Chapter 5: Forebodings and Memories

The Gods and Goddesses of Calmyra sat around the table. Most of them were idly chatting while waiting for Messaya and Balkhor. They usually were the last arriving, claiming that their home, the underworld, was farther away than the homes of the others. A silly little joke of course, as distance didn’t matter when traveling to this location, a place formally known to them as Atyseos, the world of the Gods and pinnacle of Ghania’s creations. Only a very few living on Calmyra knew this name. The humans, probably because they believed their Gods were looking down on them, more descriptively called it ‘Heaven’. However, the old name was almost forgotten and now this place was simply ‘the cave’ to the Gods, a hole in the void with a table in it.

“What’s your excuse this time?” Feya asked angrily when the pair finally arrived.

“If we explained it now, it would spoil the surprises in Maldurin’s report. We will tell you why we are late after you have heard from him,” Balkhor replied with a smug smile on his face.

“At the moment I’m the only one with a connection to my petulant offspring and will do the report. I’ll start immediately to prevent Feya from becoming more shrewish than she already is. In one word, SUCCESS! We will have a mother and she isn’t of the bloodline. It’s Queen Leandris of Ghota. Chaos agreed and even suggested that her brother sire the child. That isn’t all that was accomplished though, the plan worked better than we ever could have hoped for. Before I give an account of what else has happened, I want to thank Maldurin for his brilliant work,” Nyome interrupted to smile at Maldurin.

“Thank you my dear, I’ll freely admit I’m proud of my work, but your help at the critical phase of the plan should be honored as well. Your cute little Dreamer’s, ‘The child will be a girl’, was an invaluable help. It doesn’t matter if they really believed her and at least Iane should know that no one can influence a mother’s pregnancy to guarantee the gender of a child, it broke the resistance to Roban impregnating the Queen.” He returned Nyome’s smile, but noticed that hers had vanished while she was listening to him.

Nyome was frowning now.

“What do you mean, ‘my help‘? I thought you had sent the girl a dream and that was the reason she said that. The truth is, my hold on the three Amazons within the group is vanishing and soon we will be blind. Hassika never was a strong believer. Shortly after the happenings at the tribe’s village it was a bit better, but it quickly started to diminish again. She doesn’t care for a goddess she can’t see, her loyalty belongs to the people around her.

Rhabina is still more usable to me, but her infatuation with Chaos is getting stronger and soon I’ll be just a distant and secondary memory.

The child, the Dreamer you just mentioned, is totally unreliable. One day she is so engrossed in her belief in me that I could use her as a vessel outside of a temple, but on other days I can’t even look through her eyes because she hardly remembers that I ever had any meaning in her life. She is a child dammit, and even as flighty as they usually are, this one is exceptionally so. For some time now I haven’t been able to sense her at all. If I hadn’t seen her through the eyes of one of the others, I would have thought she didn’t exist anymore and for sure I didn’t make her say anything yesterday evening. My best chance to observe them is a damn dog and somehow I’ll probably even lose my hold on that stupid animal if things continue like this,” Nyome was ranting in response.

“Ohh, I wasn’t aware of your problems. When you told me about the girl’s comment I just assumed it was your doing. Well, it helped a lot even if it was just a child’s attempt to get some attention, so let’s not fret on it. Please sister, continue and tell us about the really surprising part of yesterday’s happenings,” Maldurin replied gently, trying to placate the fuming Nyome.

It seemed to work on his sibling and she continued her report.

“Not only was Leandris impregnated with Roban’s child tonight, but he also sired a new vampire and she was selected to take care of the child when it’s born. It’s the queen’s former best friend and harem overseer, Jenaya. I wonder if they realized that Jenaya will be somewhat the child’s sister although they choose her to become its mother,” she finished mirthfully, enjoying the stupefied expressions her summary had caused on the faces of her audience.

“Khorgun Siz, Ayfessara Toa and their two sons and two daughters are the only Vampires on Calmyra. The self-appointed King and Queen are the only creatures who have ever sired another vampire. Even the royal couple’s own sons’ and daughters’ children are not real vampires. Their bloodline is weak, and after the third generation all born of it are infertile. Their Kingdom has only survived thanks to their long lifespan and because those three generations never stopped siring what few children they could. I once asked Ghania why she created something like that, but all she would say was one of her sapient phrases; ‘It’s all about balance’, and then the Great Mother skipped away giggling. That little anomaly aside, no one can ‘sire’ something alone, it takes two. No more nonsense, Nyome, what really happened tonight?” Feya asked annoyed.

“No one can fool you, Feya, you’re way too smart, but I fear you will dislike the other interpretation of the happenings as well. We, that is Messaya, Balkhor, Maldurin and I, believe that Roban created a new Vampire tonight. Listen and don’t interrupt just to tell us what we already know, that only Ghania has the power of creation. A sculptor cuts away everything of a stone that doesn’t look like the statue he is envisioning and we call it creating as well. That is what Roban did. He destroyed in Jenaya all that wasn’t vampire,” Nyome proclaimed staring at Feya.

“You said Maldurin’s plan worked better than we could have hoped for. Roban is now able to use Destruction’s power not just as a giant blunt weapon, but like a finely crafted carving knife. I fail to see how this is good news,” Feya hissed in response.

“It isn’t, but that’s not the result of Maldurin’s plan. Without his successful manipulation of Ghota’s queen we wouldn’t even know of Roban’s new level of control. Now it’s time Messaya and Balkhor tell us why they were late,” Nyome calmly replied.

“We used the news we received from Nyome and had a little conversation with Khorgun and Ayfessara. Firstly we wanted to find out more about Jenaya, as she could become important in the future and is obviously of their ancestry. Only a very few born and raised in Gol-Gunthay have ever left the kingdom. What we found out was surprising. Her parents were banned from the kingdom. That’s the kingdom’s worst punishment and a death sentence for every one of the first three generations. They need blood from their parents all their life, without it they become mad with hunger and finally they die. No one knew that the woman was pregnant at that time. Jenaya wasn’t born in the kingdom at all and became an orphan at the age of two. That’s how long her parents had to suffer their slow and cruel punishment. The royal couple refused to tell us the reason for the banishment of the parents and knew nothing of the child. They were more than curious about an estranged family member of their fourth generation. When we told them she wasn’t merely a fourth generation child anymore, but a newborn vampire with a living God as her sire, they wouldn’t refuse us anything if we would only tell them her name. Of course we didn’t and told them that, what and when, we will tell them more about their lost family member will be our decision. No doubt they started to search the moment we left, but it will take some time before they’ll find any trace of Jenaya.

The stupid Vampires believed the God and Goddess of the Underworld would need them to get any information about the dead parents. Jenaya’s parents are subjects of our Kingdom now and told us why they were punished when we judged them. They refused their appointed mates because they were in love with each other. It was just a silly love story, but in their vampire society loyalty and obedience is vested through the need for blood and denial should have been impossible. Jenaya’s parents weren’t banned for a crime, but cut from their society to prevent an illness from spreading,” Messaya informed the gathering.

“I see why you believe this is a welcome side-effect of Maldurin’s plan. We can use the Vampires and pay them with information, or just feed them what we want them to know. But isn’t it very suspicious that this lost vampire child happens to meet and become a lover of the only creature on Calmyra with the power to change her? Things like this happen too often to be casual. I am the Goddess of Fortune and I tell you this is a plan in motion, when will you finally listen to me?” Feya asked staring at her siblings.

“Feya, you’re our sister and we all respect your intelligence, but who could have planned all this? When and where could the plan have started? We decided to create Destruction. That was the beginning. Was it also planned by someone else?” Injontas asked calmly in return.

“I don’t know, but I know all this isn’t a random succession of events and I have an intense feeling that we won’t like its culmination,” Feya answered darkly.

“Since our meeting has reached the point of sinister foreboding, I think it’s time to ask if anyone has heard something from our lost grandmother,” Khor requested smirking.

“No news from that front. I still don’t know how she managed to leave, or where she went. I agree that if she had the freedom to choose a destination it would have been Calmyra, but if that were the case she would have needed a human vessel. Thanks to Feya’s daughter, the rift between Ghania and her priestesses and believers is too big for any of them to become her vessel. She has never been on Calmyra and of course doesn’t have any children. Regardless I can’t figure out how she could have managed to find a vessel. It’s not possible as far as we know and since the vessels are our modest addition to Ghania’s creation, we should know all about it,” Ipochone summed up, sounding frustrated.

“Well, that’s another mystery worthy of foreboding. No matter when or where she shows up again, I am sure we won’t like it when it happens,” Khor grunted in response.

“However, now we all know what has happened since our last meeting. Let’s end it. We all need time to think about the ramifications and options the situation provides. Let’s meet again in a few days or sooner if something new of importance surfaces,” Ebora suggested and the godly family members left the cave in silence.

At the same time the Gods gathering was taking place, someone else on Calmyra was trying to ease her own feelings of foreboding. Finally everyone had retreated from the Queens bedchamber and they were back at the generous quarters Leandris had provided for them. Athea demanded a room for Roban and herself exclusively and after what had happened that night, none of her friends wanted to argue. Even Iane quietly choose another room and went to it with the priestesses following her. As was her custom at nighttime, once in bed, she was lying on her brother’s chest, and then Athea began to talk.

“Will it change how you feel about me?” Was her starting question.

“What is the IT that you think will change my feelings?” Roban asked in return, trying to sound earnest and not amused.

“You may think it’s funny, but I don’t. A woman other than I will give birth to your first child and another one will become its mother. It will change how you feel about me,” Athea sadly stated.

“It won’t be my first child,” Roban calmly replied.

“I’m not talking about past lives. That is Destruction’s past, but not yours,” Athea vehemently insisted.

“Destruction and I, we are one, but I wasn’t talking about past lives either. I was five years old the day a woman gave birth to my first child. Only a week after that day, she came to me and told me she would feed and clean the baby-girl, but I would have to take care of her happiness. That was the first day you fell asleep lying on my chest and I became a father. Nothing has changed since that day and IT never will.”

“Are you sure you’re not just telling me that so I’ll call you Daddy the next time we have sex?” Athea asked, but the sound of her sobbing let her joke fall flat.

“You can call me daddy, brother, lover or bane of my existence and it all would be true. Just stop crying please, you know I’m bad with this emotional stuff.”

Athea shed a few more tears before she finally stopped.

“I think I’m over most of my emotional hang-ups and won’t torture you for a while. Let’s get comfy and sleep a few hours, it’s already morning.”

Only a little sniffle hampered Athea’s effort to sound calm. Roban was listening but didn’t do or say anything in response.

“I said let’s get comfy and sleep,” Athea repeated, annoyance replacing the sound of sniffling.

“Aren’t you feeling comfy at the moment?” Roban asked innocently.

“No, I’m not, bane of my existence, and I know that you know it. I guess you deserve a reward, so I’ll give in and tell you what you want to hear, but don’t let it go to your head!” Athea huffed, and then took a deep breath and when she continued her voice was sweet as honey. “I know I told you not to do it anymore, but I miss it terribly. Roban, would you please put your hand on my butt like you used to?”

“If you feel comfortable with it again, of course I will, little sister, though I doubt you missed it as much as I did,” Roban replied grinning, before he placed his big hand on her tight little ass and stroked it lovingly.

Athea rewarded him with a deeply satisfied sounding sigh, but that feeling didn’t last.

“Now we’re good again, but I still can’t sleep. Would you...” This time Athea didn’t need to spell out what she wanted. Roban was fondling the smooth lips of her pussy before she could finish her request.

“In case you’re worrying about accidentally touching my asshole, don’t be. I think I’m still not ready for more, but I won’t feel offended by a simple touch,” she moaned a little later.

“See, I’m still calm and actually enjoying it, maybe I would even ... Yes, thank you!” Athea groaned as his finger gently penetrated her.

When she came it was with a soft cry and a shiver. Athea fell asleep while her body was still lightly shuddering in the afterglow of her orgasm.

Breakfast was a late affair that day, but by noon all of them had found their way out of bed and to the room the queens servants had ready for their meal. The mood seemed relaxed, but none of them was mentioning anything about last night. A circumstance that became obvious when Chalissa and Meyra entered the room. There was a moment of awkward silence as they watched the two women standing shyly at the door, but it only lasted for a second before Menja’s excited squealing squashed it.

“I want my hair done like hers!” She screeched, jumped off Roban’s lap, ran across the room and stopped in front of Meyra. “Can you make my hair look like yours? Please, please, please! That is the funniest hairdo I’ve ever seen and I want it too, please.” Menja gushed out pleading with wide open puppy-dog eyes.