The one of them saw what Dimi was trying to say and spoke, “You suggest that choosing to fight Samantha was like Faiiis choosing to urinate on the sun?”
Dimi nodded and asked, “It was not?” We left them to their arguments and went to Kefalari for a coffee. Everyone found it funny that Samantha felt she had to ask Dimi to speak her idea, but I would have done the same, she would have sounded too arrogant if she had compared herself to a sun.
When we returned we were told that they must consult with all their elders as the decision is too important for them to make it on their own. They made as if to leave us, but Samantha raised her hand and sharply asked them to wait.
“I have listened to all you’ve told us, I’ve tried to understand why Faiiis chose me and there is some good I admire in you as a people, but there is some that I feel steals all your glory and honour from you. Faiiis, have you met or seen the Akiards? Do you know their story?”
“They are in Freddie?”
“Yes.”
“I did not find it possible to enter.”
“Then listen to their story.” There was not one person present who did not remained glued to her mind as she spoke, for we have heard and experienced those days through the tellings, but this was the first time anyone was learning of how Samantha felt and what she thought as she fought to find a way to save a people who considered themselves (inexorably) her enemy. The Reggheri were just as fascinated and since they do not camouflage their intentions with a sophisticated veneer to blind themselves to the truth, they were quick to understand what Samantha intended them learning.
“Whether you call me god or animal, you know that I am a human, a being who thinks, dreams, plans and hopes just like anyone of your species. Calling me a god shows that you are playing with words in the hope you can accomplish something that earns you greater glory than all your elders earned. That is the dream of a child, not an adult, and your elders failed in their duty to protect a child by allowing him to attack me. Allowing a child to call me a god so as to attack a human, that too was a failure that belongs to your elders. Faiiis, you I forgive, for you are a child. The rest of you I do not forgive - you too allowed yourselves to think like children and that is not seemly of a warrior.” Samantha shredded their egos and then returned to speak of the Akiards again, explaining how their dreams and way of life could bring to all the Reggheri great glory. She demanded they choose; the shrivelling of their people as one more species that died out because it did not have a dream big enough to give it a reason for living, or they adopt the dreams of the Akiards and become Warriors of Love and brothers to the Akiard warriors. She reminded them that Warriors of love do not condemn children by calling them failed children; they stand by them and help them grow stronger so that they can take their place among the elders as true warriors with glory in their hearts.
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
- posted: 9th Aug, 2020
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