Chapter 10: Devotees Missing Devotion

Later that night, when the women were sleeping, Roban was standing at the bow of the ship and watching the night sky. The sea was calm and a light northeastern wind was pushing them at a steady pace towards the western horizon. Beyond the horizon lay the coast of Vernya, where a war was waiting for them. Hundreds of thousands of warriors were coming to fight and die in this war. Roban heard steps coming closer until one of those warriors stood at his side.

“Can you tell me something about this war Chieftain; maybe about our allies and enemies? I know it doesn’t matter, but I was always the most curious among my brothers. I’m twenty-eight and have fought in many battles, but this will be my first war.”

“Sure, Ghorn, I’m as much of an oddity as a curious Norgar, a talkative Chieftain. Your enemies are the Manthakin Emperor and his allies. The Manthakin I fought so far are well trained and equipped fighters; not very tall, but stocky and strong. They’ll do everything to win a fight and this war. Just like us Norgar, they are the ruthless kind of enemies. Although there is a little difference so far as the Manthakin use fear as a means to prevail, whereas we Norgar spread terror as entertainment for ourselves.

Vernya, the battlefield, is the home of our allies, the Ghallan Clans. They are as strong as their motivation to fight is. Led by their women and defending their families, they too will fight mercilessly, but won’t enjoy it half as much. There will be other enemies and allies, but I don’t know a lot about them,” Roban told him in response to his question.

Out of the shadows appeared Jenaya and asked, “Won’t you tell him why he has to fight in this war? I would also like to know this.”

“The cause for this war is as meaningless for him as it is for me. Ghorn was born in Kurgath, he is a Norgar warrior and that’s his reason to fight, but it’s something he already knew,” Roban answered calmly. “The Manthakin Emperor wants to become an immortal and believes Iane could give him what he needs to achieve this goal. Ask Iane if you want to know more about it,” he finished shrugging.

Jenaya watched Roban intently before she asked her next question. “If the reasons for a war don’t matter to you, does it mean it’s a coincidence that the Manthakin Emperor is your enemy, and you would also fight as his ally?”

“No, it isn’t a coincidence. I would always be the Emperor’s enemy, because there would always be something he wants that belongs to me. Why don’t you ask what you really want to know?” Roban replied grinning.

“Stop teasing her, brother,” Athea admonished as she stepped to Roban’s side. Hugging her brother she turned her head and spoke to Jenaya. “It’s funny, I don’t believe you had such morally high demands when you were still serving Leandris.”

“You are right, Athea, I didn’t, but this is my new life and I don’t want to repeat the mistakes I’ve made before,” Jenaya calmly replied.

“Then I’ve a suggestion for you, Jenaya. If you need my brother to be good, you’ll have to make sure all the things you deem good and worthy of protection belong to him. Then he will be good. I hope for the peace of your soul, that you always know what’s good and what’s evil,” Athea told her, a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

For a moment Jenaya watched Athea curiously, before she thoughtfully replied, “I’m beginning to understand, thank you Athea,” and then she left.

“Are you recruiting help building a cage for me?” Roban asked Athea, hugging her tightly.

“It’s not a cage, just a fence. I’m building a home for us. You told me that’s what you want.” Athea answered, nuzzling her face against his chest.

“Usually a fence is meant to keep unwanted things away from your home,” Roban replied.

“That’s exactly the reason why our fence needs to be built very solid and high. It has to keep away the temptation for you to leave and destroy the entire neighborhood until it looks like our old home,” Athea explained yawning.

“You’re still tired, all that planning and building must be exhausting. Let’s go down and sleep some more.”

When Roban lifted his little sister off her feet, she wrapped her legs around his waist and let him carry her. Athea was asleep before he had finished climbing down the hatchway.

The next morning, after an astonishing calm and peaceful breakfast, Jenaya was alone at the stern of the ship, absently watching the ocean and deep in thought. That was when Leandris approached her.

“What is your new mistress planning to do with me when we arrive in Vernya?” She asked calmly, but her anger about the situation was obvious.

“I don’t have a mistress and I’m not even sure anymore, that I have a new master. I’m bound to Roban, but maybe Athea has told me the truth. So far he hasn’t given me any orders and doesn’t seem to care what I do. That might change when I finally do something that’ll make him angry with me, but I’ll have to wait until that happens before I can be sure of it. Athea told me that from now on I’m responsible for you, so I’ll have to decide what to do with you,” Jenaya answered factually.

“I’m the captive of my former best friend and overseer of my harem. That’s almost amusing,” Leandris stated, but she didn’t sound amused.

“Actually it’s not that much of a difference for me. Just as before, I have to prevent the worst damage from your selfish and reckless actions. It’s even a bit easier now, because I no longer need to hide it from you and there are others who aren’t afraid of you, and will help me with it. The Amazon, Hassika, seems to develop a particular fondness in dealing with you,” Jenaya coldly retorted.

“I never knew you hated me that much. So that’s what you’re planning, to keep me a guarded prisoner until the child is born and then what? will you just kill me after you’ve taken my child from me?” Leandris asked.

“I don’t hate you Leandris, but I am cured of the disease it was to love you and now I see you as who you are. You are the queen of Ghota and could have been important, but you are not. You let hundreds die in the pursuit of your selfish desires and didn’t care about a war where thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands will die. A war that will decide the future of many nations and one of those nations is Ghota, your kingdom. The child you are carrying, my child, will never become what you are. She will care about her kingdom and not just herself. She will be important.”

Jenaya left after that and now it was the Queen of Ghota who stood at the stern of the ship, absently watching the ocean and deep in thought.

Three days later in the evening they all sat together eating. Jenaya was quietly cursing and Leandris fidgeting on her seat, casting nervous glances at the people around her. They had seen the same just a few days before and today Hassika was watching the queen with a smug little smile on her face, but Iane looked annoyed.

Looking at Jenaya, she exasperatedly shook her head and said, “Let me finish my meal before I help protect your virtue once more.”

“Jenaya took care of us for years, Meyra and I, we owe her a lot. I would be happy to help and play your part this time, of course only if you don’t mind Princess Iane,” Chalissa gently intervened.

“That’s so kind of you Chalissa and I’m sure my cousin won’t mind. Iane suffers enough at the cruel hands of her Master as it is and will be grateful for any help you offer to lessen her burden,” Athea joyfully commented.

“Really? I thought she would become angry, but if I was wrong I call dibs on helping out with feeding Jenaya the next time she is hungry.” Ynerca happily announced.

Iane first glared at Athea and then at Ynerca before she rose to her feet and strode to the hatchway. Turning to Nigulla and Patessa before she left, she said, “I’ll take a walk on deck and when I come back I want a long relaxing massage.”

There was a moment of silence after Iane had left the quarters, but Roban’s voice ended it before it could become awkward.

“I’m pleased to see how many of you are willing to help poor Jenaya defending her dignity, even at the cost of Iane’s, but I guess that felt more like a reward for you than a sacrifice. However, I’m responsible and Jenaya asked for my help to lessen her misery. Obviously my last attempt wasn’t good enough, probably because I failed to see what all this means to Jenaya, so I won’t repeat it. Today I’ll try something new and choose a new helper, if she is willing to help.” Roban sounded serious as he calmly expounded his musings.

“Menja, do you want to help Jenaya?” He continued looking at the little girl sitting on his lap.

“You can’t ask... ,” was all Denyssa could gasp out before Athea’s furious glare banned her voice into silence.

Menja returned Roban’s gaze with a curious one of her own and simply nodded. He took a knife and an empty mug from the dishes of their evening meal and handed them to Menja.

“You have to cut me, fill the mug with my blood and then give it to Jenaya. That way she won’t have to starve and I won’t feel like a cow, because you’re taking my blood from me and I know you like me,” he explained, grinning at Menja.

Menja wrinkled her nose as she listened to his explanation, but without further ado, she carefully cut the heel of his hand. The cut was deep enough that a steady stream of blood quickly filled the mug she held under the wound.

Jenaya looked from the blood filled mug held out to her, to the small girl who was holding it in her hands. A little bit had spilled and a few drops of blood clung to her little fingers. Her sea-green eyes watched Jenaya inquiringly as she took the mug from her hands.

Menja was grinning at her as she licked the blood from her fingers. “I know my daddy is teasing you and that’s not nice, but I too think you’re silly,” she told her easily. Menja then took a big piece of meat from their meal and left through the hatchway to the deck.

Jenaya’s confused gaze was following her until she was out of sight. Looking at the blood filled mug in her hands again, she lifted it to her lips and warily took a sip. The blood was warm and tasted a bit salty, but there wasn’t anything magic happening to her. Nothing was overwhelming her senses as she slowly drank up. Nothing arousing and satisfying a need she didn’t feel anymore. Her hunger was gone when she put the mug down, but that was all. She was filled, but feeling empty. Jenaya looked at Roban. He was watching her and the darkness in his eyes was as empty as she felt.

“I’ll need some more time to think about my lesson, but I thank you and Menja for helping me understand my new reality,” Jenaya told him and went to the hatchway, but vanished from sight before she reached it. In the silence following Jenaya’s retreat Roban left the group as well and lay down as far away from them as their small quarters allowed.

This time it was Denyssa’s voice that was finally breaking the reticence.

“I don’t know what Jenaya has to learn, but Roban’s influence on Menja is scarier than ever,” she voiced her concern.

“Menja has made her decision and can see things you are too blind to see. That’s neither scary nor is it my brother’s influence on her. It’s called perception and is a sign of Menja’s high intelligence,” Athea angrily replied.

“Are you sure about that? Maybe what we see is the love a little girl feels for her daddy. It’s an unconditional love and has nothing to do with perception or intelligence,” Denyssa calmly retorted.

“And is love always a reason for you to worry, or is it because Menja loves my brother and Roban doesn’t fit your moral views on what’s good and right. Perhaps the little girl we found sitting at the feet of her raped and captured mother; a mother who decided she should leave her child to follow her spirit; perhaps that little girl has a different view on what’s right and wrong than you have Denyssa. But you can continue teaching her yours, while my brother will be busy fighting a war. Now excuse me, but I need to go and feed my own unhealthy affection,” Athea answered coldly, but seething anger was burning in her eyes as she left them to join her brother.

“Now that we have succeeded in pissing of every god and goddess aboard this ship, what do we mortals want to accomplish next?” Rhabina deadpanned.

“It’s not that bad. Only Iane and Athea are angry at us. Roban obviously isn’t,” Hassika remarked.

“He’s not angry and that’s even obvious to you?” Meyra asked unbelievingly.

“Of course it’s obvious. We all would be dead otherwise,” Hassika replied and laughed heartily.

“Warriors and their strange humor,” Meyra noted, shaking her head as she looked at Hassika.

“Hassika surely is strange, but I don’t think she was joking,” Rhabina commented and broke out laughing as well.

“I’m no warrior, but thinking about what Hassika said, I guess she is right. I’ve never seen Roban angry at someone and have the source of his anger survive. So it’s probably true,” a smiling Ynerca added her opinion.

“Hassika is right. The master will calm his sister and we will sooth our mistress’ anger when she comes back. You don’t have to worry,” Patessa told them gently.

“The little girl, she is like Patessa and I. We were priestesses of Keirgonna and now we serve Princess Iane. A Goddess we are allowed to touch and love. Menja was a priestess of Nyome and she still is a priestess, but of a different god. Maybe that is scary to you, Denyssa, but it isn’t to me. You will never be able to change her belief, because her god loves her too,” Nigulla stated devoutly.

“But Menja is a six year old girl, with a huge war-dog as a pet, and I’ve trouble keeping her from feeding Bosko with other people. That’s just wrong. Now she wants Roban, the incarnation of Destruction, to be her daddy and it will become even worse,” Denyssa cried dejectedly.