Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from the X-Men
characters. Thank you to Corrinth for the use of her character Dr. Ilehana
Xavier. I do own Blaze, and appreciate authors not using her without
asking.
A/N: Reviews always welcome! Also, my boyfriend was playing Ritchie Sambora very loudly when I was working on certain scenes in this chapter, hence the Bon Jovi references later on, so thanks both to my boyfriend for being an all-round superstar, and also to Bon Jovi for being fantastic!
Scene 23
Garthen Docking seated himself comfortably amidst the four mutant women and smiled his compelling smile at each of them. Slowly, in a singsong voice that was almost hypnotic he began to tell Storm, Blaze, Gaia and Tsunami the story they had been waiting for.
"Once, before there was writing to record these stories, there was a time when man and woman alike did marvellous things, thing that until not so long ago were deemed impossible by modern society. These men and women of early humankind were the heroes, the villains and the Gods of the ordinary folks struggling to survive in a vicious early world. Many of these legends have of course been lost to us, or else changed out of all recognition by time and re-telling. One though has been protected by a secret society, the Amentha, deemed so important and so powerful that members of the Amentha have died to protect their secret, their legend.
"When the cultures of the world were in their earliest stages, the ancient hunter-gatherers first building farming settlements and electing their own warrior-leaders, four girl-children were born to four different peoples. As they grew, the girls gained beauty and intelligence, charm and wit. At an age where each culture allotted adulthood, the four began to show very different traits. They became powerful above and beyond their clan-kindred. The ordinary folk did not know how to react; they despised and worshipped the young women, persecuted and adored them. But, deep inside the women knew they were worthy of more than what their tribes, their families could offer them.
"There came a day when a traveller called on each of the girls, and persuaded each of them in turn to walk with him a while. He told them that they were goddesses, their powers over the elements divine-given to protect and encourage the whole of mankind. The traveller brought them together, and the four became one, knowing each other's thoughts and feeling the emotions of the army the traveller put at their command. In a wave of fire, water, air and earth the four did great deeds and their four civilisations founded great cultures each, one for each element, one for each continent.
"Alas the time came where the four were called back from their seat of power, back to their own homes to rule over those who once had persecuted them. The joining of the elements crumbled and by deceit the four were slain. But it was proclaimed by an ancient wise man that when the time was ready, the wind would change and the cycle would repeat once more. When heroes and Gods were born again in man's flesh, the four dark elements would stride out once more to join the world together."
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With his head throbbing, Gambit popped the two painkillers the doctor had prescribed into his mouth and took a gulp of water. The glass beaker he dumped unrinsed on the work surface in the kitchen. How did Blaze put up with these losers? He'd never admit he felt guilty over Iceman's sudden disappearance, but he didn't need to with the way everyone was reminding him of it everywhere he went in the mansion. Vixen had nearly clawed his eyes out, Xavier had professed to be very disappointed and the only friend he thought he was on the way to making, Rogue, was locked up in her room bawling her eyes out. Still, if Blaze had out up with Gambit for so long she must have the patience of a saint. And if it wasn't for Blaze, he wouldn't be here at all. He didn't want to miss out if the X-men hit on something after he'd left.
In the meantime, everything he'd looked at in Blaze's notes seemed to lead back to this mysterious language. Blaze had called it 'ancient graffiti,' and she'd found different passages on the mummy in France, the tomb in Egypt, and a stone Celtic marker in Ireland. Not as old as the original pieces, but still very old. And, Gambit had to admit, the Professor might have hit on something when he called Remy to his office earlier. Gambit looked down at the heavy book in his hand and wondered what kind of man would have junk like this just sitting around the place. It was titled 'A discussion of languages, writing and words throughout the ancient world; messages in a mysterious time.' Placing it on the kitchen table Gambit shook his head in wonder, eyes narrowing. The author must be one heck of an idiote, coming up with a title like that. From his pocket Gambit pulled out a mobile phone he'd 'borrowed' from Scott Summers earlier and punched in a number.
Outside the kitchen door, Wolverine stood listening intently. The Cajun was up to something and Logan didn't think the Professor would approve. It could even be fun... The Cajun's voice, though lowered for normal ears was loud and clear to Logan's accentuated hearing.
"Salut, Gina. Ce'st Remy." Gambit paused as he listened to the reply. Wolverine wished his hearing was a little better; he couldn't make out who was on the other end of the line.
"Oui, bien. Is Tommy there?" Again a pause, longer this time as Gina trotted off to do Gambit's bidding, what was it with women and this guy? Logan had no time to contemplate this as Gambit spoke again, in English this time.
"Tommy, it Remy. Remember that favour you owe me?" For a second Logan wondered if Tommy remembered or not. "What can you get an ol' friend on a Professor Edward Smythe-Cadding?" Intrigued, Logan risked a brief glance round the door, and saw Gambit stood beside the kitchen table, a finger resting on the face of a big book, just where the author's name would be.
"No I'se not tellin' you why you ole'..." Was that a hint of laughter in Gambit's voice? "Sure, send it all to..."
"Hey Logan you seen my phone anywhere?" Cyclops shouted down the corridor, approaching fast. "I was gonna try Bobby's mobile again... What's up?"
The kitchen door flew opened and a sly-looking Gambit exited, tossing the handset to Cyclops.
"You left it in there, ami. You should take better care of your things, no? And Wolverine?" Gambit grinned at the shorter man, "Don't spy on Gambit, he don't like it much."
A/N: Reviews always welcome! Also, my boyfriend was playing Ritchie Sambora very loudly when I was working on certain scenes in this chapter, hence the Bon Jovi references later on, so thanks both to my boyfriend for being an all-round superstar, and also to Bon Jovi for being fantastic!
Scene 23
Garthen Docking seated himself comfortably amidst the four mutant women and smiled his compelling smile at each of them. Slowly, in a singsong voice that was almost hypnotic he began to tell Storm, Blaze, Gaia and Tsunami the story they had been waiting for.
"Once, before there was writing to record these stories, there was a time when man and woman alike did marvellous things, thing that until not so long ago were deemed impossible by modern society. These men and women of early humankind were the heroes, the villains and the Gods of the ordinary folks struggling to survive in a vicious early world. Many of these legends have of course been lost to us, or else changed out of all recognition by time and re-telling. One though has been protected by a secret society, the Amentha, deemed so important and so powerful that members of the Amentha have died to protect their secret, their legend.
"When the cultures of the world were in their earliest stages, the ancient hunter-gatherers first building farming settlements and electing their own warrior-leaders, four girl-children were born to four different peoples. As they grew, the girls gained beauty and intelligence, charm and wit. At an age where each culture allotted adulthood, the four began to show very different traits. They became powerful above and beyond their clan-kindred. The ordinary folk did not know how to react; they despised and worshipped the young women, persecuted and adored them. But, deep inside the women knew they were worthy of more than what their tribes, their families could offer them.
"There came a day when a traveller called on each of the girls, and persuaded each of them in turn to walk with him a while. He told them that they were goddesses, their powers over the elements divine-given to protect and encourage the whole of mankind. The traveller brought them together, and the four became one, knowing each other's thoughts and feeling the emotions of the army the traveller put at their command. In a wave of fire, water, air and earth the four did great deeds and their four civilisations founded great cultures each, one for each element, one for each continent.
"Alas the time came where the four were called back from their seat of power, back to their own homes to rule over those who once had persecuted them. The joining of the elements crumbled and by deceit the four were slain. But it was proclaimed by an ancient wise man that when the time was ready, the wind would change and the cycle would repeat once more. When heroes and Gods were born again in man's flesh, the four dark elements would stride out once more to join the world together."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
With his head throbbing, Gambit popped the two painkillers the doctor had prescribed into his mouth and took a gulp of water. The glass beaker he dumped unrinsed on the work surface in the kitchen. How did Blaze put up with these losers? He'd never admit he felt guilty over Iceman's sudden disappearance, but he didn't need to with the way everyone was reminding him of it everywhere he went in the mansion. Vixen had nearly clawed his eyes out, Xavier had professed to be very disappointed and the only friend he thought he was on the way to making, Rogue, was locked up in her room bawling her eyes out. Still, if Blaze had out up with Gambit for so long she must have the patience of a saint. And if it wasn't for Blaze, he wouldn't be here at all. He didn't want to miss out if the X-men hit on something after he'd left.
In the meantime, everything he'd looked at in Blaze's notes seemed to lead back to this mysterious language. Blaze had called it 'ancient graffiti,' and she'd found different passages on the mummy in France, the tomb in Egypt, and a stone Celtic marker in Ireland. Not as old as the original pieces, but still very old. And, Gambit had to admit, the Professor might have hit on something when he called Remy to his office earlier. Gambit looked down at the heavy book in his hand and wondered what kind of man would have junk like this just sitting around the place. It was titled 'A discussion of languages, writing and words throughout the ancient world; messages in a mysterious time.' Placing it on the kitchen table Gambit shook his head in wonder, eyes narrowing. The author must be one heck of an idiote, coming up with a title like that. From his pocket Gambit pulled out a mobile phone he'd 'borrowed' from Scott Summers earlier and punched in a number.
Outside the kitchen door, Wolverine stood listening intently. The Cajun was up to something and Logan didn't think the Professor would approve. It could even be fun... The Cajun's voice, though lowered for normal ears was loud and clear to Logan's accentuated hearing.
"Salut, Gina. Ce'st Remy." Gambit paused as he listened to the reply. Wolverine wished his hearing was a little better; he couldn't make out who was on the other end of the line.
"Oui, bien. Is Tommy there?" Again a pause, longer this time as Gina trotted off to do Gambit's bidding, what was it with women and this guy? Logan had no time to contemplate this as Gambit spoke again, in English this time.
"Tommy, it Remy. Remember that favour you owe me?" For a second Logan wondered if Tommy remembered or not. "What can you get an ol' friend on a Professor Edward Smythe-Cadding?" Intrigued, Logan risked a brief glance round the door, and saw Gambit stood beside the kitchen table, a finger resting on the face of a big book, just where the author's name would be.
"No I'se not tellin' you why you ole'..." Was that a hint of laughter in Gambit's voice? "Sure, send it all to..."
"Hey Logan you seen my phone anywhere?" Cyclops shouted down the corridor, approaching fast. "I was gonna try Bobby's mobile again... What's up?"
The kitchen door flew opened and a sly-looking Gambit exited, tossing the handset to Cyclops.
"You left it in there, ami. You should take better care of your things, no? And Wolverine?" Gambit grinned at the shorter man, "Don't spy on Gambit, he don't like it much."