FALAHA'S JOURNEY 2: Graveyard of the Gods

Episode #18

I flopped onto the bed and dug my face into a pillow. Sure, I could have asked Somg to perform this particular Tabiru instead of me. But I was sure he wouldn't agree to do one with a male. He made it clear the last time such a need had arisen. Besides, we should have kept the existence and presence of the Surani on my ship a secret. I didn't need to spell it out loud for my men to know and understand my reasoning to undergo the process myself.

Eyran's warm hand brushed my bare back gently as I felt him lowering onto the bed by my side. "Falaha, you worry too much about us," he said. "Your household is strong and can withstand anything. We trust you that much. We volunteered to be your partners, after all, knowing that anything can happen. I won't even question your decision about performing such a complex procedure. I'm sure Dad and Baro are not that inflexible even to accept any possible change that merger would bring. We Danna can be hard-headed sometimes, but even our jealousy is not to be taken too seriously. You know it was a foreign concept for us; you can ask Grandfather about the semantics for he had faced this predicament when he was very young and had started his own relationships."

"What would you do if Beren becomes a very close person to me... us...?" I mumbled, face still in the pillow.

"From what we had learned about the Sangu existence, we shall accept it," Orewen said, dropping onto the bed by my other side. "It is their nature. Destiny even."

"Our only worry that might arise is that you can still maintain control over this many admirers, with Shamta being the most problematic," Baro added, settling somewhere at my feet. "What do you feel like? A Danna? A Baalat? Something else entirely?"

I raised my face from the pillow. "Falaha Kierenen kennar Fargann, the Commander of Gal Runagh, the Head of the Household Falaha, also Falaha Yajur Sangu. I don't believe in destiny. My exact species is irrelevant. And speaking about Yaren, I'm sure Grandfather also was torn about his own lineage. Was he a Rawani? A Danna? Something entirely new? But he had decided what he is eventually, like I had. And Ore and Eyu, what exactly are you two? Part ancient Rawani, directly inheriting the bloodline of the Rawani royalty? The Danna? Machines? Biomechanical Baali? What do you feel like? We can question ourselves until the break of dawn in this key. And Baro. What are you then with your unusual soma?"

"Point taken," Baro replied, chuckling.

"Ore, how does the temporal solution for the rest of Surani progress?" I asked, turning around and switching to the sitting position on the sheets, legs crossed.

"Neve and I had devised a plan. It includes the use of the Node system, so we can apply the medication and their soma won't reject it. Won't be fast, but while you deal with Beren, we can process a few Surani, to see if the fix works. I hope we'll get a few volunteers for this task. If successful, we can implement it on the whole Surani remnants, even those who are still in... eh... Cold Sleep, if you can call it that in their case, until you will find a permanent solution to their problem."

"That is good," I said. "I trust your medical skills."

"And what other skills of mine do you trust, love?" Orewen grinned, laying by my side and propping his head with his arm, his other hand caressing my thigh.

"The ones you passed down to your son," I replied playfully. "And the ones Baro enjoys too much without admitting it to you in full."

"I wonder if it would horrify Beren," Eyran said, scratching his chin. "After all, he would experience everything through your merger."

"I shall be careful not to inflict him too much discomfort from oversharing," I replied. "The thing is, I plan to absorb his experience without giving away much of mine; he won't be able to take it. Too much for a non-Baal to see and feel."

"I saw how hungrily Beren looks at you, Falaha," Baro said, massaging my feet. The skin on his palms and fingers became softer since he no longer climbed his mountains for some time, but still rough from all the maintenance work he was doing with the machines. "I don't know what is going in his head. But if it was me, I'd hit on you right from the spot in his position. How long he hasn't seen a woman? Decades? I'd have gone nuts."

"I'm not sure it is that hunger, Baro." I allowed his comforting touch. "But knowing you, I'm not surprised you came to such a conclusion." I snickered. Eyuran smiled as well. Orewen was still grinning.

"What?" Baro asked, frowning. "As if I'm a pervert here."

"No one said such a thing, mind you," Ore said to him. "It's just your mind wanders into weird places sometimes. Not that it is a bad thing. So much fun to play with you."

Eyuran laughed. "Ancestor forbid he'll eat those berries again."

"I destroyed all of them," I replied. "Can't trust this guy on that otherwise."

"Shorty." Baro turned away, pretending to be offended, but didn't stop his manipulations on my feet.

"I'll eat your guts one day for this, Medan," I said, furrowing my brows, slight anger stirred in my chest by his name-calling.

"Oh, please, not again." Eyuran covered his face with his palm and wiped his face. "What is going to be destroyed next? This bed? Take it out into the desert you two, then, please."

"Baro is an adrenaline junkie, hence he will continue to use the forbidden word in the presence of the god herself," Orewen said, laughing. "Until the world will burn, and his ass will be set on fire along with it."

"That's not funny, Dad," Eyuran said with a sigh. "Please stop doing stupid things. She hates it. Stop. Calling. Her. That. Easy."

"Oh, the Master of the House is not pleased," Orewen retorted. "Careful, Baro. You are walking on a slippery slope there."

"Ugh, I hope Beren has a better sense of humor than you two." Eyuran got up from the bed. "I'll go have a drink."

"I'll go take a walk in the desert," I said, slipping out of Baro's hold. "Your stance is clear for me, so I need to prepare mentally for the task. See you in the morning."

I dived right into the night, leaving Baro and Ore alone to have fun, if they so desired. Eyuran wasn't in the mood anymore, so he went to the kitchen to delve into his own thoughts. The night was ruined, but maybe it was for the better as I wouldn't feel right doing Tabiru with Beren right after some hot sexual acts my men were planning to perform to make me feel better. It would feel awkward.

And yes, I was short. Shut up.