Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 18:18:05 -0400
From: X X <thewriter_x@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Brotherhood #18 {X} {MM College & Sci-Fi/Fantasy} [18!?]?????

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 18,
chapter 19 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 XVIII


	"The gods Naveyk and Skailer started taking a more personal
interest in their creations.  With the Ai'lea thrown into the mix, the
bonds of love were formed.  Suddenly we had families and children filling
our great cities.  For the first time since our inception, the gods saw us
as more than just a means to an end.  They finally realized their creations
were capable of so much more than just war.  Now the gods were looking at
us thru the eyes of a parent."

	"And as parents they began loving you as one does a child, didn't
they?"  I asked.

	"Yes," Q answered with a slight nod.  "Their curiosity reached a
whole new level.  Instead of wondering who would be triumphant in battle,
they questioned who would bond with whom.  What would they be like as
parents?  How would their kids grow up?  What path would they take when
they reached adulthood?  With free will nothing was written in stone."

	"So basically it was like playing The Sims but with real people," I
said matter-of-factly.

	"You really are simple!" Q laughed.

	"What?  I'm just saying.  Contrary to what my parents might say,
gaming isn't a total waste. I totally get what you're saying."

      Q just smiled but it was that 'you're cute' smile that makes my
cheeks heat up.  I changed the subject.

      "I bet the Goddess wasn't happy."

	"Not even a little bit.  Aal'ee did not want to share their love
and affection, but that's exactly what happened.  With each passing day,
she watched as their love grew for their respective children.  In the end,
she was forced to take a backseat as they devoted all of their attention to
us.

	"They even began appearing among us from time to time.  Up until
this time, they spoke to us thru the temples that were erected in their
honor.  And I mean that literally.  Naveyk's voice echoed from his statue
seated upon its eiyrlin throne.  It was the only way he communicated with
us.  One day he decided to appear when the Nave were gathered in worship.

	"Of course my people were ecstatic.  To be able to touch the hand
of one's creator...there was no greater honor.  More often than not, Naveyk
roamed Aquaiia as a regular Nave.  He hid his true identity so he could get
an accurate feeling of what it was like to live like one of his children.
At one point he became a sculptor of eiyrlin statues.  He learned to fuse
the different colored crystals to create some of the most famous sculptures
in our history.  If all accounts are true, Naveyk never used his godly
powers.  All his accomplishments were made as a simple Nave.

	"Everything was going great until he came across a young Ai'lea
named Lisuri.  He was completely taken by her.  He lived among many Ai'lea
during his Nave years without developing any unique bonds.  No one knows
what made Lisuri different.  His friendship with her began innocently
enough, but his desires for her grew.  Every moment they shared, every
touch, every smile...even the briefest glance between them...stoked
Naveyk's passion.

	"And this was a problem?" I asked.

	"Yes, a big one and it was twofold.  First, Naveyk was truly a god,
even in his Nave form.  Second, Lisuri was already bonded to Ajus, a
solider in the King's army.  Bonding is serious.  When El'odians bond, they
bond for life. Only the death of a mate can break that bond."

	"So literally till death do you part," I said.

	"Exactly. We took our commitments way more seriously then you
humans do today."

	"Zing and ouch!" I protested.  "That's a bit harsh wouldn't you
say?"

	"Is it?" Q smirked, placing his hand on the back of my neck and
massaging it a bit.  "Were you always faithful to Alexandra?"

	I felt my face go hot with embarrassment.  "Um...so what were you
saying about this Lisuri person?"

	"I thought so," he laughed again.  "And for the record, if you ever
pulled anything like that..."

	"I wouldn't!"  I was quick to respond.  I felt my heart miss a
beat.  My biggest regret would be to have Q think for even a second that I
would go behind his back and betray his trust.  "Not to you...never to
you."

	With a smile that made it clear he believed me, he kissed me and
that made me feel a whole lot better.  I think my heart started beating
normally again.

      "Like I was saying, the El'odian bond is a powerful one, but of
course Naveyk could care less.  The vanity and decadence of the gods knew
no bounds.  His desire turned into obsession and more than anything Naveyk
was determined to have Lisuri.

	"So one night he came to her in the guise of her beloved Ajus and
shared her bed. It was the first and only coupling between a god and a
mortal...that we know of anyway.  He kept up his nightly visits.  Every
night Ajus was away, Naveyk took advantage of Lisuri...essentially raping
her without a second thought.

	"The wonders of being a god I suppose."  There was definitely a
hint of disgust in his tone not to mention anger.  "They do what they want
and take what they want without any regards to the consequences of their
actions.  Frankly, they're more trouble than they're worth."

	"Am I detecting a little bit of rage coming from you?"

	Q continued without acknowledging my comment.

	"Life went on for Lisuri and Ajus.  They never knew of Naveyk's
dastardly actions.  Eventually he put an end to his secret visits when the
couple showed up at his temple seeking his blessing.  It was rare but every
once in a while Naveyk would appear before a Nave to bestow his blessing
upon them; especially if they are with child."

	"You mean she was pregnant?  Was it Naveyk's?"

	"He had but to lay his hand on her stomach to know the unborn child
was his.  This posed a serious problem for there was no telling what this
meant.  A child born of an El'odian and a god?  The ramifications of such
an offspring were immeasurable.  Not to mention how Skailer and Aal'ee
might react.

	"Naveyk had a decision to make.  It was within his power to ensure
the child never saw the light of day.  Yet despite everything, including
the voice that was probably screaming in his head telling him it was a bad
idea, I think the prospect of being a father was too enticing for him.  He
wasn't about to let it slip thru his fingers.

	"Of course he had to remain hands off.  So as I said, the visits to
Lisuri stopped.  Secrecy was now his number one priority.  He had to make
sure the other gods did not find out about his unborn son, for if they
had...well...I'm sure you get the idea."

	I nodded.

	"Naveyk knew the care of Lisuri and the birth of his child would be
a delicate matter.  So regardless of his need for secrecy, he went to the
Great Mother and confessed everything.  He had no choice. The Ai'lea were
responsible for overseeing the birth of El'odian children after all.
Apparently the Great Mother shared his concerns and agreed to help conceal
the child's true lineage.  She enlisted the aid of three of her most
trusted priestesses and revealed Naveyk's secret to them.

	"Now, it was normal for expecting mothers to be taken to Cyprinia
to give birth for all children were born in the Great Mother's city.  What
was unusual was that the Great Mother had Lisuri moved to Cyprinia months
before she was due and Ajus wasn't allowed to see her but for a handful of
times.  They couldn't take any chances for there was no way to predict what
might happen during this highly unusual pregnancy.

	"As it turned out, there was no need for all the extra precautions.
Lisuri carried the child for the full four months without incident.  Even
so, when it came time to deliver only the Great Mother and the three
priestesses were allowed in the room with Lisuri.  From what I understand,
Ajus was upset that he couldn't be present during the birth of his son but
he respected the wishes of the Great Mother.

	"It was a good thing too because the delivery was anything but
normal.  The child was born in the middle of the night and yet it was said
when he came into this world it was in a halo of light so bright it turned
night to day.  Needless to say after that little stunt they had no choice
but to reveal the truth to Lisuri for they would need her help to keep the
child's true lineage a secret.

	"As one can imagine, poor Lisuri went thru a world wind of emotions
when she learned the truth.  I couldn't even begin to pretend to understand
the fear she felt; the uncertainty of her child's future and not to mention
the betrayal of being used in such a way.  Her anger towards Naveyk scared
her the most.  To harbor such ill will toward a god was considered the
ultimate sin.

	"Despite it all, from the way the Great Mother tells it, she took
one look at the child and saw him for what he truly was - a miracle from
heaven.  She loved that child with every fiber of her being.  It killed her
to have to keep the truth from her beloved Ajus but she had no choice.  The
fewer who knew the truth the safer it was for everyone involved, and so she
allowed Ajus to believe it was his son.

	"The Great Mother insisted mother and child remain in Cyprinia for
a few months before rejoining Ajus in Aquaiia.  They had to keep an eye on
the child to see if he manifested any abilities that could give away his
bloodline. The priestesses were appointed guardians of the boy while he
remained in the city and were charged with helping Lisuri in raising the
child. Their time spent in Cyprinia was fairly uneventful.  The boy's
infancy progressed normally and eventually the Great Mother saw no harm in
allowing Lisuri and her son to return to Aquaiia.

	"The priestesses kept their vigil, the Great Mother stopped by from
time to time, Naveyk became an absentee father, and so was life for Lisuri
and her family. The boy grew up in a great home and was loved very much.
Ajus was never the wiser and he was a great father to the boy.  I suspect
even if Ajus knew the truth he would've been every bit the father Naveyk
never was."

	I watched Q closely.  The way his gaze was fixed on some point out
there in the distant night made me think something weighed heavily on his
mind.  Yet a little smile did appear on his lips as if a fond memory
suddenly came to the surface.  In that moment there was a sweetness to him,
an innocence normally reserved for children.  Not that I needed another
reason, but it made me love him more.

	"What was the boy's name?" I asked.  Q didn't answer right away.
He was still out there in nowhere land.  I had to lean into him a little
bit to bring him back to me.

	"I'm sorry," he said as he shook his head.  "What did you say?"

	"His name.  What was the baby boy's name?"

	"Qua'quelle."

	"It was you?" I whispered.  "You were that little boy?  Lisuri's
son?"  I had to pause for a moment because the magnitude of what I was
going to say next was mind blowing.  "You're the son of a god?"

	"Trust me it's not all it's cracked up to be.  I'd gladly trade
Naveyk for Ajus any day, but that's neither here nor there.  Ajus loved me
with everything he had and in the end that's all that really matters."

	"What happened to them?  What happened to your parents?"

	"Like I said, they were great parents and gave me a very normal
Nave childhood. The only thing abnormal was the level of interest the
priestesses took in my development, especially the Great Mother.  After the
birth of a child it was normal for the priestesses to follow up a few times
to ensure everything was going okay.  But with me it was like they became
part of the family.  It seemed they were always around.  They probably drew
more attention to me and my family than they intended.  Others couldn't
help but wonder what made us so special.  But no one ever questioned the
Great Mother so I guess that worked in their favor.

	"When I was around six my parents added a new addition to the
family with the birth of my younger brother Azajin.  I was beyond excited.
A little brother I could help raise, guide, and take under my wing was a
dream come true.  It was around this time I started to develop certain
abilities.  I was becoming the only other El'odian to wield the power of
the gods.

	"I spent some time in Cyprinia with the Great Mother learning to
control my developing powers.  She taught me the greatest lesson of all; to
guard my abilities and never use them in a way that might give me away. You
have no idea how hard that is for a young boy to do."

	I laughed.  "I bet."

	"It wasn't until I was older that my true lineage was revealed to
me.  It wasn't easy to hear that the man I knew as my father wasn't my
father at all.  And to top it all off, my actual father was our creator.
Someone whose voice echoed the halls of his temple, someone who appeared to
bless those who called upon him, someone who couldn't find the time of day
to say so much as a hello to his only son...someone who could do that to my
mother."

	I placed my hand over his balled up fists and draped my left arm
over his back.  I pressed my lips to his temple and whispered, "I'm sorry."

	Q turned so his forehead was pressed against mine.  "You're sweet
Jacob, but you have nothing to be sorry about."  He kissed me and caressed
the side of my face.  "But thank you all the same."  Q kissed me again on
the forehead and continued with his story.

      "I grew up with no desire to know Naveyk.  In fact I stopped showing
up at his temple all together.  Ajus was the only father I knew...the only
father I needed.  It was just the four of us and we were happy, but even in
paradise one is forced to weather a storm or two.

      "Once the Great Mother felt confident I had my powers under control
and there was little risk of exposure, she freed the three priestesses of
their responsibilities to me.  T'mynn, one of the priestess, left the
priesthood all together to start her own family.

      "Her every attempt was met with tragedy.  You have to understand that
a miscarriage among the Ai'lea was unheard of, but the chances of four in a
row were incalculable. Add the death of her beloved from a mysterious
illness and one might start to believe she was cursed."

      "Or being punished," I added.

      "Exactly right.  For years T'mynn protected my identity and Naveyk's
indiscretions and now it appeared, at least to her, she was paying the
price for betraying Aal'ee.  So she did what was expected when one has
slighted their god, she..."

      "Begged for forgiveness," I jumped in.

      "Right again.  T'mynn went to Aal'ee's temple in Cyprinia and threw
herself at the mercy of her goddess.  Kneeling before Aal'ee's statue, she
confessed everything.  Naveyk's nightly visits to my mother, my birth, the
Great Mother's evolvement...everything.  Now gods are prayed to practically
every day and there's really no telling when and if they decide to listen,
but on that particular day Aal'ee was all ears.

      "You've heard the phrase hell have no fury like a woman scorn?"

      "Heard it?  It was Alexandra's mantra."

      "Well imagine a goddess scorn.  The very foundation of Eiyr trembled
under her rage.  The idea that one of her suitors could give his love, a
love rightly reserved for her and her alone, to one of her Ai'lea was the
utmost betrayal.

      "And it could only be forgiven with blood.

      "Coincidently, it was the first time Naveyk ever showed himself to
me.  I was then as you see me now, except I was a high ranking member of
the King's elite Royal Guard.  I was on my way home to see my family after
spending some time in Cyprinia where the Great Mother was trying to quell a
dispute between the Nave and Skai.

      "I was standing on the doorstep of the house I grew up in.  I looked
over my shoulder for a second and then turned back around to knock on the
door..."  Q paused for a moment, looked at me, and let out a sort of
cynical laugh.  "And there he stood.  My god Jacob, he was standing as
close to me as you are now and I stood there staring at him with the words
caught in my throat.

      "'Son,' was all he said to me before taking my arm and whisking us
away in a brilliant flash of light.  I have no idea where he took me or if
we were even on Eiyr anymore.  We were in an open field with bright green
grass as far as the eye could see.  We stood under the only tree in sight.

      "'Why did you bring me here?' I asked.

      "'It's good to finally see you, Qua'quelle, face to face that is, for
I have always kept a close eye on you.'

      "'And yet I find little comfort in that.' I think my insolence took
him by surprise. Hell, it took me surprise.  'Why did you bring me here?'

      "'Does a father need a reason to visit with his son?'

      "'My father, Ajus, is free to visit with me anytime he wishes.  You
on the other hand, I don't know.  I would ask that you tell me what you
want from me or take me back to Aquaiia.'"

      "I'm sorry," I interrupted, "but I have to ask.  Weren't you the
least bit scared about mouthing off not only to your father but a god of
all people?"

      A devilish grin appeared across his face.  "I wouldn't say I was
scared necessarily, but I was a little anxious standing there next to him.
I was definitely playing up the tough guy act.  If truth be told, I was
curious about Naveyk but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of
knowing he ever even crossed my mind.  In the end I was still angry.

      "'You have a lot of fire in you,' Naveyk said.  'You remind me a lot
of your mother in that way.  It's that same spark that's allowed you to do
so well for yourself.  To be the youngest Nave to ever reach the ranks of
the King's Royal Guard is no small feat.  And to do it all without every
once using your divine gifts makes it even more impressive.  If I recall
that particular achievement, the King's Royal Guard, has always eluded Ajus
did it not?"

      "'You insult my father?'

      "'Not at all,' he insisted.  'I was merely putting your
accomplishments in perspective.  I am really quite proud of you
Qua'quelle.'

      "'Your approval has never been required or sought, so do not bother
yourself now.'

      "'Oh come now,' he laughed, 'we both know that is not true.  I recall
a young Qua'quelle entering my temple on a daily basis to boast about his
latest deeds hoping beyond hope that I would smile down on him with my
blessing.'

      "'Yes, I remember that boy too,' I conceded.  'I also remember how
many of the other boys had their prayers answered from time to time.  His
never were and so he grew up.'

      "'I had to protect you and keep you safe,' was his excuse.

      "The way he looked at me when he said that raised a red flag so to
speak.  It put me on the defensive more so than I already was.  I didn't
trust his intentions.

      "'Clearly I wasn't in any danger so why did you decide to bring me
here now?  Do you know something that...?'  I got a sick feeling in my
stomach.  Something wasn't right.  My family instantly popped into my mind.

      "'Take me back to Aquaiia,' I demanded.  'Take me back to my family!'

      "'You are with your family, my son.'

      "My demands and protest fell on deaf ears.  He kept insisting his
actions were for my own good, which just made me more suspicious of his
motives and the timing of it all.  Eventually the fear for my family became
overwhelming. Unwittingly, I tapped into my power, a power I only evoked in
my youth while training with the Great Mother, and teleported myself to my
family.

      "I appeared amid a mob of my people surrounding my home.  My sudden
appearance drew an even larger crowed.  The house I grew up in lay in ruin
as if a mighty hammer fell from the sky and smashed it like glass.  I
rushed to the debris calling out for my loved ones only to find the broken
bodies of my parents and younger brother."

      "I don't know how long I stood there staring down at their dead
bodies before my strength left me and I fell to my knees.  It seemed so
surreal.  Yes, I was there witnessing the horror but yet, I wasn't.
Everything I knew was gone, and I felt as nothing but a shadow vanishing
under a setting sun."

      My heart broke for Q.  I would have given anything to take away his
pain.  In a way, I suppose I was fortunate.  I had no memory of my family
so I have no real feelings of loss as it pertained to them.  My memory
problem was more about losing myself.  Yet all I had to do was look at his
face to understand his anguish.  It was unsettling for me in a way to see Q
like this, for in that moment that hardcore persona he naturally gives off
melted away and he was just a "guy" missing his family.

      "I was on my knees beside Azajin's broken body; my mother's just a
few feet away," Q continued, pulling me back into his story even though his
words were barely above a whisper.  "I hardly recognized what was left of
my father.  In a blink of an eye my life was torn to shreds."

       He stopped for a moment and I wasn't sure if I should say something
to try to console him.  But what could I possibly say that he hasn't heard
a thousand times before? A million times considering who I'm talking about.
What could be said that doesn't sound just like every other line one tells
the bereaved?  How would it sound any different coming from me?

      "I slipped my hand between my brother's curled fingers.  He was
cold...so very cold.  My grief took on a life of its own.  I lost it.
Fueled by my Nave power, I was engulfed by a white flame and let out a cry
that was said to be heard throughout all of Eiyr. The very foundation of
Aquaiia shook as if stuck by a powerful earthquake, which is saying a lot
considering it was a floating city.  The Nave energy within me was building
to extreme levels putting all of Aquaiia at risk."

      "You were a ticking bomb..." I added.

      "I was," Q nodded.  "I can't even imagine what my people were
thinking.  I know they were terrified and confused.  There I was the only
other El'odian besides the Great Mother who clearly possessed the power of
the gods. I'm sure at that moment they had no idea what to make of me.  I
was no longer the Qua'quelle they knew.  I was someone else...something
else.  And that something was threatening to destroy our beloved city.

      "That's when I heard him.  He uttered my name.

      "'Qua'quelle.'

      "His voice pierced thru my grief and suddenly I had a focal point, a
target, to direct all my rage.  With tears streaming from my eyes, I stood
to face Naveyk.  There was a burning inside me, a heat I never felt before.
It was out of my control...the energy within me exploded towards Naveyk
with enough force to destroy Aquaiia ten times over.

      "When it was over I fell to my knees completely spent, smoke curling
up from my body and the ground around me webbed with deep cracks and
scorched black.  I looked up to see Naveyk standing just a few feet away
from me unscathed, but at least Aquaiia was saved for he absorbed all my
energy into himself.

      "Silver lining I suppose.

      "'You did this,' I accused as I staggered back to my feet.

      "'I did nothing of the sort,' he said matter-of-factly.  'Aal'ee
discovered I had a son with an Ai'lea and was furious.  This is the result
of her fury which would not be satiated with anything less than blood; the
blood of my first born.'

      "'Why didn't she come for me?  Why harm my family?'

      "'As far as Aal'ee knows she did.'  I followed his eyes as he glanced
at my dead brother.  'She knows not who you are or what you look like.  She
only knows that you were the son of Lisuri.  She also did not know Lisuri
had two sons.  She was never one to bother with the details or lives of her
own creations.'

      "'She killed my parents.  My brother!  Their blood is on your hands.
The Nave cannot be harmed by the other gods which means you removed
whatever sorcery protected my father and brother.  You allowed her to
slaughter them.'  His silent stare was all the confirmation I needed of my
suspicions.

      'Their blood is on your hands,' I spat.

      "'And I will wash my hands of it and suffer no regrets for what I did
to protect you.  My son!'

      "Before I could say anything else he was gone.  I was left with three
bodies to burn in the ceremonial pyres of Aquaiia and a city looking at me
in wonder.

      "After the funeral I retreated into myself for days.  I was absent
from court and neglected my duties as one of the King's Royal Guard.  I
even went as far as to ignore several summonses from my King.  I have to
admit I wasn't too concerned about any repercussions considering by then
everyone knew my real father was Naveyk.  My solitude didn't last long.
Unfortunately my grief would soon be shared by all El'odians, Nave and Skai
alike.

      "Naveyk was wrong.  So horribly wrong.  Aal'ee's fury was not
satiated - not even close.  She confronted the Great Mother for her role in
my birth and concealing it from her Goddess.  She was determined to make an
example by punishing all Ai'lea.  The twist was she would not carry out the
punishment herself.  Nooooo.... that would be too easy.  She made the Great
Mother do it, promising that if she did not carry out the punishment as
instructed, the retribution she would carry out on all her daughters would
be infinitely worse.

      "One night the Great Mother sent out a wave of light that traveled
all of Eiyr.  Many of my people stood at the edge of the city staring out
at the horizon watching this energy wave coming towards Aquaiia.  At the
time we had no idea the wave originated from the Great Mother.  It struck
and it took only a few minutes to travel thru the city, but when it was
gone what it left in its wake was beyond horrifying."

      Q stopped, covering his face with his hands and taking in a deep
breath.  "All Ai'lea were turned to statues.  Mothers, daughters, and
sisters all appeared as if they were chiseled out of eiyrlin crystal."

      "All of them?" I asked.

      "Every last one.  The city as a whole was in shock.  We didn't know
what to make of it.  We had very little time to process it.  What happened
was bad enough but nothing could prepare us for what came next.

      "The Great Mother turned all her daughters to eiyrlin statues in the
hopes the Goddess Aal'ee would allow her to turn them back one day.  But
again, the Goddess had no such intentions.  The Goddess slammed her hands
together in a thunderous clap that produced a second wave that followed
closes behind the first.  It ripped thru Eiyr, shattering every last Ai'lea
statue, turning them dust. Much of it rained down to the earth below from
Aquaiia.  There was nothing left of them.

      "Nothing..."

      "My god!" I exclaimed in shock.  "She killed her own..."  I couldn't
even finish my sentence.

      "The whole city fell into a state of mourning; one I've never seen
before or since.  Some were so devastated they took their own lives,
throwing themselves off the edge of the city to the ground below.  It was
painful and surreal.

      "Aal'ee got her revenge; more so than many realized at first.  She
killed her own kind, yes, but her actions sealed the fates of all
El'odians.  That was her intentions from the beginning.  It was never about
just punishing the Great Mother and her daughters.  It was about getting
back to the natural order of things as she saw it.  It was about reclaiming
Naveyk and Skailer for herself, so that they might reclaim the cosmos as
their personal playground."

      "I'm sorry but I don't follow.  How does killing her own kind
accomplish any of that?"

      "By destroying the Nave and Skai."

      "But I thought you were protected?"  I was really having a hard time
picking up what Q was putting down.  "I thought Aal'ee couldn't harm the
Nave or Skai because she had no hand in creating either race."

      "Very true," Q smiled and patted me on the back.  I think he was
impressed at how closely I was paying attention.  "But you have to remember
Jacob we may have been long lived but we were still mortal like you back
then.  With the Ai'lea gone so was any chance of procreation and continuing
the races."

      "Ah..."  It finally clicked.  "No women equals no sex which equals no
kids so eventually the Nave and Skai would die out into extinction."

      "With us gone I'm assuming Aal'ee figured everything would go back to
the way it was before our creation.  The three of them would gallivant
across the universe with Naveyk and Skailer fawning over Aal'ee."

      "Why couldn't they just create more of you?  In the beginning each
side started with some 33,000 right?  Why wouldn't the gods just snap their
fingers or whatever they did to create another 33,000?"

      "They could and even tried after the loss of the Ai'lea but they
couldn't capture the essence of what we became.  All they could reproduce
was a Nave or Skai from the original 'blueprint' so to speak.  It was the
blueprint for an El'odian driven by hate and a lust for conquest to please
their God with no real understanding of family, compassion, or love.
That's who we were in the beginning.  But that El'odian no longer had a
place within either society.  We evolved beyond that because of the Ai'lea.

      "And now they were gone.  It might have taken a few centuries but we
would have joined them eventually.  Of course the Goddess wasn't willing to
wait that long.  To hurry things a long she provoked the Skai by pointing
out who was to blame - Naveyk and his bastard son. Aal'ee gave them a
target for all their grief and anger.  The Goddess was more than willing to
let the Nave know they were coming.

      "Before long both sides were preparing for war.

      "For days and nights the fires churned as the smiths busied
themselves creating new eirylin weapons and armor.  Plumes of smoke could
be seen rising from Aquaiia for miles.

      "I finally made my way back to court to take my place as a member of
the King's Royal Guard.  I wanted to fight.  Like a modern day Special
Forces team, the Royal Guard was the best of the best and would be in the
frontlines right in the thick of things.

      "But there was something unusual in the air when I walked into the
throne room. I'd been there thousands of times with the rest of the royal
court.  This time around I could definitely sense the apprehension in the
air. Our King, Villari Zet, summoned me forward.  I immediately went on
guard.  Had I not known the people in the room, I would've prepared myself
to draw my sword at any moment.

      "I stood at the foot of the steps leading up to the throne where the
King sat and was ready to bow as I'd done countless times.  The king did
something I did not expect.  He stopped me and bowed himself.  No King of
Aquaiia as ever bowed to another El'odian.  Before I could say anything the
whole room followed his lead.  At first I was at a loss for words but
quickly recovered and insisted the King not bow.  That's when he informed
me of his plans to abdicate his crown to me for in his eyes, and apparently
the eyes of our people, I was the rightful ruler of Aquaiia.  The son of
Naveyk should be King.

      "I would not hear of it which ignited a debate that proceeded for
days.  Here we were preparing for war and now we were stuck in this
political gridlocked.  Since the dawn of our civilization the line of Kings
had never been broken.  I would not allow it to happen now.  We were
finally able to reach a compromise in where I agreed to stand by the King's
side as he proclaimed me Kyrios, the Sovereign Son of Aquaiia.  It
basically..."

      "You're Kyrios!" I jumped up in excitement.  I would've startled any
normal person but Q just laughed at me.  "I knew it!"

      "No, I'm not Jacob," he snickered and grabbed my arm to prevent me
from jumping anymore.  "I was the first to hold the title millions of years
ago but I don't anymore.  So you need to calm down.  Since I had no family
the King adopted me as part of his family.  Should Aquaiia ever find
herself without a King, should the House of Zet ever fall, I would become
its ruler.  In the meantime, I became the most powerful and influential
Nave in all of Aquaiia, second only to the King himself.

      "With the debate behind us, we focused on what was coming.

      "War.

      "On the night of the battle the King stepped out onto the balcony to
address his army and I stood faithfully by his side.  As the King gave his
speech, I looked out upon what looked like a sea of Nave.  It was shoulder
to shoulder Nave as far as the eye could see.  Our eiyrlin weapons sparkled
like moonlight dancing on the surface of a pond.  It was a breathtaking
sight to be sure.  But as I stood there I could not help but wonder how
many of my brethren would not be making it back to Aquaiia.

      "Yelling out his final words, 'FOR THE LOVE OF AQUAIIA', the King
stepped off the ledge and dove down towards his army like an arrow.  I
followed right behind him and we waited to the last possible moment to
extend our wings and pull up.  We flew over our men, and with a deafening
roar, the sea of Nave came alive and flew up behind us.

      "The city emptied.  Only the very young and old were left behind.
That's not to say they weren't willing to pick up a sword and join us.

      "We flew out to the site of the first epic battle between the two
races.  As if perfectly choreographed, the Skai arrived just as we did.
There was about a mile or so between us when we stopped to make final
preparations.  I wondered if they knew of my capabilities. To be honest, I
didn't even know what I was truly capable of but I knew it gave my side a
huge advantage.  I'm sure Aal'ee didn't tell them I possessed the power of
the gods.  Not that I think it would have made much difference.  The hatred
had reached the boiling point.

      "We heard the Skai's battle cry and let out one of our own before
flying towards them in full force - swords drawn and shields at the ready.
As the two great armies were about to clash, there was an explosion of
light between us that knocked everyone back.

      "The light took form and the image of the Great Mother appeared.  She
was larger than life, but with a deep and undeniable sadness.  The image
spoke and the message was simple and clear.  The Great Mother was calling
for peace.  She lost her daughters and could not bear the thought of losing
her sons.

      "'Honor the memory of our mothers, daughters, and sisters,' her voice
boomed across the battlefield.  'Honor their death by living...'

      "And just like that, the image was gone.  There wasn't even a
question of whether to respect her wishes or not.  There was no other
El'odian the Nave or Skai loved and respected more than the Great Mother.
And considering all that was lost...all she lost, even the Kings would bow
to her will.

      "The armies retreated without striking a single blow.

      "We arrived back in Aquaiia to be greeted by Naveyk, who called for
an audience with his sons.  I could not stomach the sight of him and went
back to the palace.  I guess it was his turn to give his speech.  Despite
not being there, there was nowhere in Aquaiia I could hide where I couldn't
hear his voice or the crowd cheering for their God.

      "Apparently Naveyk and Skailer united against Aal'ee and were able to
imprison and banish her from Eiyr so she could not harm another El'odian
again.  Even I have to admit that I was surprised.  For them to turn on one
of their own for a race of mortals showed how much they had truly grown to
love what they created.

      "In an uncharacteristic display of compassion, he acknowledged our
loss and regretted his part in it, but would never regret the birth of his
son.  Naveyk made it very clear that he would not sit idly by and watch his
creation die out.  He told the crowd it was time for him to sacrifice for
his children.

      "I stepped out onto the same balcony I was on earlier that night and
stared out upon the masses once again.  This time, I was alone.  As much as
didn't want to, I couldn't help but be drawn into what Naveyk was saying.
I had not expected to hear such words coming from him.  He was actually
done by the time I got out there but I was able to see him transform into a
sphere of light and ascend into the heavens.

      "Night turned to day as it began to rain across all of Aquaiia and
beyond.  But it wasn't raindrops falling from the sky it was droplets of
light.  We were bathing in Naveyk's radiance and so the Nave were imbued
with his power and the wisdom to weld it."

      "He made you all immortal," I added.

      "Yes," Q nodded.  "Because of his selfless gift my people were able
to survive.  Even I was gifted with a clear understanding of my powers and
how to use them."

      "What ended up happening to Naveyk?"

      "He gave up a lot of his power, a lot of what he was to make us
immortal and so that left him a shadow of his former self.  He disappeared
from Eiyr and we didn't see him again until after the Great Awakening.

      "We suspected Skailer would not be outdone by Naveyk and did
something similar for his sons in Asevaya for he disappeared around the
same time.

      "From that moment, life for all El'odians change forever but most
importantly life went on."

      "What about the Great Mother?"

      "She remained in the empty city Cyprinia; her solitude and grief her
sole companion.  She would come and stay in Aquaiia for days or weeks at a
time, as I'm sure she visited Asevaya to be with the Skai.  That's not to
say we didn't try to get her to stay with us fulltime but it was a no go.
Cyprinia was her home.  She continued to offer her guidance and wisdom to
both sides, never taking a side and forever remaining neutral.  She alone
helped maintain a tenuous peace for many thousands of years.

      "Hers was not an easy task.  I don't envy her.  Even with all our
progress we were still designed for war against one another.  Although we
had each other for love and companionship, without the Ai'lea to steady our
hands and focus our hearts, the itch for conquest grew ever stronger.  I
have to give her credit though for the Great Mother certainly got creative.
She instituted a yearly tournament in Cyprinia where the best of the best
battled it out to earn the title of Champion of the El'odian."

      "I have to say I'm kind of surprised she would go that far," I
admitted.  "The Great Mother doesn't strike me as someone who's okay with
you guys killing yourself for sport and glory."

      "And you'd be right Jacob.  There were special rules in place to
prevent that from happening.  It was forbidden to imbue our weapons with
our power.  Only the Great Mother's essence was allowed to flow thru them
which made them painful but not deadly."

      "I don't understand what you mean."

      "Here take a look," he said, gesturing for me to stand in the middle
of the balcony leaving a good distance between us.  Q put out his hands and
a swirl of energy came up from his palms producing two beautifully crafted
swords.  "These are my blades."  The swords slowly spun and hovered over
his hands.  "They were a gift to me from the King when I joined his guard.
I was the only one to receive such a gift by the way."

      "Of course," I laughed and rolled my eyes.

      From what Q described the hilts were made from pure lusinite, a
platinum looking alloy from his day.  It was trimmed with gold and on the
bottom of each hilt was a purple jewel.  The blade itself was crafted
entirely of the crystal they call eiyrlin.  The color matched the gems on
the hilt.  Maybe they were the same thing but I wasn't sure and I didn't
think to ask.  They were broad and appeared heavy; I could easily see how
they could inflict massive damage.

      "These are our weapons and we have all different kinds.  Axes,
spears, daggers, maces, you name it we crafted it first.  Personally I
never liked carrying around a shield so I mastered the art of dual wielding
two swords and they've served me well over the years.  But once the
El'odians became immortal we couldn't be harmed by them any longer. They
couldn't even pierce the skin.  That is of course until we learned this
trick."  Gripping the hilts of his swords, Q pulled them from the air and
swung them around until the blades formed an X over his head.  His energy
flowed up from his arms into his hands and up into the blades.  They glowed
and pulsated with power.  I could see the energy jumping around within the
eiyrlin as if I was looking at lightning trapped within a glass bottle.  It
was amazing.

      "Imbued with our powers our weapons became deadlier than ever.  Nave
and Skai energy don't play well together. So if I struck a Skai with these,
my energy would flow into them and easily kill them.  Our powers are the
only thing in all of Eiyr that can harm or kill an El'odian.  Empowered by
us our weapons have become our instruments of destruction."

      "Can I hold them?"

      "Um...no," he laughed and made them vanish just as they appeared.
"Besides in the hands of a mortal they would just revert back to their
normal state.  Only the touch of an El'odian can fuel them.

      "But during the tournaments it was the Great Mother who blessed our
weapons with her power.  So if we landed a lethal blow it would hurt like
hell but not kill us.  It was easy to see who the victor was when the loser
was on the ground thrashing in pain.  It was always an amazing sight to
behold, these tournaments.  Imagine a coliseum style arena filled with
El'odian cheering for their brethren; one side filled with Nave the other
with Skai and the Great Mother right in the middle keeping the peace.

      "Despite her efforts, the hatred between the Nave and Skai was
forever present.  And like always, there were the random encounters away
from the arena were one side provoked the other and a fight broke out.
Both sides were careful not to seriously harm or kill someone from the
opposing side for it would surely lead to war.  No one wanted to be the one
to pull that trigger.

      "For thousands of years we lived as immortals; watched and felt our
powers grow and evolve as immortals.  Then it happened..."

      "What?"

      "My god Jacob!"  He was beaming suddenly.  Placing his hand over
mine, he gently squeezed.  "The most amazing thing happened to us."

      "What?"  I was shaking his hand now trying to force it out of him.
He had me on the edge of my seat.  "What happened to you?"

      Q began to speak but would suddenly stop as if what he had to share
was so great he couldn't put it into words.  He walked away from me to the
other end of the balcony and stared out at the night sky.  Combing his
fingers thru his hair, he turned around to face me.  "I want to show you
Jacob."  He came towards me, offering his hand.

      I took his hand of course but I also took a step back at the same
time.  I was a little apprehensive about what I was about to happen.  But I
trusted Q and the look in his eyes alone was enough to make me want to jump
down any rabbit hole with him.

      "Don't be afraid," Q laughed and pulled me in for a long kiss.  My
eyes were closed to begin with but I could still see the light coming up
and engulfing us.  I opened my eyes as I pulled away and sure enough there
were tiny spheres of light floating around us.  His radiance poured out
from within and before I knew it, he was pure energy swirling around me.
"Are you ready to jump down the rabbit hole?"

      "I hate when you do that!"

      There was a flash and we were gone.

__________

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

So there you have it - the 18th 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