Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2011 20:15:05 -0400
From: X X <thewriter_x@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Brotherhood #17 {X} {MM College & Sci-Fi/Fantasy} [17!?]????

The following story contains sexually explicit acts between men.  If such
things bother you, annoy you, disturb you, or frighten you, then why the
hell are you here?  Do yourself a favor and leave before you read something
you like and discover that you're actually gay; you might not be able to
deal with the revelation.

I started a yahoo group for TBH a while back.  It's place where you can get
the latest chapters and talk about the story with other readers if you
like.  As thanks to those who are signed up, I'll be keeping the group one
chapter ahead of Nifty.  So while Nifty is up to date with chapter 17,
chapter 18 will be up on the group (within a couple of weeks or so of
updating Nifty, give or take a day or two).  So if you want to keep up just
sign up here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theinnercircletbh/

As always, thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts, good or
bad, on the latest chapter so feel free to write me at: thewriterxx@aol.com


The Brotherhood
Chapter XVII



      I sat down at Q's desk not knowing what to expect.  How exactly was
this going to work?  Were there home movies involved?  Maybe slides?  God,
anything but slides.  The mere thought brought back horrible memories of
sitting in the cellar with my grandfather watching his life flash before my
eyes on the projector.  As those thoughts crossed my mind, Q chuckled
behind me.  I turned to look at him with narrow, dagger like eyes,
wondering the impossible.

	"Care for a water?"

	"Sure."

      I studied every mundane move Q made as he pulled a bottled water and
green apple from the mini-frig.  He tossed me the water.

      My eyes narrowed.  "Are you reading my mind right now?"  It wasn't so
much a question as it was an accusation.

	Q walked over and placed both of his hands on the arms of my chair.
"You're cute when you're snarly."  My lips parted but his kiss silenced any
protest I hoped to make.  It was slow and deep with fiery passion that
scorched my lips.  I was more than happy to return the favor.  "I've wanted
to do that all night."  His lips brushed mine as he spoke.  "Given all
that's happened tonight, I hope I didn't overstep my limits."

	He pulled away and stood before me in nothing more than a pair of
white shorts.  They had "TBH" written down the left leg and showed just
enough of his boxer briefs to drive me nuts.  To add fuel to the fire, the
curtains were open just enough for his body to soak up the light from the
full moon.  How he managed such a heavenly glow while still in human form
was beyond me.

	"Overstep?" I said with a smile.  "Where else would your lips
belong if not on mine?"  My hands were on his bare chest in a blink of an
eye; my lips were pressed against his in half that time.  I kept pushing
him back as we kissed until we finally collapsed on this bed; the apple
rolled from his hand and stopped between the pillows.  His body pressed
against mine felt amazing.  I particularly enjoyed how he pretended to
struggle while I pinned his hands over his head.  Q could've flipped me off
like a ragdoll if he wanted, but he let me have my triumphant moment.

	My assault on his lips turned into small pecks until my lips were
just whiskers away from his and we stared deeply into each other's eyes.
There was definitely a glimmer in those gray pools, but like before, I
wasn't sure if it was just the moonlight or something he did purposely.  I
leaned back and straddled his lap while slowly tracing my finger down his
chest.  It wasn't long before his hands snaked their way up to my thighs.

	Q looked so good lying under me.  I wanted to devour him. Yet, that
little voice, the one that remains in control even when your body doesn't,
said to get my lust and the raging hard-on in check.  With a heavy sigh, I
rolled off Q.  I punched him lightly in the stomach and plopped beside him.
With my head propped on my left hand, I shoved the right one down my pants
to adjust my throbbing cock.

	"Do you see what you do to me?"

	"Hey, don't get mad at me.  You're the one who stopped."  He
reached for his apple and took a bite.

	My vicious glare didn't faze Q.  "You know exactly why I stopped.
You promised answers.  Don't think you can seduce your way out of it now."

	"Who's seducing?" Q laughed.

	"Right," I said, rolling my eyes.  "Because greeting me half naked
in flimsy shorts is your way of telling me you were on your way to church."

	Q laughed and took another bite of his apple.  A comfortable
silence fell between us.  I stared at him and he looked up at the ceiling.
Was he collecting his thoughts?  What does a god among men think about?
Was I wrong to think of him in such a way?

	"You know, I've explained our origins to the pledges many times,
yet I never quite know where to begin."

	"You...speechless?  Shocking."

	With a smile creeping across his face, he back handed me across my
stomach.  "Being a smartass doesn't help."

	"Yeah, but it's fun."

	"Why don't we start by having you ask three questions?  They can be
about anything that's occurred over the last few weeks."

	"Why only three?"

	"Control," Q said with a grin and a wink.  "I am who I am, after
all.  But because I like you, I'll give you one for free.  To answer your
previous question; yes, I can read thoughts.  More accurately, all El'odian
can read human thoughts."

      He was going to say something more but his words trailed off.
Instead, he grasped my forearm and gently caressed it.  "I know what you
would ask of me Jacob, but I'm afraid I can't give it you." The shimmer in
his eyes was enveloped by a shadow of regret. "I'm truly sorry."

	I shot up like a bullet and sat on the very edge of the bed.  My
heart raced, my face flushed and my stomach soured.  "I don't know what you
mean."  My awkward tone betrayed my words.

	"Jacob," Q whispered as his hand moved to my shoulder.  "I would
love nothing more than to reach into the deepest recesses of your mind and
give you back those lost years.  Unfortunately, it's not that simple.  We
learned the hard way that humans cannot survive such an intrusion into
their thoughts. This is why we only read what's on the surface."

	Shrugging his hand from my shoulder, I rose and moved to the
bookcase.  I pressed my palms against my damp eyes and swallowed hard.  My
back remained to Q.  "So three questions, huh?"  I grabbed the chalice and
held it over my head.  I didn't want him to see my face.  "What was this
all about?  Was I really drinking poison or was it all bullshit?"

      The dream of uncovering my past had faded long ago.  Yet, in that
brief moment, I allowed hope to creep back into my heart.  It was brief and
stupid and surprisingly painful.

	"No, it was quite real," he answered.

      The bed betrayed nothing of his departure.  So I jumped slightly when
his arms coiled around my waist; the apple still in hand.  His tender lips
on the nape of my neck brought a smile to my face.  "It's a formula we
discovered a long time ago.  His lips brushed against my neck as he spoke
each word...dancing, tingling, and teasing my flesh.

      Somehow my body managed to shiver and warm at the same time.

      Q let out the slightest of smiles.  I know this not because I could
see him.  I know it because I could feel his lips curl upwards against the
sensitive skin of my neck.

      "It marks you with a faint aura that only we can see.  It allows the
other Nave to identify you as a pledge."

	I laughed.  "Seems kind of medieval considering the things I've
seen you do...your power."

	"True. But there's a reason for our medieval ways.  There was a
time we used our power to mark humans with the light.  Unfortunately, the
strongest of the Skai could peer thru the veil and pick out our human
brothers just as we were able to pick out theirs.  Both sides had to dumb
it down.  This formula has worked for hundreds of years."

      He kissed me again and led me onto the balcony.  The subject of my
lost memory was dropped.  I was glad.  Not only to move away from the pain
it caused, but also to get through it without having to confirm or deny I
still wanted answers.

      The cool breeze felt amazing on my warm face.

      With his back against the open sky, Q leaned against the stone
railing and took another bite of his apple.  I snatched it from him, sat on
one of the chairs and bit down.

      It was tart and surprisingly satisfying.  I took another bite, bigger
this time, and then examined it as if it were something foreign.

      "Do you eat?" I asked still chewing.  "I mean I've seen you guys eat
these green apples before but that's all I've ever seen you eat."

      I was about to take another bite when Q open this hand and the apple
flew back into his palm as if attached to a spring.

       "Hey!"

      "We can, but generally don't.  Food holds no benefit for us.  And
yet, we love the taste of green apples."  He shrugged. "Don't ask me why.
It's a mystery even I have yet to solve."

      He finished the fruit and tossed the remains directly at me.  I
flinched in anticipation of it connecting with my head, but it
disintegrated in a flash of light.

      "Not funny."

      He laughed.  "You have a question left.  Is there anything else you
want to know before I begin?"

      At first I couldn't think of anything, and truth be told, I was
anxious to hear his story.  But then something popped into my head.
"What's the deal with this crazy house?"

      "What do you mean exactly?"

      "The other night while I was walking around I could've sworn rooms
and hallways were appearing and disappearing at random.  Was that just my
imagination or what?"

      "Are you referring to the night you were left in the house alone with
Dylan?"

      I nodded.

      "The house tends to get a mind of its own if there isn't a Nave
around to control it.  From the outside the house looks normal enough and
never changes, but the inside is a different story.  The space within these
walls is infinitely vast.  With a single thought the house can create
hundreds of corridors and thousands of rooms.  Such is the case with every
house within The Brotherhood."  It was funny...no, surreal...listening to
him talk about the house.  The house was basically alive, and yet he
described it as casually as a realtor pointing out walk-in closets and
ceramic tile.

        "Speaking of which," he continued, "you can move from house to
house by using the golden mirror you saw that one night.  Do you know which
one I'm talking about?"

      "Oh yeah..."  How humbling.  I guess my spy skills aren't as refined
as I thought.  The Brothers knew of my explorations all along.  "Tell me
something.  Was there ever a time you guys didn't know what we were doing?"

      Q shook his head.

      "Okay, that's a little bit disturbing; I'm not going to lie."

      "You say that now, but once you're on the other side, you'll see why
it's necessary and very amusing."

      "I see your point."  I definitely loved that idea.  "Just another
reason why I'm glad pledging is over."

      "Not as much as we are, trust me."

      "Why?  It's not like you guys had to do anything but boss us around
all day.  I can see how taxing that can be.  Oh wait, actually...no...no I
can't."

      "That's not what I'm talking about."  Q rolled his eyes as if the
Brother's plight was so obvious a blind man could see it.  "The Nave
basically go on lock down during pledging as far as our powers are
concerned.  Suddenly we have to walk across a room to pick something up or
drive for hours to get somewhere when normally a thought would be enough.
But we can't do what comes naturally to us for fear of exposure.  You have
no idea how many close calls there were."

      "Oh how you guys suffered."  Now I was the one rolling my eyes.  "You
should start a telethon or something so you can bring your suffering into
the light.  Maybe get FEMA involved."

      "Shut up."

      "The Red Cross perhaps?"

      "Are you done?"  He feigned annoyance.  "I think I've answered enough
of your questions.  Can I start now or do you want to mock me some more?"

      "Hmmm."  I looked up at the sky for a moment as if really considering
my options.  "Yes and yes."  Q took one step towards me and I threw my
hands up in surrender.  "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!  Go ahead."

      Now it was Q gazing up at the stars.  If I had to guess, he was
gathering his thoughts before opening his world to me.  Of course, he may
have simply been looking for the Big Dipper.  He took a deep breath then
looked at me with loving eyes.  "Our history..."

      "Maybe the Salvation Army will take up your cause."

      "That's it!" Q declared.

      I roared with laughter and bolted into his bedroom, shutting the
balcony door before he could catch me.  I stopped at the foot of his bed
and turned to goad him.  He was nowhere in sight.  I turned around and he
wasn't there.  I was certain Q would be standing in front of me.  That's
how it always happened in the movies.  This is the scene where he's
supposed to appear out of thin air and scare the shit out of me.  Nope, not
this time.

      I stood there for a moment scratching the back of my head and feeling
more than a bit silly.  I returned to the balcony door and found him
exactly where I left him; leaning on the stone railing looking at me thru
the glass.

      "Sorry," I said as I stepped onto the balcony and took my seat.

      "Are you done?" he asked with a chill in his voice that made me feel
like a small, scolded child.  "Or do you have more stuff you need to get
out of your system before I start?"

      "No, I'm good," I nodded and offered an awkward smile.

      "At the heart of most stories concerning origin and creation you'll
undoubtedly find some vengeful, jealous and petty gods.  Ra and his band of
misfits for the ancient Egyptians, the Persians had Ahura Mazda, the
Jade-Emperor was the Supreme God of the Chinese and of course, the
Christians have had plain ol' God on their side since the beginning of
time...apparently.  Not a very imaginative bunch I might add, the
Christians, they could have at least given their God a cool name like the
others.

      "Oh well...

      "Our beginning is no different than the others except for one minor
exception.  Our Gods were real."

      Even for someone who isn't a religious nut, I admit I found his
opening just a little bit insulting.  However, now did not seem like the
appropriate moment to bring it up.

      "These weren't beings that existed only in unconfirmed visions.
There are no mysterious texts passed down thru the ages for the masses to
follow blindly.  We do not have to subscribe to the ridiculous notion of
faith to fuel unsubstantiated beliefs.  No, our gods spoke to us.  They
walked among us at times to revel in the fruits of their divine genius.
They were verifiable."

      Q laughed a soft bitter laugh.

      "The motive behind the creation of the races, though godlike in its
execution, was anything but noble or divine.

      "The Gods Naveyk and Skailer, along with the Goddess Aal'ee make up
the El'odian trifecta.  Born from the very fires that ignited the universe
into being, these Gods traveled the cosmos for eons.  At first they were
nothing more than a mass of pure energy surviving on instinct.  Fast
forward some ten billion years or so and the mass evolved into a
consciousness that eventually broke apart and formed three very unique and
self-aware beings.  Their thoughts were their own and for the first time
they felt the spark of emotion and sensation.  This was new, and to an
energy billions of years old, 'new' was beyond rare and something to be
coveted.  'Feeling' whether it be a sensation or emotion was the ultimate
drug.  It was 'new' to the nth degree.  It was all encompassing, all
empowering, all consuming.

      "The Gods were alive and euphoric.  They reveled in this new
awareness.

      "That's when everything changed.

      "The Gods say when Aal'ee took her corporal form the universe wept at
the sight of her.  She was the pinnacle of perfection.  Naveyk and Skailer
fell completely and madly in love with Aal'ee.  Yet as much as she cared
for them, she could not bring herself to choose between the two.  In the
end, their unyielding love for her turned them against each other and
locked them in a world of jealously and hatred.

      "Determined to prove themselves the better God, they engaged in
fierce and lengthy battles that set the heavens ablaze and saw the birth
and death of countless stars.  And thru it all Aal'ee marveled at all the
attention they lavished on her. For eons, she was the center of their
universe; the coveted prize they fought so vigorously to attain.  In the
end, one could not best the other.  As much as they hated the idea, they
had to come to terms with the fact that they were equals in every way.  For
a time, and to the dismay of Aal'ee, they put an end to their fighting.
However, their love for her never waned.

      "Eventually their travels brought them to earth or as we call it
Eiyr.  There was nothing special about this place.  It was just another
planet in a long list of places they visited, but it was here the final
battle would be fought.  It was here Naveyk and Skailer decided to let fate
decide who would ultimately win Aal'ee's love.

      "No one really knows who came up with the idea, but knowing they
would stalemate each other for eternity, they decided to create an army to
fight the battle for them.  The objective was simple: the complete
annihilation of the enemy.  The army left standing would be declared the
victor and their creator would claim Aal'ee as his trophy.  The loser would
be banished to the far reaches of the universe never to be seen again.

      "Sealing their pact before the eyes of their beloved, the Gods went
their separate ways to create the perfect killing machine.  Skailer dove
deep into the dark, fiery pits of this world and from flame and shadow he
created the Skai and the city of Asevaya.  The heavens would be the
birthplace of the Nave.  Naveyk took to the sky and from his flesh our
floating city of Aquaiia was created and from his divine light and grace
the Nave were born."

      I sat like a child in front of skilled storyteller; wide-eyed and
anxious for the next adventure.  It was like listening to a good fantasy
novel or learning about the mythology of some forgotten, ancient culture.
But this wasn't make-believe.  This was very real to him and now to me.  It
was all beyond amazing.

      "So that's how you came to be?" I asked.  "This Naveyk guy basically
snaps his fingers and there you are?  That's fucking unreal!"

      "In a manner of speaking, yes.  That's how my people came to be.  But
if you're referring to me personally, then no.  I did not come along for
quite some time."

      I nodded and waited for him to continue.

      "Although both Naveyk and Skailer agreed to only create 33,000
thousand warriors each, only 33 Nave were created that day.  They were all
around your age in appearance with the exception of one...K'tas.  He was
older, much like a father figure, but every bit as capable as the others.
It was he the others turned to for guidance."

      Q stopped for a moment and turned to look out into the yard.  I got
up and stood next to him.  Folding my arms on the stone railing, I leaned a
little forward to catch the wind in my hair and caught sight of the little
smile playing on Q's lips.  He looked rather cute actually.

      "We were much like you back in those days, flesh and blood I
mean...mortal.  It was one of the rules Naveyk and Skailer agreed upon.
After all it would've been pointless to create a race of immortal beings to
wage war against each other.  The whole point was for one side to slaughter
the other.  But that's not to say the Gods didn't find ways to bend the
rules without completely breaking them."

      "How exactly?" I interrupted, knowing full well he'd explain this all
in due time.  The look he gave me confirmed as much.

      "For starters we lived about three to four times longer than humans
do today.  We were highly resistant to illness and diseases, not to mention
we possessed extraordinary regenerative abilities.  Broken bone and flesh
mended in hours rather than days or weeks.  Aside from that, the Nave
looked like humans do today.  Oh, there was one other minor difference."

      Q stopped and backed away from the railing without saying anything.
I kind of just stared at him wondering what was supposed to happen next,
and when he didn't do anything I finally felt compelled to say something.

      "Are you going to tell me or am I supposed to guess?"

      In a blink of an eye and a flash of brilliant light, Q's wings
appeared flapping behind him until he arched them upward in a sort of
horseshoe shape.  They were like beacons of light illuminating the balcony
and everything around it.  I felt like I was swimming in his radiance.

      "We had wings," he said.  "And they were permanent back then, at
least initially.  We didn't have the powers we do now to make them appear
and disappear at will."  And with that Q flapped his wings one last time
and made them vanish in a swirl of light.

      "So cool..." I whispered.

      Q smiled and took up his original position on the balcony.  "We also
didn't have to drag our knuckles on the ground waiting for evolution to
take its course.  The Gods' knowledge was as vast as an ocean and we were
created with a mere drop of that knowledge.  That may not seem like a lot
but the Nave of that day could make the Harvard graduate of today look as
smart as a fifth grader."  He paused for a moment.  "And they were
beautiful."

      "And modest," I laughed.

      "Don't get me wrong. This is not conceit or arrogance, at least not
on our part.  The fact was the Gods' vanity would not allow anything but
perfection when they created us.  We were made in their image after all and
Naveyk and Skailer had to create beings worthy of Aal'ee's grace."

      "Oh, so that's why all you guys look like you stepped out of a CK
underwear ad," I said.

      "To be an El'odian or receive our gift is to be born of their
beauty."

      "So if I were the ugliest most disgusting person on the planet you
could make me..."

      "Look like you walked out of a CK underwear ad." Q interjected.  "But
that's not important in the grand scheme of things.  What is important is
how those first 33 Nave began to build our society.  At first they lived in
the woods of the floating island, safe from the dangers of the wild life on
the surface; eating and foraging from the various fruits Naveyk provided
for them.

      "Within a few weeks of their creation, the 33 learned how to make
tools from wood and stone and starting erecting huts made of straw and
timber.  Before long our first village was born.  And during this time the
33 knew they would not be alone for long, so when more and more Nave began
to appear they were welcomed."

      "Where did they come from?"

      "From the woods.  Sometimes they would appear during the night while
the others slept; at times they came during the day while they worked.
They had no idea how they got there just that they were there with the same
purpose as the rest of the Nave - the complete obliteration of the Skai."

      "Hold up, time out!"  I said making a T with my hands.  "If the point
of creating the Nave and Skai was so you guys would kill each other, why go
thru all that trouble?  Why not just pick a place, line the guys up on
opposite sides like chess pieces and let them go at it?"

      "Very good question Jacob!  There's hope for you yet."

      "Thanks...I think."

      "I suppose they could've made it that simple, but it wouldn't have
been worthy of their magnificence.  These were petty Gods after all and
they had to put on a show for Aal'ee's benefit.  They wanted to showcase
their genius and ingenuity thru their creations.  They wanted to prove that
one progeny was better than the other.  Ultimately, they wanted us to rise
up from nothing to defeat one another.  Their egos would allow for nothing
less.

      "How would we do it?  What tactics would we develop?  What weapons
could we dream up?  What were the possibilities without their direct
intervention?  The mere thought of these questions made the Gods salivate.
They had to know.  After all, time had no meaning for them.  Not like it
does for you and me.  Ten thousand years could have easily been a day in
their eyes."

      "I guess that makes sense," I said.  "But what caused their hatred
for the Skai?  So far you haven't said a thing that would lead me to
believe they deserved it.  Unless I'm missing something."

      "There was no reason.  The hatred was woven into the very fiber of
our being upon our creation.  It coursed thru us like the blood in our
veins.  I suppose when you really get right down to it that's the real
tragedy, isn't it?"

      "Ok...but can't you guys just stop?"

      "Could you so easily stop breathing just because I ask?"  Q let out a
soft, disheartened laugh.  "If only it were that simple.  Sadder still was
the fact that it would be centuries before the Nave even saw their first
Skai, but they knew they were out there.  That's all the motivation the
Nave needed.

      "As the days turned to years, our numbers grew until all 33,000
thousand Nave were created, and our civilization went from straw and timber
to soaring towers of Lusinite and Eiyrlin.  We discovered Lusinite while
exploring the many caverns beneath the island.  It was a rare ore we
learned to harvest and use in conjunction with a type of concrete we
developed that allowed us to build structures with amazing arches, domes,
towers, porticos and colonnades.  The city was awash in massive white
columns and multicolored Eiyrlin crystal.  Sunlight glittered across every
surface and somehow managed to reflect off and absorb into every structure
it touched.

      "Aquaiia danced in the day and shimmered at night.

      "It was pristine.

      "Not only did we use Eiyrlin, a multicolored crystal that grew in
abundance within the same caves as the Lusinite, to beautify Aquaiia.  It
was also very useful in creating very deadly weapons.  You see, we used
swords, spears, maces, and bows but they were not forged from metal but
from Eiyrlin and Lusinite.  Trust me; you don't want to get caught at the
end of the Eiyrlin blade.

      "Before we knew it, our kingdom was born and K'tas was crowned High
King of the Nave.  With the Court of Elders by his side, he ruled for many
prosperous years.  Through it all, they continued to pound out the armor
and weapons until they were able to arm all 33,000 Nave."

      "Can I ask a dumb question?" I asked.

      "Better than most people I know, why?"

      "Ha!" I lightly punched his shoulder.  "You're funny, but not really.
Anyway, by now all the Nave were assembled together, right?"

      "Right."

      "So where were you during all this?"

      "Like most of the Nave you've met so far in this house, I didn't come
into the picture for a while."

      "Uh huh...and how exactly did you come into the picture because I
thought you said your Gods agreed not to create more than the original
33,000."

      "That's true and they didn't create anymore, but you're getting ahead
of the story, Jacob."

      "Okay, just tell me this," I insisted.  "Were there any Nave women
among the 33,000?"

      Q shook his head.

      "So how did you grow your numbers?"

      "We didn't.  That was the whole point remember?  A certain number of
Nave and Skai until one side was vanquished."

      "Riiight..." I laughed.  "So it was just one big ol' gay orgy going
on up there on Paradise Island."

      "Again, no.  There wasn't any Nave-on-Nave action going on."

      "Are you serious?  What's the point of being around a bunch of hot
guys if there isn't any loving going on?"

      "Love?" Q snickered.  "Jacob we had no concept of love at that time.
It wasn't built into us.  We were warriors first.  Sure, my people had a
sense of loyalty and camaraderie.  They looked out for each other.  They
understood the importance of every Nave being at their best if they were to
survive the coming battle.  But that real love that bonds two people
together, the kind of love we share and that will grow with every passing
day, did not exist in the hearts and minds of my people."

      Hearing him say that about us made a huge smile appear on my face.
The more I tried to hide it the goofier I looked.  "So no sex?"

      "No sex."

      "Now that's fucking depressing!"

      "Okay, getting back to the point...Over two centuries passed without
incident while both sides armed for Armageddon.  It all came to a head one
night when three Nave were gathering supplies from the surface and ran into
a patrol of Skai.  For the first time in history, the two sides met.  The
Nave had never seen the Skai, and yet, pure instinct made the black wings,
deep gray skin and onyx eyes of their enemy immediately recognizable.

      "Only one of the three Nave made it back to Aquaiia with enough
strength to tell his story.  There wasn't much the others could do to save
his life.  For all their accomplishments, they never developed a true
method of healing and care.  They relied on their natural regenerative
abilities over the years.  That night we learned that wounds caused by Skai
weapons could not be healed so easily.

      "He died the next morning and the Nave vowed to teach the Skai the
same lesson.

      "The alarm went out.  A wave of anger spread thru Aquaiia like a
sonic boom and by midday thousands of Nave took to the sky seeking blood
and retribution.  The Skai were on a similar warpath.

      "The two armies clashed with a furious rage that caught even the Gods
off guard.  And while surprised by the vengeance, they welcomed the sight.
Finally, the El'odian's were fulfilling the promise of their creation.
They watched, awed by their own genius, as thousands upon thousands of Nave
and Skai fell over the next few days.

      "On day four both sides finally pulled back to their respective
cities to regroup for the final assault.  There were only seven to eight
thousand of my people left and the Skai suffered similar losses.  Despite
the tremendous loss of life, both sides were unwavering in their
determination to destroy each other.

      "This filled Aal'ee's heart with sorrow.  Not because she cared what
happened to us, but because she knew the end was near.  She would lose the
love and affection of either Naveyk or Skailer."

      "But I thought that's what they all wanted?" I asked.

      "It's what Naveyk and Skailer wanted but Aal'ee never wanted this.
She didn't want to pick between them.  She fed off all the attention they
gave her over the eons.  The thought of losing that was unbearable, but she
was forced to watch as the armies mustered their strength for the final
battle."

      "Why didn't she stop them?  She was a Goddess after all."

      "Even as a Goddess she did not have power over that which she did not
create.  As the reality of her impending loss set in, Aal'ee wept for the
first time ever.  It was a single tear that fell from the heavens and set
the sky ablaze.  From this tear, the essence that was Aal'ee, the first
El'odian Ai'lea was born...the Great Mother, the first true immortal.

      "It wasn't something the Goddess planned, at least not on a conscious
level, but she was so desperate to find a way to end this war it happened.

      "It worked.

      "The Great Mother was the first El'odian to be blessed with the power
of the Gods, and so from her our female counterparts were created and began
appearing around the city.  This changed everything.  The Nave had never
seen such a being and their curiosity over took them.  Suddenly in the wake
of something so new and exciting, the prospect of continuing the war all
but disappeared."

      I couldn't help but laugh.

      "What's so funny?"  Q was definitely confused and maybe a little
annoyed as well.

      "So what you're saying is you manly men where all ready to go off to
war, but something new and shinny came along and distracted you?"

      He thought about it for a moment, caught on to the humor and started
laughing.  "I guess you're right, but you have to understand they had never
seen a female before.  They were wingless, delicate and beautiful in honor
of the Goddess Aal'ee; and unlike the Great Mother they were mortal.  The
Nave were completely taken by them and I'm sure something similar was
happening with the Skai."

      "Talk about your Trojan Horse," I added.

      "Tell me about it!  It was an ingenious plan even if it was by
accident.  The Nave's hatred and lust for blood was tempered by the
Ai'lea's love and compassion.  It was the first time these concepts were
introduced into our societies and it spread like a virus.  Nave began
falling in love with the Ai'lea as well as other Nave."

      "Ah ha!" I shouted and slapped my hands.  "Finally some Nave-on-Nave
action!"

      "You're simple," Q laughed.  "But yes, thanks to the influence of the
Ai'lea the Nave and Skai were finally able to form bonds that went beyond
that of solders in the battlefield.  We finally knew the real essence of
love.

      "As you can imagine Nave society changed immeasurably because of the
Ai'lea.  Before long the first cries of children echoed the great halls of
Aquaiia.  King K'tas crowned his first queen and with the birth of their
first child the Line of Kings was born.

      "Despite everything the Ai'lea offered my people, they were not
slaves to our every whim.  Nave and Ai'lea were partners in all things and
to ensure her daughters had the chance to find and explore their own
identities, the Great Mother created the city of Cyprinia on the Island of
Aldmere.  It was a haven for all Ai'lea who wanted to spend their time in
service to the Goddess Aal'ee.  Their hope was to one day be named a
Priestess of Aal'ee by The Great Mother, who ruled as the High Priestess.

      "It was their highest honor.

      "These Priestesses, under the guidance and tutelage of the Great
Mother, became the healers and caregivers for all El'odian.  They were the
ones who delivered our children and performed the union ceremony for
couples wanting to be bonded.  They introduced us to different forms of art
where before there was none.  Suddenly instead reaching for a blade, some
of my people reached for a brush and canvas; others filled our halls with
song and lyric.  Poets, writers and sculptors emerged.  Hands that could be
hard in the throes of battle, could now also be soft in the throes of
creativity.  Before we knew it the Age of the Artisan was born."

      Q stopped for a moment.  I'm sure this pause was to let me absorb all
the history I was given.

      "So how exactly did this work?" I wondered aloud.  "Were the Ai'lea
divided between the Skai and Nave?"

      "Not at all Jacob.  The Ai'lea were seen as neutral parties in all
things.  Regardless of who an Ai'lea was bonded to, whether it be to Nave
or Skai, she could enter either city to perform her duties without
hindrance.  That's how much they were loved by both sides.

      "Don't misunderstand.  The arrival of the Ai'lea did not dissolve the
basic predatory nature between the Nave and Skai.  It was not all hugs,
roses, rainbows and puppies.  We still hated each other with a passion, but
thanks to the appearance of the Ai'lea, our priorities changed.  We became
more concerned with raising our families and protecting them from the harsh
reality of war.

      "And so it was for thousands of years.  That's not to say our history
after the arrival of the Ai'lea was free of conflict.  There were the
occasional border skirmishes and other random battles here and there.  In
fact, there were three major conflicts that lead to years of open war
between the Nave and Skai.  But it was always the Great Mother and her
Priestesses that managed to extinguish the flames of war and bring peace to
all El'odian.

      "Over the span of nearly ten millennia my people flourished into a
civilization of hundreds of thousands."  He stopped and looked up at the
moon. The pale light ignited his eyes.  Q appeared to be somewhere else
completely; the weight of what was to come clearly on his shoulders.

      Something wasn't right.

      My lips parted to utter two very simple words.

       I hesitated, but it only lasted a moment.  I needed to know.

      "What happened?"

      Slowly, Q lowered his gaze to the ground below.  "Like all things,
Jacob, nothing last forever," he said softly, "for something happened the
Goddess Aal'ee did not intend..."


__________

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theinnercircletbh/

So there you have it - the 17th chapter of The Brotherhood, I hope you
liked it.  I will definitely continue the story, no problem, but it really
depends on you guys.  If you enjoyed what you read so far and would like to
read more please drop me an email at thewriterxx@aol.com or post in the
group.

Your Lord and Master,

X