Abel picked at the food before him. For the first time in centuries he didn't feel the aching hunger and thirst which had driven in him to eat so much food. There was also no longer an need to shovel the food into this mouth as if it were the last meal he would ever get. Given the fact he was no longer part of the Vatican, the order the pervious pope had given him to act as a fool and a goof no longer applied.
Earlier that morning, Solomon had forced Abel to drink another glass of blood. By the flavor he could tell it had been Solomon's blood. The other two glasses the night before must have been from Asthe and Ion. The one he knew he had tasted before while the other had been new. Not that he had taken pleasure in drinking either of the blood.
Solomon had been right. There was no difference between Abel's denying himself blood and how he had not eaten back on Mars.
Silence pressed down on the room, broken only by the soft tap of metal against fine china. Solomon was seated across from Abel.
Ion and Asthe were seated closer to the head of the table alongside Esther who had invited all but Solomon to breakfast this morning. When Abel had been invited, he knew she had accepted him to sit closer to her, but Abel didn't want to worry the girl with his sudden change in personality.
The only other ones there were Caterina, with Tres standing as a shadow behind the duchess of Milan, and the pope. Both were also seated closer to Esther, on the opposite side of the table from Asthe and Ion. Baybars had been told to sit between Abel and Asthe. The baron of Khartoum acted almost as a wall between Abel and Asthe.
The only ones talking were Caterina, Ion, and Esther. From time to time Alessandro would speak when someone addressed him or Asthe when Esther attempted to include her in the conversation. Asthe seemed more interested in casting glances towards Abel instead.
"Abel, you need to eat," Solomon pressed. He spoke in Hindi instead of the imperial language. The words felt almost foreign after so long of not hearing someone speak it. Hindi was one of the languages which had been lost after Armageddon.
Abel suspected he, Solomon, and Seth were the last three people on Earth who remotely understood or could speak Hindi.
Abel felt his eyebrows raise at this. "Really, we're speaking in Hindi now. Isn't this rude to the children?"
A small smile appeared on Solomon's features. It didn't reach his dark eyes. The smile was more off-putting than if he had kept his expression blank. "Eat," Solomon pressed and pointed his fork towards Abel's plate. "Or do I need to force feed you your food as well as blood?"
Abel scowled.
"Um," Esther's voice cut in before Abel could retort to Solomon's treating him like a child, "what language is that? It doesn't sound imperial." The girl looked very confused. She looked at Asthe and Ion. "Is it? I didn't hear it while in the empire."
"It's not," Ion assured her. He blinked. "I've never heard of anything like it."
Abel coughed.
"That would be because the language is now considered dead. There only three people left who speak or understand it," Solomon stated.
"Oh." Esther frowned. "What is it called? It sounds beautiful."
"Hindi." Solomon looked back Abel.
Abel let out a breath and started to eat the food. He resisted the urge to mutter about Solomon being overbearing under his breath. There were few languages Abel knew that Solomon also didn't know. Even if he picked another language now considered dead, Solomon would only reply to it in the same language.
"Is something going on?" Esther asked after a time. "I mean, you're not wearing your robes or glasses, Father Nightroad."
"Please, Princess Blanchett, don't call him 'father' anymore," Caterina stated as she looked up from her food. "Abel has been dismissed from the Ministry of Foreign of Affairs."
"He has?" Esther's eyes widened.
Abel glanced at the others in the room. It appeared Esther was the only one who hadn't gotten this information yet.
"B-but why?" Esther looked between Abel and Caterina.
There was a chill in the air which had nothing to do with the temperature. Abel looked towards the imperial nobles and back at Caterina. Neither group seemed willing to reply to what Esther had asked.
Ion shifted a little. He didn't look towards Abel or Esther and picked at his food while Asthe sat up straight, her eyes locked dead ahead.
Abel stood. "Excuse me, your majesty." He bowed to Esther and left the room. The sound of two people standing followed Abel quick departure.
The two who followed were Solomon, unsurprisingly, and Baybars who had been sticking to Abel since Abel had entered the new quarters the other night.
"They are bound to be uneasy." Solomon fell into step beside Abel. "And you need to eat, old friend."
Abel let out a breath. He didn't reply to Solomon.
The sound of quick footsteps sounded from the dining room they had left.
Abel turned to see Esther had followed them out. She was racing after them, holding up her skirt so as not to trip over the fine dress. Her face flushed and eyes glittering with some unknown excitement.
"Father Nightroad." The blush increased as she stopped before him. "I mean, Mister Nightroad."
"Please, Esther, just call me Abel." Mister? Ugh, that again. He remembered when Caterina had tried to call him "Mister" after she had met him.
The girl's blush darkened further if that was even possible. "Since you've left the Vatican," she started, the blush starting to tack over the rest of her face and creep towards her neck and ears, "I was thinking that maybe, if you wanted, you could stay here in Londinium."
Abel saw Solomon stiffen out of the corner of his eye.
He heard the soft click of armor as Baybars also moved. Neither imperial spoke, but it was all too clear they didn't approve of Esther's question.
The memory of the letter Caterina had been given swam before Abel's eyes. There was no staying here or anywhere that wasn't the empire. Not if there was to be peace.
Abel looked at the young girl before him. A girl who he had thought looked like one of his daughters since the first time he had laid eyes on her without his glasses. And she did.
Sure Elizabeth had turned out to have hair the same shade of auburn as Lilith and Abel's paler, wintery eyes than Esther had. As well as being much taller than this girl, but there had always been a part of him which had seen Esther as a daughter. There always would be that part of him as well.
"Esther," he started. "I can't stay here."
The girl blinked, her eyes widening a little. Hurt glittered in her dark blue eyes. "Why not?" she asked, voice shaky despite what looked to be her best attempts to keep it steady.
Great he had hurt her feelings. "I have to go to the empire," Abel tried to explain.
"But, why? What's so important you have to leave?" The girl took hold of his shirt. The tears glimmered in her eyes. Then her eyes widened. She released his shirt and looked at what he was wearing for the first time.
Abel shifted aware he was still wearing the finery from the other night. He took a deep breath and knelt before the girl. "I'll still go to your coronation," he told her with what he hopped was a reassuring smile.
Esther shook her head.
"Esther?" Abel tried to get her to look at him, but she moved her chin from her his hand and glared at the wall.
"Don't bother," she almost growled the words, back straight. "You don't care." She turned, back now to him.
"I—" Abel started, prepared to explain what was going to the girl.
"I don't want you there!" Esther shouted. She raced back towards the dining room.
"Abel." Solomon placed his hand on Abel's arm.
"Perhaps it's better this way." Abel stood. He turned and started back down the hall towards the apartments.
Solomon followed him. "I doubt you believe that."
"No, I don't, but humans have short lives." The knowledge of his ripped into Abel's heart. "There is no telling how long it will be before I leave the empire again."
"Majesty," it was Baybars who had spoken.
"I am not the emperor, Baron of Khartoum, please don't call me 'majesty.'" Abel looked at Solomon. "Mind if we walk outside, old friend."
Solomon lift his hood and pulled out a pair of goggles. "Not at all. Just don't run off."
"I won't." Not unless Abel really wanted to lose the peace treaty.
Besides, now there was nothing he had to do today. Esther's coronation was today as it was. And now she didn't want him there. It was for the best he kept his distance until the others were ready to depart for the empire.
Yes, he closed his eyes, it was for the best.
x – Elizabeth – x
"Wow!" Lilly danced around, twisting on the sidewalk. "Just look how bright it is here during the day!" She clapped her hands, grinning. "Come on, Bethy, let's take a look around."
"We're here to ask for help," Elizabeth reminded her sister. She glanced around the streets. There were many people heading towards the palace this morning. Something big had to be happening.
Flames.
Elizabeth froze.
Flames sparked around the buildings. Lightning arced through through sky.
"Bethy!"
Her head jerked.
Lilly shook her. "Hey, Earth to Bethy, come in Bethy!"
"Stop it!" Elizabeth took her sister's hands off her shoulders. "We have a mission to complete." She started towards the palace.
Her heart raced. The image of their father in this world kept flickering in her mind. He was so very different compared the man she had, she had – Elizabeth took a deep breath. She shouldn't think about it. Not now. They needed his help. She needed his help.
No, that was selfish of her. After all she didn't deserve this chance. She had sided with him in their reality after all. But, all she had ever wanted was her father's love and trust.
A matter 02 could never give her.
"Come on, Bethy, stop being so moody. Mother and Uncle Cain won't let anything happen to you. So, smile a little." Lilly grinned and punched the air. "Now, let's find the dad of this this reality and enlist his help once more!"
Elizabeth blinked and looked away from Lilly. How could her sister always be so happy all the time? Perhaps that was just life for Lilly, happiness. She had never wanted to know their father. Never.
But he wasn't our father, Elizabeth argued with herself. He was zero two.
That didn't matter, I could have saved him. If only had been faster. She could remember the air rushing passed her as she dove after her father. Not being fast enough to catch him before he struck the ground. The cold, lifeless body as it oozed blood which no longer held the scent of a crusnik to it. It had smelled terran. I if had just been faster.
Foolish, she shot back at herself.
Yes, perhaps I am foolish.
"I see him!"
Elizabeth was jarred from her thoughts by her sister's happy voice.
"Come on, Bethy!"
Pain shot through Elizabeth's arm as her sister yanked her through the crowd. They burst from the throngs out into the open courtyard of the palace. There were a few guards here, but their attention wasn't on Elizabeth or Lilly. Rather they were walking around the courtyard, checking for other dangers. They must have seen the two of them just as young girls and nothing else.
Sure enough Abel was standing in the guardian with two figures Elizabeth had never seen before. Both were covered in protective gear which pointed to them being Methuselah and not Terran. One wore pure red armor with an odd symbol she had never seen before emblazoned on his cape.
The other was dressed in finery of a complex style she had never seen before. There was something about it which also reminded her of how their mother had dressed for a time.
"There you are!" Lilly cheered as she pulled Elizabeth behind her towards the Abel of this new reality.
Abel turned to them. It was then Elizabeth realized he was no longer dressed as a priest but in a fine shirt and pants. The pants reflected that of the other man beside him. His hair was still tied back, and his glasses were now missing as was his cross.
He frowned.
The taller man moved to block them from Abel.
"What's your problem!" Lilly glared at the man.
"It can't be," the other man breathed.
In the same moment, Abel gestured to the tall man. "It's fine, Baybars." To them he asked, "What are you two during here?"
"Elizabeth? Lilly?" the other man stepped towards them. He didn't sound remotely familiar. This must have meant he was someone who existed only in this reality, or that Elizabeth just had never met him before now.
"That's us, but, how the heck do you know our names? He said we died in this reality." Lilly flicked her wrist towards Abel.
The man's face was hidden from their view. It was impossible to tell how those words affected him.
"An interesting phrasing," he stated and seemed to look towards Abel.
"Oh, yeah, we're here because we need your help to save Bethy!" Lilly nodded. "Can you come, please?" Lilly finally released Elizabeth's arm as she clapped her hands together to beg.
"Slow down, what is going to happen to Elizabeth?" Abel asked.
"Well, it's like this. People are grouchy and cranky for being stuck in a dark, dank cave all day and night," – Lilly ducked down and waved her hands as if to illustrate the cave – "so, they want Bethy gone because she's the last one who sided with the you of our reality left. Talk of death and such." Lilly gagged, hands on her throat and fell back onto the grass. "That sort of thing." She leapt back to her feet. "Can you help?"
"What?" The tall man seemed to have gotten lost by her sister's explanation.
"Lilly, we're not here for me." She shot a glare at her younger twin. "Uncle and mother thought that if we could find another place where our people could be safe, it would sooth tempers."
"Oh, and given you mentioned something about the empire and contacting the empress, she thought you might be able to help." Lilly nodded. She took a few items she had stopped to buy on the way here. "Sucker?" She held out three to the men even as she plopped one into her mouth.
Abel took one. "Thank you."
"Perhaps you should explain what is going on, old friend."
"It might be—" Abel cut off.
Elizabeth gasped as her sister pulled both her and their father of this reality behind her. "Come on, no time to loss then!"
The other two raced after them, keeping pace despite the fact Lilly was running faster than any human. It just helped to enforce they were both Methuselah.
Lilly didn't stop until they were at the entrance into the underground. She blinked as if she had just noticed the other two had followed them. "Um, alt-dad," Lilly whispered to Abel in a voice Elizabeth could also hear, "why did those two follow us?"
"I doubt they will harm anyone," Abel stated.
The tall man stepped forward. "Is there a reason you dragged him all the way out here?"
"Yep!" Lilly lead the way into the passage.
Abel stepped up to Elizabeth, frowning.
There was a far more familiar scent which clung to him this time. Blood. It wasn't as sharp as she was used to, but it was there, mixed with the scent of earth and raw air. She knew 02 had loved blood, but it was clear this man, this version of her father, must have only drank some Methuselah blood, not almost bathed in it like the father of her reality had.
Elizabeth shivered. It was unnerving her to see the vast differences between this man and the father she had thought she knew. She stepped into the passage, wanting to get away from him. In the same moment she wanted to know about him. The real him. Not the man who had fallen to 02's control as he had in their reality. This was what her father would have been like without 02's control, right? And yet there was so much he had lived through which hadn't happened in their reality.
There was just no telling how many more differences there were between her father and this "alt-dad" as her sister had called him. Their mother was dead in this reality. They were dead in this reality.
She wanted to know more. Yet, she wanted to run the other way from this man. He was so foreign to her.
The soft sound of the other three following came to Elizabeth. She couldn't hear Abel, but she knew he had to be following. The tall man's armor clicked with each step he took while the other man walked almost as quiet as her father – alt-father, did.
Unease prickled through Elizabeth as she emerged into the cave. The people were tense, even as Cain and her mother moved to greet them. "What did he say?" Lilith asked Elizabeth.
Cold wrapped around Elizabeth as a ripple passed through the gathered people. She knew Abel and the other two had emerged.
"She brought him back," one of the terran whispered.
A loud clang sounded as the tall man thrust himself before Abel, drawing an odd, wicked pronged blade. But it wasn't the gun the tall man was reacting to. His sword tip came to rest, pointing straight at Cain.
"Traitor," he growled.
The other man had lifted his hand. A glow came from a strange wring on his finger. It expanded out, wrapping his other fingers. The red glow grew brighter.
"Solomon! Baybars!" Abel leapt forward. He only touched the other man's arm while he forced down Baybars's blade. "They come from another domination, a mirrored reality. This is not our Cain."
"Baybars?" Her mother stepped forward, eyes locked on the tall man.
The tall man lowered his blade and removed the protective gear covering his face.
Elizabeth stiffened. It was like staring at a ghost. Baybars had been killed alongside her aunt during the final battle for their Earth. Yet, he was, protecting Abel.
"But you died?" Lilly breathed, eyes wide.
Baybars frowned.
"Perhaps now it would be wise to get an explanation." The other man lowered his hood and the other protective gear covering his face. There was nothing familiar about him at all. Elizabeth had never seen him before in her life.
"Who are you?" Lilly demanded, glaring at the man.
"Odd," the man replied.
Abel frowned, his wintery gaze moving from the man to the rest of them.
"I am Solomon, the Duke of Tigris." Solomon gave them a slight bow. His gaze flickered to their mother and then to them. "I am amusing by the fact you are a priest," – he turned to Cain – "and the reaction to Abel was a poor one, your and Abel's positions are switched where you come from."
"That is the conclusion Abel and I came to when last he was here," Cain stated.
Lilith moved closer to their uncle.
Solomon's gaze came to rest on her, his eyes narrowed a little. "I see, so that is how the three of you are still around then." His gaze moved between Lilith and Cain. "Neither of you recognize me?" the was eerie calm, his face expressionless.
"No," Lilith confessed. "Also, Tigris is still within the desolate land. How is it you became duke of it?"
"Her majesty with the aid of my ancestor, Thema, and Founder Solomon here built a device which cleansed the desolate land," Baybars explained.
Lilith frowned. "Yes, Thema was working on such a device, but it ended up back firing and spread a little of the radiation instead of cleansing it. We had to abandon the project."
Solomon blinked. "And what of the proactive shielding around the empire?"
"What shielding?" Lilly piped up. "I know Aunt Seth tried to build something, but ended up not working out."
Solomon frowned.
Abel's eyebrows rose. "Strange. I know you were the one to make the break through on the particle shield, but still I had assumed if you hadn't helped Seth would have eventually figured it out."
"Hmm," Solomon sounded rather thoughtful. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to see how you came to be in our reality."
Cain exchanged a glance with Lilith. "Very well." He turned. "This way."
x – Cain – x
The two were imperial nobles. Cain was distinctly aware of this as he led Solomon, Baybars, and Abel through the cave towards where the mirror was. Cain could just hear Solomon following beside Abel. Neither noble seemed willing to let Abel out of their sight. Then there was the fact Abel was now dressed in finery, though only a shirt and pants with nice boots, rather than the priest robes.
They arrived in the room with the darkened mirror.
Solomon moved up to it. "You destroyed the mirror in your reality?" he asked, voice even and calm.
"Yes. It was the only way to ensure the safety of our people," Cain informed the man.
Solomon knelt down, not seeming bothered he was getting dirty despite the finery he wore. He ran his gloved hand over the power source. "Abel."
Abel moved to join him.
"There is no mistaking this as UN technology." Solomon brushed the grim aside.
"Do you have a theory to why they would build such a device. If research into time travel was outlawed," Abel trailed off.
"This should have been as well," Solomon agreed. He stood and moved to a console built into the power source. "Let's see if we can learn who commissioned this."
"Assuming this is the reality it originated in and theirs wasn't the one it had."
"True." Solomon started to type away at the console.
Cain moved up to see what the man was doing. It appeared he was hacking into the system. He then placed his hand on the scanner which appeared.
"Access granted," appeared on the screen.
"How do you have access?" Cain asked.
"I was a member of the Red Mars Project," Solomon stated in response.
This made no sense. "But you're not a crusnik, are you?" Lilith asked.
A small, almost dull laugh escaped the man. "No, I am a methuselah."
"Then how are you alive?" Lilith's eyes narrowed and Cain shivered as the suspicion in her voice and eyes.
"A story for another time. Abel," he called to Abel, "what do you make of this?"
Abel moved to the man's side and frowned. "Isn't that your father's credentials among the representatives?"
"It is," Solomon confirmed. "It would appear the technology originated in our reality."
Cain frowned. "How can you tell?"
"It's connected the UN network, for one," Solomon pointed out. "Also, according to this, it was built do research on a realty which was close to our own." Solomon read through at the information at the same speed as Abel was.
It was impossible for Cain to see it given they were standing before the console as well as the fact he knew he couldn't read as fast his brother even when they had been children. A bitterness filled Cain's mouth. He couldn't explain it, but he wasn't certain he liked Solomon or how close he seemed to be to this Abel. Yet, how close was that? They seemed to be friends. It couldn't be they were more than that or that Abel viewed Solomon as a brother, right?
"What did it gather on our reality?" Lilith stepped up so she could see the screen as well.
"Not much. The system barely got into the UN network your side before Armageddon hit. There is information on members of the UN and their families as well as the four enhanced humans, or you four," Solomon informed them. "Other than this, there is nothing."
"So, what makes our realities different other which twin went insane when fused with the crusnik?" Lilly asked.
Solomon didn't reply. The information had stopped moving on the screen.
"This is." Abel frowned. "It says you never joined the military, Solomon."
Cain moved so he could better see the screen. It was paused on a news article. He remembered this article well. It had been something he had run across while just looking for interesting news. The article had caught his eye because the victim was the same age as his sister. He had been eighteen when the event happened, appear physically as twelve at the time.
The article had covered the murder of a representative's son on a trip to Rome. At the time, Cain had wondered if such a thing could have happened to Seth. He hadn't paid any attention to the boy's name.
His eye moved from the image of the boy in the article to the man standing beside this reality's Abel. Then back. The boy's name was Solomon and so was this man's name.
"Murder?" Abel frowned. "It says the murderer was never caught."
"Unsurprising," Solomon stated.
"So, one of the founding members of the empire, ended up being killed as a child in your reality." Baybars's eyes narrowed. "I can't imagine the empire without one of the founders."
"You don't sound shocked you died in our reality." Lilith stepped back, her eyes locked on Solomon.
"Should I be?" Solomon asked. He turned to them. "It's one of the differences between our realities. Though," – his gaze moved to the machine – "given when this was built, it does explain a few matters."
"Such as?"
"It doesn't matter."
Cain shivered. The emotionless tone was chilling.
"For now, we should focus on helping you where we can," Solomon stated. "Lilly stated something about getting in contact with the empress. Over what matter?"
"We need a better place to stay," Lilith started as she led them back into the main cavern. "And food. Abel mentioned the empire would be far more willing to aid us than terran nations."
"Terran?" Solomon asked.
"Yes, as in those who stayed on earth," Lilith explained.
"I am well aware of the meaning. I was only a little shocked to hear you refer to them as such, Lady Sahl." Solomon settled himself down when they reached a place to talk. "I am certain her majesty wouldn't mind aiding you." He looked at Abel. "What are your thoughts on this matter, old friend?"
"I have no say in it," he pointed out.
Baybars gave a sharp grunt. "Her majesty would listen to your opinion as would the empire, majesty."
"Abel," Abel corrected Baybars.
Baybars's eyes narrowed.
"Majesty?" Cain asked in the same moment Lilith and Lilly did as well.
"Never mind," Abel brushed aside the matter. "But if you were to render aid to them, wouldn't you have to contact Augusta?"
"Not at all. I have the authority to take them to the empire. If need be, we would build a place close to Tigris for them. However," – Solomon's eyes rested on Lilith, Cain, Lilly, and Elizabeth – "I know Seth would be interested in meeting all four of you, especially given you're from another reality."
Cain felt his eye narrow. "I'm well aware zero one control of the me in this reality and Lilith and my nieces are dead, but why would Seth want to meet with me? I was called a traitor by Baybars when you arrived here."
"Because you are her brother from a reality where you didn't instigate a war with Vatican and Albion which saw to our emperor selling his freedom for peace." Solomon's gaze bored into Cain.
He was rather happy the Solomon of their reality had died. This man was very unnerving.
Solomon stood. "If you would rather not have the empire's aid, I understand."
"No!" Lilly shouted. "We need it."
"We do," Lilith confirmed. "Very well, Duke of Tigris, what is your offer?"
"We will need to leave tonight. I will finilize a few matters today with Cardinal Sforza and the princess, but the sooner we leave the easier it will be on all of you." His gaze moved to Abel.
Abel scowled. "I'm not going to try to slip away the longer you delay, Solomon."
"Good." Solomon returned his gaze to them. "We will return during the terran night and you can all enter our airship." He bowed his head to them. "Until then, I urge all of you to keep low and gather what you have for we will only have about thirty minutes before Albion grows suspicious to what we're doing after landing."
"Very well." Lilith bowed her head in agreed.
Cain did the same. "We'll be ready."
(Author's Note: Hey, when did Elizabeth suddenly turn into a character from my own book who fights with himself in his head all the time? Bethy, seriously, why did you do that to me? Oh well.
Also, I don't know why, but I suddenly pictured 02 just bathing in blood…
Another matter, Asthe wouldn't exist in their reality given she is related to Solomon. I think the Caterina of their reality, is a different one as well because Aran and Azul would never have been saved and raised by Abel.
And, wow, I never realized just how many projects Solomon helped on before now…)
