Chapter Twenty Five
Since he had gone so long by different names, the name Spihrit sounded foreign to him. However, out of all the name he had took up over the millennia, it was the name Sam that felt more real than any of the others. So Sam had told the Brotherhood of when he and his brothers arrived to the Old Country to when he left without a trace.
"The first name I took after I placed my seal was Stígandr. I was the adoptive son of the Jarl of Lade, Sigurd Håkonsson, and brother to Håkon Sigurdsson. After that life, I began taking different names in different countries without the memory of the life before. That was the way how I designed the seal. To live on without the memory of the past life. It was the only way how I could keep myself from knowing the loss of my brothers."
Silence lingered in the study.
Sam turned his gaze back over at the portraits. That same damn feeling he felt a thousand years ago crept through him like a steady stream. It had laid dormant in him for so long and it was taking its time to punish him for what he had done. He had once called himself a chieftain. Sam had protected his people with the help of his brothers for two thousand years. It was after those two millennia he no lingered called himself chief. The memory of what remained of his home was burned into his soul. As for his brothers, it had been his duty to carry that burden so they could be free of it. Now he didn't know who he was anymore.
Just remembering himself as Stígandr helped widen the stream inside him. His first life with no memories had been the best life he could ever have. Growing up knowing he was not the son of Sigurd, Sam and Håkon treated one another like blood brothers. Håkon was always by his side during battle. The two would either fight or drink together. The only time they acted like jealous brothers was when one of them had sex with one of the girls the other liked. Other than that, it was a good life and a life Sam would never regret.
Zamir and Yuri came to mind as well. Sam had met Zamir when he went by the name Silas. Having deserted the Crusades after witnessing the dark side of it, Sam had traveled to Jerusalem. Many did not welcome him when they found out he was a deserter. Some even wanted to kill him. It was thanks to Zamir the people of the holy city gave him a chance to prove himself. Sam fought against the Crusaders night and day to protect the city. Soon many saw him as one of their own. Then there was Zamir who always took walks with him on the wall or through the streets. It wasn't long until Zamir convinced his father to let Sam come to live in their household. At the time, Sam never knew what it was like to have a son. Thinking of Zamir gave him a pretty good idea.
Yuri had been the closest friend Sam could ever ask for. His life in Russia had been a short one since it was during the Second World War. Going by the name of Shurik, Sam lived a tough life for fourteen years. If it hadn't been for Yuri, he didn't know where he would've ended. His friend had been the calm one while Sam was always ready for a fight. It had been his idea to join the army. The only thing keeping him from joining was his age. Yuri was still weighing his options even though he was the same age as Sam. So as the two helped the citizens of Moscow dig trenches and tossed bombs off the roofs at night, the two would make jokes and talk about their future after the war. Yuri wanted to be a doctor while Sam thought about traveling to Berlin to help rebuild the city. The two countries might've been at war, but Sam knew that people would need help after the war was over. Yuri promised that he would come with his friend to Germany once he became a doctor to help those in need.
There hadn't been anyone else like Håkon, Zamir or Yuri in Sam's other lives. They had been someone special to him. A brother. A son. A best friend. No one could compare to the three that just thinking about them helped further the pain Sam was feeling right now. He hadn't just turned his back on his brothers. He had forgotten about the important people who once made his life whole.
Sam shut his eyes as he rubbed his hand against his head. There was a sharp whispering going on inside his head. Sounding like a woman's voice, the whispering slithered through is mind until Sam heard a sentence. He managed to place the voice that he couldn't believe he was hearing it. Sam would worry about why he was hearing her voice later. Right now all he could do was take one look at Althea, Sohl's shellan, before looking across the study to where Ahnger stood with Sayge. Standing behind the male and female with dark gold eyes were twin boys who stared Sam. He couldn't but help notice their white hair like their mahmen. Taking one more look at the portrait of Sohl's family, Sam sent a silent thank you to the woman who told him there was more in front of him than he realized.
"It seems white hair is the dominant trait in the family," he said out loud.
His comment caught everyone's attention. Those who blinked in confusion was Sayge along with her boys. One even touched his hair like something was in it. Sam then turned his gaze over to where Adam stood. Next to him was Edynn along a little boy peering over from behind her and a girl who stood almost as tall as her father. Both the boy and the girl had the same eye color as Adam. Sam noticed Edynn's round belly as a sign she would have another young soon.
"I am glad I was able to find out Shadoh's line had continued. Turns out my brother's teachings turned into legends. At least the legends made it longer than ours during our service to the Brotherhood. I am also thankful the legend of Sohl's bloodline made it as well."
"What does he mean?" whispered one of the boys. His whisper wasn't as silent as he thought because Sam gave a tired smile and raised his hand. Fire appeared out of nowhere and lazily floated around his arm. Everyone either gasped or flinched from the sight of it. They were used to Adam's ability since it was wind. As for fire, they had only seen the destruction it brought upon those who defied it.
Because Sam wanted to show them something, the fire turned into a bluish color as if it were a tamed beast and began taking a form. Its wispy ends straightened and curled around like it was trying to draw something until what appeared to be a seal floated above his hand. Sam closed his fist and the burning seal was extinguished.
"Gold is the color for earth. Sohl was able to control the earth before he was turned into a vampire. It's comforting to know his line has made it to this day."
They probably didn't mean to do it but both Adam and Sayge eyed one another. It was Sayge who broke the gaze to look back at the portrait of Sohl. One might've thought it as a coincidence that the female and her daughters had white hair. It was the woman's voice who told Sam the truth.
He once again thanked Atsuri for her help. It had been too long since he had heard other siblings in his head. Only gods and goddesses by blood could do such a thing. The last time Sam had heard any of his siblings was when he was five and lived his first life.
"You're saying we're related?" asked Sayge as she flicked a finger between the three of them.
"It kind of makes sense," spoke Phury. "Both of your children have the ability to create seals. We never could figure out the connection. This pretty much explains it."
The little boy behind Edynn held up his hands and clenched his hands into fists the same time light sky blue seals sizzled over his skin. His red eyes traveled over to Sam who had just created a seal out of fire and turned his gaze over to the twins who did the same thing only to have gold seals appear.
"What about the Omega?" Everyone looked over at Rebekah. The female had been quiet for a time so this was her first time talking. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared at Sam with her icy blue eyes. "You said you told the Omega to leave you alone and he didn't. Then here's Lassiter asking if you killed him. And I'm going to take a wild guess that it was the Omega you were calling boy before lighting the lessers on fire. Is he dead or do we need to worry about him?"
Sam leaned back against a chair behind him and racked his hand through his hair. "No," he stated. "The Omega is still alive. If I was a full god, I could've killed him twenty seven years ago. Hell, I could've killed him the day my brothers and I came to the Old Country. All I could do was tell him to stay the hell out of my way when I came back. One would think common sense would have that boy listening."
"There you go again calling him boy," commented Wrath.
"That's because he is. He and the Scribe Virgin are only children in our world. I'm at least forty million years older than them. Besides, I already had my way with him. That big fire show I displayed was his punishment. He had disrupted my seal but in a way helped fix it so it could continue so the balance we gods keep wasn't really broken. But because he interfered again after I told him not to, the balance is once again disrupted. My punishment was not enough to fix things."
Sam could sense the unease when he mentioned the Omega and how things weren't set with the world. Now he was glad he remembered what he heard before he went on a blind rampage. He just didn't like who he heard it from. Sam never saw the woman but her voice had scared the shit out of him.
"Don't worry. One of the old gods are taking care of him."
"Old gods? What is that?" asked one of the twin boys.
"You know. Gods like God, Gaia, Búri, Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Izanagi, Izanami-no-Mikoto, Mbombo, Atum, and Coatlicue. The list goes on." Sam paused and made a distasteful sound like he was swallowing vinegar. "Even Migragoria."
The last name seemed to catch their attention since it was the name they were most familiar with when it came to other gods.
"Is Migragoria the old god you're talking about?" asked Rebekah.
Sam really didn't like admitting it but couldn't lie now. "Yes." He shook his head like he couldn't believe he was talking about this. "She thinks fixing this damn situation will get her back in her daughter's good graces. As if she would give a rat's ass about me. Gods have a tendency to hold grudges."
No one could miss the venom in Sam's voice. Because they now knew Sam was really Spihrit, it was thanks to the legends to know that Migragoria was his grandmother. Yeshta, Sam's mother, had gone against her mother to protect her sons after Migragoria killed Sam's father, Ixa. One of the titles Migragoria carried was the bearer of vengeance and she took her vengeance on the human. It was Yeshta who gave given her sons the gift of rebirth to save them. In the legend, Migragoria had ordered her daughter to return with her to the plain of the gods after leaving her sons in the care of an elder.
Some didn't seemed as surprised to hear about the goddess. They had their own and knew she was real. There was the Omega who was considered a god. Now there was a half god older than the two standing in the study surrounded by vampires saying his grandmother was taking care of things to set the balance in order. A few nervous glances shifted around the room. From what they had heard about Migragoria, no one wanted to meet her.
Besides, there was something else on their mind. It was only Rebekah who had the heart to ask. "What preparations was the Scribe Virgin talking about?" she asked.
This time Sam eyed Lassiter who fidgeted under his look. "Don't look at me," the angel muttered. "Again, I only heard of the legends. I didn't know you were real until I was told to stay out of it. I might get some of the facts wrong so you tell it."
Sam smiled at the angel's honesty.
"After living a thousand years with no memory, I have finally chosen this one," he admitted. "It is time for me to give up my gift of rebirth. The only problem is that I will only have one human life. I'm not ready to die that fast." When he spoke, Sam was looking at Rebekah. "The preparations the Scribe Virgin is talking about are the same ones she made to make Sohl into a vampire."
"This is truly a sight."
Laying on the floor in the dark world of his, the Omega tilted his head up to see shadows take the form of a woman. Her long black hair trailed behind her even though it was many braids. Wearing black thin fabric to cover her breasts and waist, the woman's tattoos were exposed for all to see. Her entire body was covered in the complex design which nearly covered her all of her skin.
Dark gold and dark red eyes with dark silver rings around the pupils shined down at the Omega in a mocking fashion.
"What do you want, Migragoria?" wheezed the Omega.
The goddess chuckled to herself as she circled the Omega. Amusement shined bright in her gaze which was a rarity considering how old she was. Nothing amused the goddess anymore. This was truly a treat.
"You, boy."
At first, the Omega didn't understand what she meant. Then it became clear when Migragoria waved her hand and dark chains ensnared the god. They tightened around him, harming his burnt body that caused the Omega to howl in pain. Migragoria took pleasure in his cry that she tightened the chains until it looked like they would snap the god.
"You were warned more than once, boy. Did you really think you could get around our law?"
"He is only half a god! He has no right as us!"
Migragoria smirked as she tightened the chains around the Omega's body. "It is not your call to make. We older gods made the rules and we enforce them when children think it's fun to break them. I warned you once about Spihrit and I overlooked your little fit when he was yours for a time. But he himself told you not to interfere again in his business. And what did you do? You acted like the child you are and broke our law."
"Then why are you here?" hissed the Omega. "It is not your right to pass judgment."
"True. But then again, your Father gave me the right when you tried to have my grandson killed. You know what that means? I'll give you a hint. What happens when a god treads on another gods' territory?"
The Omega was quiet.
"The god kills the other one. And since I'm an older god, all I have to do is blink and you're gone." The chains paused their constriction over the Omega. "The only problem is that you disrupted the order of things. Someone has to pay for those missing five years. So I decided that you should pay the price."
Now the Omega was stupid enough to laugh.
"Are you serious?" he chuckled. "This is your punishment? Having me serve five years for cutting Spihrit's jourey short? You old gods really have gone soft."
As if his words were funny, Migragoria laughed her heart out. The sound she made wasn't human.
"Foolish boy." She waved a hand and a dark hole appeared under the Omega. "Did you forget who I am? I am an old god. A god who created younger gods. I have the ability to create worlds just like the rest. And I have created this world especially for you."
The chains began to pull the Omega into the hole. He thrashed around when he felt the coldness engulf him. The Omega then cried out when coldness merged with the searing pain from his burns and the extra chains that began latching themselves into his body. As he pathetically cried out, Migragoria placed her hand under her chin and tilted her head with a smile.
"Five years will pass in the human world. As for the world you will be in, I do hope you can keep yourself entertained for five million years. I tried to get you in for a billion but ran out of time. Forgive my procrastination."
"Five million!"
"It is a world I created," Migragoria said with no more sarcasm. "If it were up to me, I would have you in that world forever. But the balance only asks for five so that is what I am to give you. However, there is nothing saying on where you should serve it. So like I said, I made this world just for you. Now get out of my sight."
The chains jerked the Omega into the hole and it closed before his screams could be heard.
Migragoria found herself sighing like a human.
Well, she didn't mind the act. For a goddess, she did feel tired.
The deed was done. Now all she could hope for was for Yeshta's forgiveness.