A.N.: No, I haven't given up on this story!

Also, this chapter begins right where Chapter 3 has ended.


Would you do it with me

Heal the scars and change the stars

Would you do it for me

Turn loose the heaven within

-Nightwish, Ever Dream


...

- Forests around Tartessos, November 14, 1889 -

The playful tones of birdsong, accented by the constant buzzing of insects, the soft whispering of trees and the distant murmur of the river had an almost hypnotic effect on Electra. It took only a few minutes to let this harmony calm and guide her; to stop looking back.

She and the Old Man had chosen a very leisurely pace and there was a reason for that. The rainy season may have just ended, but the forest floor was still soaked like a sponge, and the further they got, the harder it became to avoid the ubiquitous mud.

"A little further and we should reach the elevated paths." The Old Man comforted her after they were forced to cross one of the many muddy ditches along the trunk of a fallen tree.

There was one advantage to their slow progress though. The captain was the most physically fit of the three of them and would certainly have no trouble catching up.

Unless something unexpected happened, Electra thought.

By then, however, a raised, planked walkway was indeed looming ahead of them. They climbed up a few steps, and at the last one they stopped and looked back. Probably even the Old Man had gotten the impression that their separation was taking too long.

Electra listened to the sounds of the forest and looked around. The majestic trees towered several dozen meters high, sturdy and bulky, anchored firmly in the soil by massive, extensive roots. Beneath their crowns, the lower undergrowth clawed towards the light, further shading the space below and leaving it in darkness. Despite these difficult lighting conditions, however, Electra was almost certain she had managed to spot a motion.

"Is it just me or are we being followed?" she spoke softly to the Old Man.

"Well, we've been for some time now." He confirmed her fears, observing the surroundings.

And indeed, the flicker behind a nearby tree trunk was too fast, too suspicious.

"Is there something we should do? Shall we say something?" She asked.

"It's becoming quite obvious, isn't it?" The Old Man replied, unperturbed. "Take it easy, though. Let's try to give it a little more time. They'll show themselves soon enough."

He used to visit the local area quite often in his youth, that was the only small comfort Electra had now. Hopefully he knew what he was talking about.

After another half minute, however, she was quite sure she had seen a pair of eyes disappear behind the tree to her right. The Old man looked at her with curious eyes, but said nothing. He just gave a barely perceptible nod of his head in the direction of the forest. Electra nodded in response, quietly descended the stairs and stepped towards the tree. Lightly touching the trunk, she made her way to the opposite side from where she had last seen the unknown observer. Carefully, she skirted the tree, fully immersing herself in the shadows of the forest, but saw no one, not even after looking around or checking the area above her. Nothing suspicious, no sound.

She shrugged and continued along the tree trunk back to the trail. But when she emerged into the light again and looked up towards the Old Man, the words she had prepared stuck on her tongue.

The Old Man was still in his original place on the steps, but he was no longer alone. Standing next to him was a young, slender girl from the Forest Nation.

Her large, bright blue eyes contrasted strikingly with her dark skin, even more so than was usual for Atlanteans (quite possibly she had some of them among her ancestors). She wore just two strips of dyed linen across her hips and chest. Her dark hair was braided into fine braids and tied with a scarf at the top of her head; one narrow braid with strings of beads was adorning her forehead. Wide metal bracelets protected her forearms, and a dagger belt was tied around her waist.

"And you must be Starshine." The girl spoke in Atlantean. "Am I right?"

"Who's asking?" Electra answered cautiously in the same language, lowering her hand along her hip to touch the hilt of her knife.

"Now, you look like a lot of fun." The girl remarked, a confident smile on her lips as she also placed her palm on the dagger at her waist. Despite her gesture, she didn't appear hostile, but her gaze was intense and the tension in the air was hard to miss.

The Old Man, however, still appeared quite calm and composed. In the end, the girl next to him just laughed merrily and waved her hand. "I am Zahri," she spoke in a mild voice. "Zahri, the future ruler of the Forest Nation." She then proclaimed proudly, while looking up into the treetops, as if her statement was meant for someone else, too.

"Even though I have yet to earn it." She added then a little louder than necessary, still keeping an eye on the space above her.

Electra also looked up briefly before she smiled a well. "In that case, it's an honor to meet you, Zahri." She said, stepping towards the stairs. She then walked up to the girl so she could greet her properly. "My name is Electra." She introduced herself and waited for Zahri to place her hand behind her neck. She then repeated her gesture and they let their foreheads touch.

"Starshine is nicer." Zahri whispered.

"Perhaps." Electra admitted. "Still, please-"

"Don't worry." Zahri assured her hastily. "I won't call you that again," she said with another smile and released Electra from her embrace.

The latter just nodded silently in response. Then she looked around one last time. "I guess our captain is with you now?"

Zahri grew a bit more serious. "King Eleusis is with us, if you meant him." She said, respectfully touching a spot on her forehead, just above the root of her nose, where the third eye was hidden. It was what all the King's subjects used to do whenever they pronounced his name or title. Among the villagers, this custom apparently persisted.

Electra and the Old Man looked at each other briefly to share their feeling of relief. The way the girl had spoken of the captain, and the gesture she had used to accompany her words, meant only one thing - the villagers still revered and respected Nemo as their king, and would probably be willing to do whatever he asked of them.

"There is a great day before him... and before us all." Zahri then announced cryptically. "Follow me." She urged them, nimbly leaping down the stairs and heading back through the trees. Electra and the Old Man obeyed without much hesitation.

Together they then reached a particularly large and bulky tree, where Zahri looked back at her two companions with a mischievous smile, and then began to walk up along the massive trunk, just as if she were climbing a spiral staircase.

Electra turned on her flashlight to confirm this assumption. And indeed, there were stairs nailed around the perimeter of the trunk; rather shallow, however, and irregularly spaced. Getting to the top without holding on was obviously possible - certainly possible for an already accustomed and trained individual like Zahri. Electra, however, watched the stairway with concern.

"Come on, have no fear," called Zahri, who was currently out of sight. "Just be careful down there and go slowly. Stick to the bark at first. Once you get up here, you may hold on to a rope."

Electra carefully leaned over the edge of the rope bridge and peered into the impenetrable green depths below. The entire structure of the tree platforms and connecting bridges seemed solid and well anchored, yet the constant swaying made her feel insecure. She could only console herself with the fact that the people of the Forest Nation used these suspended trails on a daily basis, so why should this one collapse right now?

Without pausing, Zahri turned to her two companions in the middle of the bridge and gave them a kind, encouraging look. While their introduction had been somewhat unexpected and unconventional, the girl seemed nice, and despite all the secrecy surrounding the captain and the agenda for the rest of the day, she gave off a very open, welcoming impression.

Electra returned the encouraging smile and followed the girl with a new resolve. She was already grateful to have met her.

And she thought again how much her life had changed within just one day – again. Again, she realized how everyone who had been a part of her world was leaving, one after another: Grandis and her companions, Nadia, Jean and Marie, and finally the Nautilus itself and the life associated with it. All of a sudden, she had exchanged the depths of the ocean for the depths of the rainforest. And before she could get used to the drastic change and the new environment, she found herself here in the daylight, in the middle of the wilderness.

Moreover, Nemo was gone, too, and not just physically.

After so many years, it now seemed that Electra would have to forget about that side of his personality. Today, Captain Nemo was no more, much like his Nautilus.

From the moment Electra had heard Nemo's true name, she felt flooded with memories of the days of old. She couldn't help but think of the times when she, her parents, and her brother used to go to the inner city of Tartessos, looking forward to visiting the government buildings and the palace, and perhaps even catching a glimpse of someone of the royal family...

She remembered how, as a child, she and the others used to watch the broadcasts of the King's speeches. She also remembered how distant and beyond reach the King seemed to her then, perhaps even intimidating, despite how kindly he spoke. He had struck her as some kind of mythical being, in his beautiful white robes, adorned with gold, his accentuated eyes gazing off into the distance.

However, it all had happened so long ago it was almost no longer true. Tartessos was gone, and the lives of the survivors had fundamentally changed.

"A big day is ahead of us all, you say?" Electra asked after a long silence, her footsteps carefully matching each sway of the rope bridge.

"Yes," Zahri replied, glancing briefly over her shoulder.

"But why? Just because the King came to you?" Electra continued, touching her forehead to follow her guide's habit.

"As you say, Electra." Zahri confirmed. "We have waited for him for too long – we and our precious guests."

"Guests?" Electra frowned in suspicion. "Who are they, if I may ask?" A rather uncomfortable feeling gripped her heart. Was it possible? Could it be someone sent by Gargoyle? Were they all falling into a trap again?

But Zahri waited until the end of the bridge to answer. Unperturbed, she stepped onto the wooden platform in the sprawling canopy of a tall tree, turned, and waited for the Old Man and Electra to reach her. When they did, she leaned her back against the tree trunk and lowered her eyes. Her face grew somewhat sad as she seemed about to tell them something serious.

"All too rare guests have stayed with us until this day." Zahri spoke in a wistful voice, her eyes still fixed on the wooden platform. "We appreciate them, but too much time has passed since the river brought them to us. They should not linger any longer. They don't belong here. Their new home is among the stars, but we are not the ones who should guide them."

It took Electra only a moment to realize who was Zahri really talking about. Yet she refused to believe it at first. "Are you saying... the river brought you the executed Atlanteans from Tartessos?"

"I don't remember it myself; I was just a little child at the time. But you are right." Zahri nodded, still refusing to look up. Then her voice lowered even more, almost to a whisper, as she continued: "Their heads and bodies wandered separately, but we found them all." Here she paused and looked into Electra's eyes, perhaps in recognition of what her people had accomplished.

"But we weren't too surprised at the time." She said then, bowing her head again. "For a few days before them, we found someone even more precious in the river," she went on shakily.

"I was told that it was me who saw her first that day. I called out to everyone to come to my aid, saying that I had found a water fairy." Zahri said in a strangled voice, a tear glistening in the corner of her eye. "She was wedged in the roots of a tree and I couldn't get her out." She blurted, wiping the tear away in one swift motion.

It was strange. How could she have been so unsettled by an event she didn't even remember? That thought, however, only managed to flicker through Electra's mind. For what followed was a stream of stirred emotions, memories, and fear.

Of course, even now Electra realized who Zahri was talking about. Who else could that have been than Queen Sonia? The realization pierced through her heart like a dagger. She felt so inferior again – as a mere substitute who must step aside to make way for the more important one.

It was all clear as daylight now. The villagers had kept the bones of the Queen and other Atlanteans all this time because they didn't feel entitled to bury them. And now they wanted Nemo to take over the task.

And he was probably thinking of her again, of his beloved Sonia, and his consciousness was full of old memories of everything they had experienced together.

Of course, those were inappropriate thoughts. Stupid and selfish. Electra realized it very well, and she tried to pull away from this kind of thinking, but was not very successful.

In the end, she accepted with gratitude that the Old Man had decided to react first. "So, it was you who found our dear Queen in the river?" He gasped in amazement at Zahri, touching his forehead. His voice quivered with emotion.

"Yes." the young girl nodded. "Mother says I held the queen's hand and was tangled in her hair. But she was not anymore amongst the living. So, we pulled her out of the water and gave her to Earth, like all the others the river had brought us. We waited for a time, but then we had to dig their bones up again. We built them a tree house so they could look up at the sky. For they do not belong here, not to the Earth."

"And today is their time at last, isn't it?" Electra noted.

"It is as you say." Zahri confirmed. "For today their king has arrived to see them off on their journey back to the Stars. It's... it's a happy day, a very happy one." She said, trying to make her voice match the words she spoke, but failing. Finally, more tears appeared in her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You don't look very happy though." Electra observed, stepping closer to Zahri and gently taking her hand. Given the girl's social status, Electra wasn't too sure if she was even allowed to do that, but it felt right, so she did. "What's wrong, Zahri?"

"Well, I'm glad she's going where she belongs. But I'll miss her." The girl explained, indicating with a light touch on her forehead that she was talking about the queen. "Because... She's not staying with our other guests, you see. She's staying with me. I talk to her every day. I could always trust her with everything," Zahri explained, trying not to sob. "But that will end now. She's going to leave me now."

Electra was hesitant at first as to what she should say. She couldn't think of any suitable words of comfort, both because of how unexpected the matter itself was, and because she couldn't imagine how anyone could feel so close to someone who was no longer living. Of course, Electra also still remembered her deceased loved ones, and still had a strong emotional bond with them. It was just that Zahri had known the queen when the latter was already dead. Their conversations had never been real. Neither was their friendship. On the other hand, there was no point in trying to prove Zahri's belief false. The girl considered the queen her dear friend, that was the fact.

"I carry a lock of her hair with me." Zahri spoke again. "The one that was wrapped around my arm the other day. Do you think he will let me keep it? Will you put in a good word for me?" She turned to Electra with hope in her eyes, a touch on her forehead indicating who she was talking about.

"I think..." Electra began, taking a deep breath. No, she couldn't. She couldn't say his name. "I think our good king will allow you to keep it, even without my intercession."

"Thank you." Zahri said happily, squeezing Electra's hand. "And can you guess which braid it is?" she asked, smiling warmly through her welling tears.

"Probably the one you wear on your forehead. The one with the beads strung on it." Electra replied. "It's a slightly different shade than your hair."

"Right." Zahri complimented her, though her riddle was not a difficult one. She pushed herself away from the tree trunk, and untied the thin braid from the rest of her hairstyle. Then she held the ornate lock of hair in both hands in front of her.

"May I?" The Old Man asked, raising his right hand to indicate that he wanted to touch the braid.

"Of course." Zahri nodded, considerably calmer now.

He didn't wait any longer then, picking up one end of the braid and carefully letting it slip through his fingers. "Thank you." He huffed, closing his eyes.

With bated breath, Electra did the same. The braid felt like coated in wax, but that didn't change the overall impression. It was firm and soft at the same time; beautiful dark hair, the same hair Nadia had once pulled on as a child, the same hair Nemo used to caress. The same hair Electra had once been allowed to touch on one special occasion.

"She won't forget you, Zahri." Electra decided to speak. "And even if she goes to the Stars today, she won't really leave you. For we all are just pilgrims among the Stars."

"You think so?"

"A wise friend of mine once told me that." Electra said in a calm, quiet voice, the fingers of her right hand touching her forehead. "And you know, I believe him." She explained, remembering the words that Nemo himself had once comforted her with.

After their unexpectedly mournful stop, they yet had to cross two more rope bridges between the rocks before they were greeted by the bustle of the village itself.

However, as Electra soon learned, the inhabitants did not consider themselves villagers. They called their settlement the City Under Heaven, and they were right indeed.

The trees in this area were even taller than in the previous part of the forest, and were interconnected on several levels by a network of rope bridges and wooden platforms. Towards the north, the terrain rose to high granite cliffs, while to the south it sloped to a large clearing around a river meander.

Except for connecting bridges and terraces with elevated dwellings, the space between the massive trees was empty, all the lower undergrowth absent. The tree canopies, too, appeared to have been carefully tended and sensitively pruned to provide a balanced proportion of light and shade for their inhabitants.

As for the population itself, the racial and ethnic composition here was as diverse as it once had been in Tartessos. People of very dark complexion and features typical of this part of the continent predominated, though few could boast eyes as bright blue as Zahri's. Another large group here were people of origin from the northern parts of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as Indians. The smallest number were those with purely Asian features. There were no European-looking inhabitants to be found at all, or at least Electra couldn't find any at a first glance. With fair skin and hair, she was the only one here so far, and she soon noticed the increased attention that almost all the locals paid to her. The children in particular were stopping, looking at her in amazement and pointing at her, some even smiling and shouting.

"I think they like you." Zahri remarked.

"That's nice." Electra said in response, and even though she felt very self-conscious and embarrassed, she returned the smiles of her little admirers.

Apart from the inhabitants themselves, however, the overall character of the City Under Heaven was determined mainly by its very original and sophisticated architecture. The shape and decoration of the individual homes probably depended on the country of origin of their builders. The Asian dwellings thus differed considerably from those of Central and North African origin. However, they all had one thing in common, namely the division into several floors, usually three, and a staircase that connected all parts of the houses and by which one could descend to the ground.

As they approached the center of the city, Electra couldn't help but notice that the granite rocks in the northern part of the city still rose several meters above the tops of the surrounding trees. They appeared to be embedded with metal structures with elongated spires. "Lightning rods?" She leaned toward the Old Man to confirm her thought.

"Exactly." He nodded. "Some of the diverted energy is stored in underground collectors." He said, giving her a significant look.

"Like it used to be in Tartessos." Electra remarked, returning his gaze. Apparently, they both had the same thought. They could certainly use such a power source.

"Yes. That's where we got them from." Zahri interjected into their conversation. "Their main purpose is to power the mobile wind shields." She explained, pointing to a flat part of the structure just below the spire. "And some other things too, like snake and insect repellent systems."

"Nicely designed," marveled Electra, and it was not just as a courtesy phrase. This forest and its inhabitants never ceased to amaze her.

She hesitated too long before asking Zahri about the energy collectors, so the girl resumed her speech in the meantime. "You're right, but we're just the users." Zahri admitted. "It is to the Kings of Tartessos that we owe these, beside many other things. They have always thought of us, especially the last two." She said as she headed for a three-story platform in the canopy of one of the largest trees in the area. It housed an ornate dwelling. All the floors were connected by an artfully carved staircase that wound around the massive trunk to the roots.

"Is that where you live?" Electra guessed, looking at the complex of wooden structures.

"My parents and brothers live there. My room is just upstairs." Zahri replied, gesturing to a stairway nailed to a large side branch that seemed to soar to the sky. In the fork of it there sat an equally ornate, but much smaller wooden dwelling. "One could call it tiny, but the view of the sky I have is unmatched." the girl boasted with a smile.

Zahri then looked back one last time, and then stepped onto the terrace in front of the tree house. Electra and the Old Man followed suit, but before they could climb after her, the curtain of the nearest door swung open and a burly young man stepped out to meet them. His eyes and facial features were strikingly similar to Zahri's; even his hair was braided into long, thin braids. Electra noted to herself that he and Zahri were most likely siblings.

Unlike his sister, however, the young man's nose was pierced with a metal ring, and several beaded necklaces hung around his neck. His cheekbones and upper arms were decorated with rows and columns of tattooed black dots. His hips were covered by a knotted, brightly colored cloth that flowed down to his ankles.

Zahri spoke to him in their language, but he immediately silenced her with a finger placed on his lips. In explanation, he glanced meaningfully towards her dwelling and touched his forehead with his right hand.

Electra looked in the same direction, but only briefly. Then she lowered her head and asked no questions. The young man's gesture was eloquent enough. If Zahri had intended to take them inside her little house, she couldn't now. Nemo had apparently preceded them so that he could greet his queen.

"I wanted to take you to my place, but we can't go there now." Zahri explained in a barely audible voice, confirming Electra's assumption. "The king has gone to greet his wife." She said, accompanying her quiet words with a touch on her forehead. She then looked towards her house and hesitated. "Come, let us leave them to talk in peace." She whispered finally in resignation and followed her brother to the entrance.

Inside, Electra and the Old Man were seated at a low table with some refreshments in the form of water, nuts and fruit, and then they were left alone.

The rulers' quarters themselves were not particularly spacious, yet Electra felt like she found herself in a palace. Indeed, the entire forest had that effect on her – a place filled with all sorts of natural treasures, from the tangled roots buried in the soil to the tips of majestic trees that towered above everything like the spires of a mighty fortification. Inside the tree dwelling, this impression was strangely preserved. The whole room was adjusted to the shape of the tree and its sprawling crown; its space meandered and divided into many mysterious corners and mezzanines, which were apparently reserved for rest and sleep. Electra was further captivated by the numerous bookshelves, carved reliefs and colorful paintings. All of this was complemented by a pervasive, pleasant woody scent.

Strange how the City Under Heaven could evoke very intense and contradictory feelings, Electra thought as she looked around the room full of color, light and shadows for the umpteenth time.

In a way, she felt good here; there was certainly nothing to fault about the expedition so far. They had been well received by the villagers, and it was to be expected that their visit would continue in a similar manner. What Electra could have never imagined was the surprise that the Forest Nation had in store for their king. She would never have thought that she, the Old Man, and especially Nemo would be confronted with their past again in such a way, right here, right now.

From the moment the Nautilus finally surfaced in the bowels of the deep station, when all of the crew members figuratively and literally breathed life again, Electra had tried her best to focus on the goal of their mission and on completing all tasks that would lead to it. She tried to fight against old memories, but it seemed that the more she resisted, the more stubbornly the past came crashing to the surface, just like today.

And so she glanced out the window again, trying to discern if Nemo was returning. However, the entire surroundings of the tree dwelling remained peaceful and quiet.

The Old Man sat among the colored cushions with his eyes closed, silently wandering through his thoughts. His mind seemed to have gone to another place, far away in time. Yet suddenly he reached out his arm, and without looking up, took Electra's hand, and squeezed it gently. It was strange, unexpected. And for the most part, unearned.

He must have grieved for the queen, for he had known her since she was a child and had always been close to her. If he had known what Electra was feeling right now, he would have surely turned his face away in disgust.

But maybe not. Apparently, he was one of the few who could forgive Electra for her betrayal. He had defended her from the others, and she had never found a trace of reproach in his speech or in his eyes.

All in all, since their first meeting years ago, Electra had considered the Old Man her friend, and it was probably mutual, despite all the misunderstandings and failures.

So, after the first wave of surprise and wonder, she too decided to catch his fingers and squeeze back. No words were needed, and she was glad for it. She was grateful for this silent yet eloquent touch.

All three of them were having a difficult time now, each of them in different ways. She and the Old Man had each other for support, but the one from whom the current situation required the most remained alone.

Well of course, Nemo still had not returned from his quiet, secluded place in Zahri's abode. Why would he? Just how must he be feeling right now? And how did he feel in the morning when he learned from the villagers what was actually in store for him that day?

And that wasn't all. Not only did Nemo now have to face the past and the memories of losing his family and his entire country. In all of this, he was also forced to not give in to his grief. For he was about to become once again the King of Tartessos – a person he had tried to push out of his life for thirteen years. Regardless of his feelings, he now had to accept this role again and prepare himself for it; to take on his new task as best he could.

And now he was dealing with it all alone, without help or comfort, while Electra was dealing with something else entirely in her heart. Instead of understanding and compassion, she found only impatience, fear, and jealousy.

Disgusted with herself, she wanted to let go of the Old Man's hand, but he would not let her.

"Tartessos is gone." He spoke softly. "Our queen and all the others are dead. But that doesn't mean we should forget them."

"I know. It's just that... We've given up our past, haven't we?" Electra whispered her objection.

"Of course. It was necessary to accomplish our goal." The Old Man agreed. His eyes were already open, but he remained fixed on somewhere unknown. "But now we are nearing the end, and we need to stop and reconsider who we are. There is nowhere to run now." He said and paused for a long moment. Electra didn't dare answer him. She knew he was right, and it scared her.

"One day it will all end." He spoke again. "And then what? Who will we be then?"

"I don't know." Was her honest answer.

Well, if Electra ever thought about a possible life after defeating Gargoyle, it had been a long time ago. Back then, she had been a young girl full of hope and still believed in things to come. Back then, she still trusted her savior Nemo and couldn't imagine her life without him. But then came the awakening, the disappointment and the loss of all illusions, and any dreams of a happy future seemed useless. All she could hold on to was revenge. Anything else was meaningless.

But if now was indeed the time for reflection; time to make plans for the future, she had to admit not much had changed since her teenage years. While she couldn't say whether she would ever return to her original name, one thing was certain. Now, as then, her life only made sense as long as Nemo was a part of it.

Would she ever become Medina of Tartessos again? Maybe she would. Maybe not. And it didn't really matter.

"I don't care who I become." She finally admitted. As long as I'm with him, she wished in her mind, and looked down at the Old Man's palm she held in hers. Only then did she dare to look up.

She noticed that they were no longer alone in the room, but she was not startled.

A tall woman with bright blue eyes stood at the front of the staircase, dressed in a light, flowing dress of the same blue shade, adorned with golden trimmings. On her neck, forearms and fingers, jewels of gold were shining. As for her hairstyle, the long braids were missing, her hair was cut short.

She smiled graciously and walked towards her guests with a confident, deliberate step. As she came closer, it became apparent that she had rows of dark dots tattooed on her cheekbones.

Electra and the Old Man stood up.

"Welcome, dear ones." The gold-adorned woman spoke as she stood before them. "Vikram, we've met before," she said, placing her palm behind the Old Man's neck so they could greet each other, "but this is the first time I've seen this brave young woman." She said as she turned to Electra. The latter tried not to take her eyes off their new hostess, but at the same time she watched the Old Man's reaction out of the corner of her eye.

After all, it was only the second time in her life that she had heard his real name. So, what did he feel at the moment? His eyes and facial expression, however, remained calm and unchanging. The only thing that could perhaps betray his discomfort were his clasped hands.

Perhaps he had expected the mention of his name, but it still caused him pain, despite his conviction that they should no longer hide from the past.

By then, however, their hostess had already gently grabbed the back of her neck, and after Electra had done the same, they let their foreheads touch. At that moment, it was Electra's turn to feel anxious, still considering whether she should reveal her real name or not.

But she already knew she couldn't. Besides, she had already introduced herself by her alias once today. Better not to confuse the hosts.

"They call me Electra." She said softly. "And your words about courage are very kind. Thank you."

"That's all right young lady. I only say what I see." The woman replied, stepping away from Electra to get a better view of her. "My name is Ayana. I am the ruler of the City Under Heaven and the entire Forest Nation." She said proudly, but very kindly; in a pleasant, melodic voice.

"It is a great honor to meet you," Electra blurted out immediately, dropping to her knees. Or at least she intended to, before Ayana grabbed her arms and lifted her back up. "What are you doing, lass?" She wondered.

"I'm so sorry." Electra rasped apologetically. She felt embarrassed, but Ayana's kind expression made her smile at the same time.

"It's all right." Ayana assured her. "I don't like this, but you couldn't have known. Besides, there are others here today who deserve such honors."

"Indeed." Electra agreed, glancing towards the window once again.

"Come on, let's give them some more time." Ayana said after a moment, still holding Electra's hand as she led them to the staircase.

"Please forgive my husband and Ruler for not being able to be here with us. He, along with Zahri and her brothers, must now attend to the preparations for today's ceremony." Ayana spoke in an apologetic tone, after leading the Old Man and Electra down the stairs and across the rope bridge into the large wooden hall built between two trees. It was apparently a dining and common room. In the middle was a long, low table surrounded by a number of cushions.

Two maids dressed in brightly colored dresses were bringing water and bowls of fruit. After they had placed everything on the table, their mistress thanked them and asked them to wait at the entrance. Electra also gave a brief nod and an embarrassed smile as a sign of thanks. She was not used to being attended to.

"We would appreciate more time for the preparations," Ayana spoke up again afterwards. "But we understand that your situation is a difficult one and you cannot linger too long. However, I'm sure you will agree that the event that awaits us deserves our attention and time. Therefore, I hope you will be content just with my presence for the time being."

"Of course." Electra and the Old Man agreed almost unanimously.

"Thank you." Ayana nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. "But before we sit down at the table, I have a few explanations to make, and an apology to offer."

"Apology?" The Old Man wondered.

"Yes." The ruler nodded, whereupon she slowly turned away from them and walked to the nearest window. "It all began the day the river brought us the body of the queen." She began then, her voice low but intense enough for them to hear. Then she hung her head dejectedly. "She was one of my best friends, one of the most precious beings I have ever known. Very powerful, but also very kind and sensitive. Perhaps too much so..." she sighed.

"The darkness engulfed us all that day. We knew something unimaginable must have happened in Tartessos." She continued, looking out the window. "And it did. Other dead Atlanteans and townsfolk soon followed, many of our friends among them. We buried more bodies every day. Each day I stood by the river to finally welcome the body of my sister. But that never happened. Instead, more Atlanteans arrived, but this time they were alive." Here she paused for a moment, put her hand over her heart and closed her eyes. "They were very cruel, especially to the women and girls. Some they took with them. We couldn't stop them." She explained patiently, but there was still a kind of trepidation in her voice, even as she tried to hide her emotions. Electra just looked around helplessly and bowed her head.

After so many years, she felt immense gratitude to her father again - he had taken his family as far beyond the suburbs as possible after the government coup. From his many travels around the world, he knew well how things worked in such situations, and how much suffering could be brought down on the weakest members of society. They could not leave Tartessos, all routes were guarded by Atlanteans. So, they were forced to keep hiding and seek new refuges in the fields or rocks every day. They suffered from hunger and other privations, but at least they escaped these arbitrary acts of violence. She often wondered how things might have turned out if they had managed to escape down the mountainside and into the forests. Maybe they would have survived then. And maybe they would have been caught by the soldiers, and all of them would have met a very cruel fate.

"When we appealed to the king, we were told he was already dead." The ruler continued after a moment in a somewhat calmer tone. "They only joked cruelly about my sister, but said nothing more. So I fretted and agonized over what might have happened to her. What all must have happened to the abducted girls and to all the people living in Tartessos. I looked for my sister's body, hoping that the horror was over for her. And then they came again..." she said, closing her eyes and shaking her head as if she still refused to believe it.

Then she pursed her lips briefly and continued: "I knew then that we shouldn't have waited for anything. We all took only the bare essentials and went deep into the forest, all the way to the Little Nation. Then we watched with them the terrible glow that destroyed Tartessos. When the storm had subsided, a few of us set out to find out what had happened. And instead of a great city, all we found was death and the dark waters of the lake. But above all, we were not there for you when you needed us most."

"But such thoughts are not necessary, Ayana." The Old Man suddenly echoed, unconsciously stepping closer to the ruler. "Please don't worry about it." He said gently and quietly. "We understood your situation and we did not seek your help. On the contrary, we were comforted that you were not affected by the destruction of the city."

Ayana glanced at him and smiled with gratitude. "Our good King Eleusis have spoken in a similar manner. You have been extremely lenient with us."

And without having time to think about it more, Electra too decided to speak up: "I was just a child then, and I didn't understand many things. But I have to agree." She stated respectfully, but firmly. "There is no need to grieve over the fact that you left. How could you have known how the situation would turn out? Taking your people to safety was the right thing to do. You couldn't have stayed and waited to see what else the rebels would do to you."

Ayana just watched her quietly after that, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You are a wise woman, Electra." She replied after a moment. "I am touched by your words and Vikram's."

Her lips quivered. She glanced quickly back to the window, and just clutched one of her necklaces in silence before she resolved to speak again.

"You know, we couldn't imagine that anyone could survive such devastation. I myself, however, still believed that my sister had escaped it all in the end, and had taken care of the little princess as she had promised. After all, we never found her body. I believed that she had taken the princess to safety and ensured that she received a proper upbringing. That's why she couldn't come back to us. It might have been viewed as foolish, but I waited for them both to come to us one day. I looked forward to falling into each other's arms, telling our stories... Together we could put these bitter days behind us once and for all. Yes, I have waited, all this time. And I kept our guests waiting with me." She said, again briefly compressing her lips. She took a deep breath.

"My husband and ruler has not been as patient and hopeful, though. He wanted to let our guests go, he wanted us to see them off on their final journey. I kept persuading him to wait another year, and then one more... It is a great relief to us all that you came here today." Ayana said, looking back to Electra and the Old Man. "Now we know that there are survivors after all, who will finally put things right again. We now know that our king never left us. What's more, I can rejoice in the fact that Princess Nadia is still alive too, thanks to my sister who persevered to the end."

When she had finished speaking, she walked slowly back towards her guests.

"You now live to accomplish a very difficult task." She said after stepping up in front of the Old Man and Electra, taking both of their hands. "And our task is not to let you down this time. We are here for you now, and you can count on our help." She promised them in a determined, yet still very kind voice. She squeezed their hands firmly before moving to the table and gesturing for the servants to bring the food.

The arduous journey through the rainforest and the difficult conversations with Zahri and Ruler Ayana caused Electra to lose track of time. It was only with the smell of roast meat accompanied by porridge and fruit that she fully realized how hungry she actually felt. Moreover, compared to the canned food they had left in the deep station, everything Ayana offered them now was much more interesting both in taste and appearance. Thus, after the dishes were presented, neither she nor the Old Man were reluctant to dig in with gusto.

By the time Electra had finished eating, Zahri had reappeared. She greeted everyone briefly, and while her maids scooped food into her bowl, she exchanged a few quick sentences with her mother in their language. She then knelt down next to Electra and literally gobbled up her portion, which made her mother sigh with a hint of irritation.

The Old Man thanked their hosts respectfully after the meal and asked if he could leave to join his friends and acquaintances in the city.

"As far as I'm concerned, of course." Ayana agreed without hesitation. "After all, they asked about you first. Now they'll probably be among those arranging tonight's ceremony."

"I'll be happy to help them, if I can."

"In that case, I will not delay you any longer either." Electra joined in.

"Are you sure?" the Old Man asked.

"Certainly." She confirmed. "Go say hello to your friends. I think we'll see each other soon enough. If not during the preparations, then certainly at the ceremony itself."

"I suppose so. I'll say goodbye for now, then." He said, bowing his head in greeting and walking away.

Electra then sensed that Zahri and her mother were watching her, and thought hard about what she should say.

"Is there anything I can help with, too?" she thought at last. "I'd like to get involved as well, if you'll agree."

"Of course." Zahri replied. "I'd like to prepare our Queen for her final journey, but I don't know how much time I'll have for that. So your help would be very appreciated." She said, accompanying her words with a respectful touch on her forehead.

Electra nodded. "I would be honored," she blurted out, trying to keep her tone as convincing as possible. Surely her words were completely sincere. Surely Zahri had done her immense honor just by uttering her request. However, the thought of manipulating the Queen's bones literally made Electra's hands shake. She didn't feel at all qualified for such a task, certainly not given the pangs of jealousy she still couldn't banish from her heart.

Why me? Why me of all people here? She despaired silently, and joined her restless hands in front of her. It's not right.

"Don't worry, Electra. You'll get through this, just like you've gotten through everything else in your life." Ayana encouraged her, lifting a hand to gently stroke her hair. "Now, you and Zahri go get cleaned up and changed. I'll see you later."

"As you say." Electra nodded. "And thank you. For everything." She added quietly, not knowing what else to add.

"Thank you." Ayana spoke softly, and Electra just looked up at her in surprise. The ruler, however, just smiled contentedly.

Zahri placed her palm on Electra's clasped hands. "Shall we go?"

The latter agreed, and they both rose from the table, bid farewell to the ruler and walked away.

Electra was then led over several rope bridges and tree platforms back to the rocks between which they had originally come to the City Under Heaven. This time, however, they did not head back into the depths of the forest, instead choosing to go through a smaller rock passage. When she heard the gentle sound of falling water soon after, it was obvious what was going to happen next.

At the falls, they met other women from the tree city who were washing their clothes. The arrival of Electra, accompanied by Zahri, was obviously an unusual experience for them - they greeted them both warmly and hardly took their eyes off Electra. She was uncomfortable attending to her personal hygiene under such scrutiny; for years she had been used to complete privacy in this regard. She was therefore extremely grateful to Zahri for recognizing her problem early on and immediately engaging in conversation with the others to at least partially divert the unwanted attention.

Even so, Electra washed herself as quickly as possible and, like the others, used her visit to the falls to wash the sweat from her clothes. She then immediately put her still wet clothes back on. As far as she could see, everyone was doing so. With the humidity here and the frequent rains, there was probably no need to bother with drying.

When Zahri was done washing as well, she invited Electra to follow her and they headed back into town.

After they crossed the bridge leading to the rulers' dwelling, Zahri led Electra to her small house in the higher branches of the massive tree.

The tiny dwelling greeted them with a very pleasant, woody scent. And just as in the rooms where Zahri's parents had stayed, carved and painted pictures could be seen here, as well as shelves of books. Here, too, the bulky branches of the tree divided the room into several parts - the one furthest from the entrance could be considered a bedroom. Overall, the space was much smaller and more cramped than in the dwelling below. However, this was no problem for Electra, who was used to her humble quarters on the Nautilus.

"Welcome to my home." Zahri uttered with her typical wide smile, wrapping her arms around Electra's shoulders. "It's your home now, too."

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Electra replied respectfully, giving her companion a brief hug as well.

Zahri lowered her eyes. "If you don't mind, I'd like you to meet someone." She said, nodding her head towards the carved chest wedged between the two arms of the massive branch that carried the entire dwelling.

"Of course." Electra agreed, but at the same time felt her pulse quicken. She knew who Zahri intended to 'introduce' her to, and it filled her with nervousness once again. She had no idea what kind of reaction would be expected from her.

"But first of all, let's get changed." Zahri declared suddenly, and walked over to the nearest locker and opened it.

"Sure." Relieved, at least for now, Electra followed her hostess.

Looking inside the locker, she found that there was a lot of colorful clothing and a number of fancy necklaces and other jewelry inside.

Zahri herself inspected the content for quite a while before finally reaching for one of the long skirts, which was predominantly shades of blue and yellow. The hems were trimmed with golden thread. "You can choose any piece you like, of course," she chirped, "but I think this one will suit you best."

"What can I say?" Electra breathed excitedly. "Thank you so much, Zahri."

She couldn't even remember the last time she had worn something this nice. True, she hadn't cared much about fashion since a certain point, but for the present moment she allowed herself to feel genuine joy at the offered piece of clothing. She kicked off her clean but soaked shoes, nimbly stripped out of her damp uniform, and put on the borrowed skirt with enthusiasm. It reached slightly above her ankles and was wrap-around, so she didn't have to worry about it being too tight or loose.

"Well?" she asked, spinning around with a mischievous grin.

Zahri, who had been going through her necklaces in the meantime, looked up. Her eyes widened slightly. "Not bad at all..." she said admiringly, folding her arms in front of her.

"Thanks!" Electra laughed, feeling her cheeks flush. "But what should I wear it with?" She asked eagerly.

"Come here." Zahri gestured with her chin to a small pile of prepared necklaces. When Electra walked up to her hostess, the latter slipped one of the items over her head and settled it on her bare chest.

"I think this is just right." She stated as she looked Electra over from all sides. "And you know what? Maybe I shouldn't even let you out. You'll drive the men crazy."

Electra blinked in confusion. "Wait, that's all? That's it?"

Zahri just watched her in amazement at first. "What else would you like?"

"A... shirt?" Electra suggested, almost in dismay now. "I don't know... Just something to cover up. I can't show my face out like this!"

"Why not?"

"Are you crazy?"

"Why would I be crazy?" Zahri declared, offended. "I'll be dressed the same!"

"Then I'm sorry. But I can't walk around exposed like this." Electra softened her tone, but remained adamant. "It's extremely inappropriate in our society."

"How strange." Zahri shook her head. "You look so pretty. Why hide?"

"You said it yourself." Electra reminded her of her earlier comment about the men's possible reactions. Then she wondered what to say next to get her point across, but not to offend her hostess at the same time. "I just do not wish to attract too much attention. I'm not used to it. Besides, someone else deserves it today, do they not?" She said finally, hoping that her reasoning would work.

The latter shrugged after a moment's consideration. "I guess so." She admitted reluctantly. "Everyone here is already curious about you anyway."

"Rest assured, I've noticed and I'm pleased." Electra replied with honesty. "But a bigger dose of attention would've been too much."

"Very well." Zahri sighed in resignation and looked back to her collection of necklaces. They were many and of various shapes and lengths - narrow and wide, layered, made of dyed wooden beads and animal bones, teeth, feathers and fur, braided leather straps and gold, even pearls and ivory. Finally, she reached for a rather intricate one. It consisted of many flat beads, mostly dyed blue and black. She gestured for Electra to remove her existing necklaces, and replaced them with this new one. It was much longer and wider and covered everything that needed to be covered, even her shoulders and a good portion of her back.

"How about this?" Zahri asked, raising her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth twitching.

"It's... way better." Electra admitted after raising her hands and inspecting her new outfit.

"But...?" Zahri added for her.

"But if I just lean forward a little, you can see everything again." Electra explained and demonstrated her statement.

"Hm!" Zahri rolled her eyes angrily. "How do you do that?"

"What?" smiled Electra, amused.

"I don't know," Zahri began, taking a moment to search for the correct expression. "You're... awfully kind but stubborn at the same time. Until now, I thought only my mother could do that."

"Well, that's years of hard practice." Electra sighed at the memory of the many exchanges between her and the captain. She then fixed her companion with a very telling look. "But as far as stubbornness goes, I don't think I'm the only one here."

"Oh, and who could it be?" Zahri grinned and turned back to her locker. After a moment, she seemed to have found a knot of leather straps. She deftly untangled it into individual strands. "Put your hands up." She commanded, then tied the front and back of Electra's massive necklace together below her shoulders.

"So?" Zahri said when she was done with her work and took a step back.

"This looks quite acceptable. Perfect, I'd say." Electra acknowledged. Even if I wouldn't have chosen anything like this on my own, she added in her mind. There still remained small gaps between the rows of beads that revealed too much for Electra's liking. There was still a feeling of inadequacy, but she didn't want to bother her hostess any further.

"Actually, it's quite nice." Zahri grumbled as she scrutinized Electra's look. "Come on, let's get you some more bracelets and braid your hair." She said then. And as she said, she did.

The bracelets Zahri chose were small and simple; with beads of yellow and blue shades to match the skirt. She then reached for a bone comb and artfully weaved Electra's hair into several braids. She then tied her hair at the back of her head with a blue-dyed scarf, letting two golden strands flow along her face.

"I have heard that you have fought our enemies many times on your Nautilus." Zahri spoke after a long silence.

"I have." Electra admitted, surprised at this sudden change of topic, and frowned lightly. "Why?"

"As far as I know, you would not have won these many battles without your input."

"Probably, yes."

"Well, let's make everyone aware of it." Zahri smiled mysteriously, got up from the floor, opened a cabinet on the other side of the room, and then brought a bowl of black paste and a small brush.

"I guess there were a lot of defeated enemies." She said as she knelt before Electra again.

"Yes." The woman in question nodded. "I don't know exactly how many, but it was dozens." And maybe hundreds. Dozens to hundreds of deaths on Gargoyle's bases and ships, and aboard the Garfish-type submarines.

No, Electra wasn't at all sure the others should know. It wasn't something she ever wanted to brag about. She may have never seen their bodies, never heard them scream, but that didn't change the fact that those people had died and she was among those who made it happen.

"I'm not exactly-"

"Shh!" Zahri shushed her, wrinkling her brow. "Don't talk now!" She commanded, painting tiny dots on Electra's cheekbones and cheeks with her brush; then drawing a continuous line underneath. When she had finished her work, she checked everything one more time. Then she put down the tools, got up, and fetched a small mirror.

When Electra looked at her reflection, she saw that she had two rows of seven dots on each cheek and a continuous, straight line underneath. Such an image of her own face struck her as very unusual, but she certainly couldn't say that she was displeased. On the contrary, it was interesting in its own way.

"The line means that the enemies you defeated were innumerable." Zahri explained to her. "So our people will recognize that there are other reasons to hold you in high regard. Not just because the king brought you with him."

"As you say." Electra whispered. "But, what about you?" she asked after a thoughtful moment.

Zahri lowered her gaze shyly. "I only have the dots tattooed on my back. Only a few so far, from hunting. When there are more, I'll have them put on my face, like my brothers and parents."

"I mean... that's not exactly what I meant." Electra smiled. "I wanted to see how you would dress and decorate yourself. But I appreciate you telling me about your dots. And I'm sure there will be plenty of them one day. Quite possibly they'll be countless."

"Thank you." Zahri said softly in response, squeezing Electra's hand.

But then voices came from outside, and Electra thought she heard Zahri's name. And apparently it wasn't just an impression, considering Zahri immediately jumped to her feet, peeked out the door, and joined the conversation. She sounded a little displeased. Finally, the girl just waved her hand impatiently, closed the door, and ran back to her locker.

"They said we should hurry." She huffed, and began rummaging through her clothes.

"Oh." Electra uttered in dismay and stood up as well. "I'm sorry, I must have held you up."

"Maybe a little," Zahri admitted, picking out a long skirt with various shades of red and orange. "But it's not your fault. I should have kept an eye on the time." She said, quickly shedding her current clothes. She untangled the scarf from her hair and undid the queen's braid.

"Can I help you?" Electra wondered, stepping closer to the girl.

"Well, yes." Zahri agreed as she hastily tied her skirt. "Please pick me out one of the red scarves," she ordered, nodding her head towards the appropriate shelf in the closet. "And some suitable pearl or ivory necklace. Whichever you like."

"As you say," Electra murmured in agreement, then quickly rummaged through the shelves and among the piles of jewelry, snapping her fingers as she did so. Knowing they had no time to waste, she simply picked out the items that caught her eye.

"They're gorgeous." Zahri appreciated the selection – three jagged, ivory bead necklaces – and quickly put them on. They did not cover much of her bare chest, but that didn't seem as a problem. Zahri then tied her hair at the top of her head with a red scarf and strode to the door.

There she hesitated for a moment, but finally opened it. She called out to the people waiting outside and invited them in. Then she turned around and swiftly stepped to the ornate chest set among the branches in the center of the room. She dropped to her knees, embraced the chest and pressed her forehead against it. In the ensuing silence, all that could be heard were her whispers, quick words spoken in her native tongue.

Electra watched the scene with bated breath, completely still, only unconsciously placing her palm over her heart. She had no idea whether she should kneel too, or come closer; whether she should do anything at all. The next moment, however, she was relieved of these considerations by the arrival of Zahri's brothers.

They entered the room slowly and silently. Both were older than their sister - Electra estimated them to be about twenty and seventeen. After they entered, the two young men looked first to their sister kneeling before the casket containing the Queen's remains. But only for a moment. Their eyes almost immediately turned to Electra.

She smiled at them, but at the same time covered her naked belly with her hand in embarrassment. The older of the brothers probably understood how Electra felt. He continued to look only into her eyes and nodded a spirited greeting. "Everything okay?" He asked, barely audible.

"Yes." Electra whispered while trying not to pay much attention to the curious gaze of the younger boy. His older brother noticed as well, and when nothing changed for a while, he simply covered his younger sibling's view with his hand. In response, the younger boy hissed in irritation and swung at his brother angrily.

Electra couldn't help but smile, but immediately shook it off. Neither their demeanor nor her flattered smiles were appropriate right now.

Zahri had, in fact, just risen. She reached out her hand and, head bowed, touched the queen's chest one last time. Very slowly, she then turned to her siblings, reluctantly stepping aside.

Her brothers also first touched the chest with their foreheads and spoke a few words before they began to extricate it. This eventually required the intervention of a hatchet and a knife; the chest having apparently been stuck in place for a long time.

Eventually, the box with the remains was freed. The brothers then made sure that the lid of the box was secure, then they grabbed the metal handles on the sides, and carefully lifted the casket and carried it away.

Zahri watched them in silence, her hand pressed to her lips. But when she saw her brothers walk out the door, she couldn't hold it any longer, sobbing unhappily and slumping to her knees.

Filled with sudden compassion, Electra didn't hesitate to kneel beside the girl. She hugged her and stroked her cheek, feeling Zahri's shoulders shake. She herself couldn't help being moved at that moment.

"Don't worry, Zahri, we'll get through this. I know we will." She comforted her, and herself, too. "Come on, we should follow her."

The girl nodded once, letting Electra wipe her teary cheeks.

Then they both stood up and walked out into the daylight, hand in hand.

This time Zahri and Electra were not going to go over any of the rope bridges. Instead, following behind Zahri's brothers, they made their way down the staircase that wrapped around the tree trunk like a snake, and they all descended to the solid ground. From there they made their way to the river, and it seemed that perhaps the entire population of the City Under Heaven - men, women, older children, and mothers with small children - were heading in the same direction.

Many of them also carried ornate wooden boxes, and like Zahri and her brothers, accompanied this journey with a quiet song. They all walked slowly, with a dignified, deliberate pace.

After a few minutes of walking among the trees and through alternating streaks of light and shadow, they reached their destination. They were greeted by a large clearing by the river meander.

As the clearing sloped down towards the water, Electra had an excellent view of the scenery that opened up before them. It was strange, but despite the fact that a funeral ceremony was about to begin, the whole place was currently full of life. Near the shore, beds of piled branches, lined with broad green leaves, had already been prepared in three rows. There were estimated to be about forty of them, and at their head, roughly in the middle of the clearing, a special space had been set aside for a single bed, already decorated with a few flowers. Looking at it, Electra knew that it had been prepared for the Queen.

However, many of these funeral pyres seemed not quite finished, and children were still weaving in and out of the aisles between them, carrying more wood, leaves and flowers. Groups of adults were gathered at the completed beds, carefully removing the bones of the deceased Atlanteans from the wooden boxes and arranging them on the top of the pyres.

All this was accompanied by the constant singing, muffled chatter and lively movement of the townspeople. The vast majority of them were dressed exactly like Electra, Zahri and her brothers: in brightly colored strips of cloth complete with fancy necklaces. Many of the men, and some of the women, also boasted rows of dots on their faces. However, no one else seemed to have a line like Electra. Perhaps because of this fact almost everyone noticed her. Many paused in their activity for a long moment, just to get a good look.

Electra tried to ignore it. At this moment, such attention embarrassed her even more. She was glad, at least, for the presence of small children to whom she could return smiles without feeling inappropriate.

When they finally arrived at the funeral pyre designated for the Queen, her heart clenched with nervousness again. Zahri, too, seemed somewhat tense. The words of the song she was singing along with the others were knotted on her lips. Finally, the girl just watched silently as her brothers carefully placed the chest with the Queen's bones on the ground. Then she let them remove the lock and open the lid.

The two young men then came to embrace their sister, squeezing her hands and whispering words of encouragement.

Then they nodded respectfully at Electra, and left.

"There you go." Zahri began timidly. "Finally, I'm allowed to introduce you," she said as she carefully stepped in front of the chest. She then glanced back and gestured for Electra to come closer.

Electra did so with considerable apprehension. But when she stood before the chest and saw the white skull and neatly aligned vertebrae inside, the words themselves sprang to her mind.

"Thank you, Zahri. But in fact, we already know each other." She admitted softly, dropping to her knees and lightly touching the queen's skull with her fingertips.

It was true, they had indeed met once, and even had a brief conversation together. But never in her life - not for a moment - would Electra have thought that their next meeting would be like this.

In a way, she felt sorry for Zahri. She was sorry that she, unlike Zahri, had been able to meet the Queen in her lifetime and actually talk to her. At the same time, she felt obligated to share everything she remembered.

"Of course, you lived in the city." Zahri uttered in a slurred voice, kneeling down next to Electra. "Then again, she liked to visit people. It would have been rather odd if you had never met, right?"

Electra was unable to discern whether Zahri had spoken her words with regret or a tiny bit of envy in her voice. "I guess you're right." She agreed after a moment, running her fingers along the top of the queen's skull to the back of the head. And she tried not to look startled when she discovered that there was a good portion of bone missing.

"She has a lot of broken bones." Zahri sensed her question. "Just like everyone else."

"Because of the waterfall." Electra guessed.

"Yes. But don't worry, they were all already dead when this happened to them. Including her. She wasn't executed like the others, but-"

"I know how they killed her." Electra interrupted. She didn't want to hear it again, ever again. Instead, she stroked the queen's skull with the back of her hand across her forehead and looked into the empty eye sockets for a moment. Immediately she remembered the vivid, beautiful green eyes.

"I know she used to go to the nursery to read to the children at bedtime." Electra began after a moment of concentration. "I'm sure I had that experience when I was little, I just don't remember it very well. But once, when I was older, she came to our school again. She wanted to talk to the older kids, too."

"About what?" Zahri inquired with considerable interest.

"She wanted to know what we dreamed of being someday."

"She asked you too?"

"Yes." Electra nodded, unable to help a wistful smile. "I said I wanted to travel a lot, like my father did all those years ago. Some of the children laughed at me, not wanting to understand why anyone would want to leave Tartessos. But she admonished them, saying that the king himself had once traveled a lot, and that it was right to wish to learn about the world we live in."

"Nicely said." Zahri acknowledged, bowing her head.

And she was right. To this day, Electra was grateful to the Queen for her words. But that wasn't all. So she took a breath, and continued: "Later that day, when I was getting dressed for work, she came to me."

"Really?" Zahri looked up in surprise. "What did she want with you?"

With a sudden rush of despair and sadness, Electra just shrugged helplessly. "She wanted to tell me that my dream was about to come true." She huffed through a tightened throat, trying to stop the bitter tears. She wanted to continue her story, if only for Zahri's sake, but she couldn't.

"And it did come true, indeed." Zahri assumed quietly.

Instead of answering, Electra just bit her lip, and laughed bitterly at the horrible truth of the Queen's statement.

"Yes." She admitted in the end, shaking her head, as if after all these years she still refused to believe that Tartessos was gone for good. "It did for sure. Just in a way that none of us could have imagined."

As strange as Electra found the whole funeral ritual, she had to admit that the villagers had thought it through very well. Including such things as re-stacking the bones of the Atlanteans from their caskets.

Inside the chests, the skeletal parts were placed in a perfect order, from top to bottom. Groups of vertebrae were tied together with a string, and the small bones of the arms and legs were stored securely in their separate little boxes. It was therefore impossible to mistake the correct position of the individual bones.

Even so, Electra felt a little clumsy when putting the Queen's bones together – especially compared to Zahri. The latter seemed completely absorbed in her task, chanting softly to herself and barely noticing the world around her. Her work was going well, despite the fact that the placement of many of the broken bones was somewhat difficult.

Electra was just arranging the finger bones of the Queen's right hand when another person visited their funeral bed. It was an elderly, smiling woman. She was clearly of Indian descent, as her style of dress suggested. She exchanged a few words of greeting with Zahri, then nodded briefly to Electra with a friendly smile.

Zahri then let the woman approach the burial bed. With clasped her hands, she watched as the woman began painting a third eye - the emblem of the Empire of Atlantis - on the queen's forehead with red dye. Electra followed suit and also quietly stepped away from her work.

When the woman was finished with her task, she spoke to Zahri again, gesturing towards the tree city. Zahri did not seem too pleased with the news, and sighing nervously, she slumped her shoulders in annoyance. The woman just shook her head and squeezed Zahri's forearm. Then she smiled lightly towards Electra once more and strode off towards the next funeral pyre.

"What's wrong?" Electra asked cautiously once the woman was gone.

"It's getting late again." Zahri explained. "I should go back home to help decorate her husband." She said while lightly touching her own forehead and the queen's arm bone at the same time. "Plus, I left the lock of her hair at home. Anyway, I have to go now."

"But -" Electra objected, feeling sudden panic and helplessness.

"Don't worry," Zahri interrupted, and stood on tiptoe and waved at someone up ahead by the river. "Vikram's coming, he'll be here to help you," she said, quickly walking around the funeral pyre to stand before Electra. "I'll be back soon. Before the ceremony, I promise." She assured her, giving her hands a brief squeeze.

"All right. I'll be here." still somewhat reluctant, Electra agreed.

Zahri was about to leave, but Electra stopped her once more. "What's the king's decoration, if I may ask?"

Zahri smiled. "Wait, you'll see. I'll do my best." Then she waited no longer and made her way back to the city.

Shortly after Zahri left, the Old Man's voice came. "May I help you, Electra?"

"Of course you may," she replied, returning to the casket to pick up more bones. "You look nice," she remarked softly as she noticed his golden, silk tunic and pants, and the red dot on his forehead.

"Thank you," the Old Man said in response, lowering his eyes involuntarily, obviously flattered. "But I can't compete with you."

"Thanks." Electra replied with a fleeting smile. Over the Queen's remains, all of these phrases, though polite and well-meaning, sounded a little petty after all. "I'm so glad you're here with me." She confessed, giving him one last glance before leaning down to the casket again.

Then they remained silent for a long time. Together they set to work again, not feeling the need to spark a conversation. Both of them quietly attended to their own thoughts.

And so, lost in her memories, Electra tried to remember what it had once been like to have a real name and to live her life in Tartessos, the most wondrous city on Earth. And at the sight of the white bones, she remembered Queen Sonia again. A beautiful, swarthy woman, kind and gentle.

Electra remembered how it had felt, years ago, when she had been dressing for her afternoon work in the school gardens, when she had received an unexpected visitor...

...She didn't even hear her coming then. And when she looked back, for a moment she couldn't believe that it was really Queen Sonia, and that she had come to see her, an ordinary human girl. She was so surprised, even frightened, that she was unable to say anything, let alone bow respectfully.

"Forgive me for detaining you," the queen addressed her first. "I should actually be on my way back to the palace by now, but I wanted to thank you for what you said this morning. I'm still thinking about your words."

"Yes?" Electra – then Medina – asked quietly in response. She still hadn't dared to move.

"Of course." The queen nodded with a smile. She looked around the empty dressing room, then stepped a little closer. "Can I sit here for a moment?"

"I suppose so. I mean - of course." Medina blurted out hurriedly.

Queen Sonia smiled. "I hope you're not afraid of me, little traveler." She nudged her gently and turned to take a seat on the bench beneath the racks of children's work coats.

Watching this, Medina finally came to her senses and immediately offered her hand to the queen so that the woman could hold onto something as she sat down on the low bench.

"Thank you, you're very kind." Sonia cooed as she settled down, lightly patting her pregnant belly. She then closed her eyes for a moment and let out a long sigh. The beautiful blue gemstone on her chest seemed to begin to glow.

"Are you well?" Medina asked. "Shall I open the window?"

"No, it's fine." Sonia shook her head. "Everything's just getting a little difficult, that's all." She said, taking her time to exhale again. "You know," she said afterwards, "I wanted to tell you that your wish might be coming true soon."

"Really?"

"Maybe." Sonia repeated. "I'm afraid I can't promise you that, but I'll certainly do my best. Come, sit with me." She urged her little companion on, touching the bench at her side.

Medina nodded enthusiastically and sat down.

"You're Medina, aren't you?" The Queen asked then.

"Yes." Medina nodded.

"So, I remember it well. You know, Medina, the situation in the Senate has been a bit difficult lately. But your idea is certainly an interesting one, and I'll make sure to bring it up for consideration as soon as possible."

"My idea?" Medina raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Sonia nodded cheerfully. "I mean the traveling." She clarified further. "I guess you know that Atlantean children fly regularly on trips all over the Earth, even into orbit."

"I know."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. It's about time we made it possible for human children to do that, too."

Medina thought. "We can't travel like this." She objected after a moment. "Our bodies aren't built for it."

"That's nonsense. Just a silly excuse you've been told."

"Really?"

"Indeed." The Queen insisted. "That's why I'd like to see the Education Act amended. So that the children of both nations receive equal attention."

"That would be wonderful!" Medina whispered excitedly and began to swing her legs under her. "And His Majesty won't have a problem with that?" She asked further, the fingers of her right hand touching her forehead.

"Of course not." Sonia smiled in surprise. "Why would he?"

Medina looked away and shrugged. "He seems a little strict to me."

"Strict, you say?" Sonia asked, almost laughing. "I'll have to tell him that."

"Oh, no!" Medina was horrified, her frightened eyes fixed back on the Queen.

"Come on, girl, don't worry." Sonia said, grabbing Medina's hand. "What do you think is going to happen? I assure you that the King cares for all humans very much. And he will like the proposal, I'm sure of it."

"I see." Medina said softly, looking at the Queen's hand that was clasping hers, all confused.

"Good, then I won't keep you any longer." Sonia announced then. "And remember, great travelers have much to learn."

"I will learn well, I promise." Medina declared proudly. The next moment however, she was horrified at the sight of the queen's belly, which had suddenly changed shape.

"It's okay, it's okay." Sonia assured her, letting go of her hand so that she could hug and caress her restless tummy. "It probably looks terrible, but it's normal."

"Does it hurt?"

"Usually not." Sonia smiled. "Except for a kick under the ribs the little princess likes to give me..."

"Wait, is it a girl?" Medina asked, her eyes lighting up. "Are we going to have a princess?"

"Yes, it seems so." The queen replied. "Come closer." She urged Medina kindly, taking her small palm in hers again and pressing it gently against the fairly obvious bulge under her ribs.

"Are those her feet?" Medina asked in a low, startled voice.

"Yes." Sonia whispered, perhaps not wanting to disturb her unborn daughter. "She's stretching."

"Hm." Medina nodded. She didn't know what else to say. "Aren't you afraid?" She asked as the tension beneath her palm lessened noticeably.

"Of giving birth?" Sonia said, glancing briefly at her companion. "Well, no, not really. I already know what it's like." She replied after a moment. "You know, it's not good to think about it like that. I can't avoid it anyway. The only thing I'm worried about is something getting wrong."

"I'm sure they'll take good care of you." Medina guessed, and with her other hand she unconsciously stroked Sonia's hair, braided into many tiny braids.

"They will." The queen smiled as she watched Medina. "Plus, the king will be with me. And when he's with me, I'm not afraid of anything."

And well, Electra could certainly relate. She hadn't felt any fear since Nemo had found her, except maybe the fear of losing him. It was the only thing in her life she truly feared, even during the years she thought she hated him.

Fear of the unknown had only gripped her once, after the battle in the Kermadec Trench. She feared that Nemo had changed, that he had given up and missed his chance. He had ceased to be the last certainty in her life and for that he deserved her revenge. That was her conviction on that fateful day. But the moment she'd hurt him, panic had gripped her, a sense of dread that without him she'd be alone again – alone to the bitter end.

And slowly but surely, she was beginning to feel signs of a similar panic now.

The sun was already tilting towards the horizon in the cloudy sky, and the time she hadn't seen Nemo seemed like an eternity to Electra. Not giving in to doubt was already taking a considerable effort.

What if everything was not as it seemed the whole time? What if the Forest Nation's intentions had been different from the start? How come she hadn't seen Nemo even once all day? Was he even here? Had he arrived in the City Under Heaven today or not?

She was already mentally preparing these questions for the Old Man when Zahri's eldest brother snapped her out of her strange thoughts. In his arms, he carried a familiar golden chest.

"Zahri asks if you could return to the Queen at least part of what is hers." He said and deposited his cargo next to the chest that originally held the Queen's bones. When he opened the lid of the golden box, the royal jewels glistened inside - all but one, the most important one. The king's crown was missing.

Well, it was clear what that meant.

Yes, indeed. For his queen's sake, for her funeral, Nemo will wear his crown on his forehead once more.

"I..." I don't know what to say. "I'll do my best. Of course." Electra said when she managed to find a satisfactory answer. "Please tell your sister that I appreciate her trust very much."

"She'll be here shortly," the young man countered, smiling lightly. "You'll be able to tell her yourself." He added, glancing at the folded skeleton on the funeral bed. He then turned back to Electra, nodded approvingly, and left.

"Why does it have to be me?" she breathed as she watched him walk towards the river.

"Why not?" The Old Man asked as he stepped closer. "The meaning of many things only becomes apparent with the passage of time. There is no point in asking such questions now."

"It shouldn't be me. It's not right."

"That's what you think. Many others believe otherwise." The Old Man said, looking thoughtfully at the objects in the golden chest.

Electra dropped to her knees and touched the bloodstained necklace. "Others can't see inside my head." Except for some individuals. "They don't know my thoughts."

"There is no need to see into your head." The Old Man objected. "Those who want to can recognize many things even without it."

Electra looked up. "Well, that sounds a little unsettling."

"Does it?" The Old Man smiled. "But there's no need to feel like that at all." He said, and after a short hesitation, decided to ask: "Shall I leave you alone for now?"

"I suppose so. Please."

"All right." The Old Man nodded and looked towards the river meander. "Will you come to the river afterwards? They seem to be serving refreshments there."

"I will." Electra agreed, and smiled lightly before turning back to the jewels.

She reached for the blood-stained necklace. At first, she was not sure if she should use that specific one, but then realized she couldn't do without it. Everyone today needed to deal with the past and come to terms with it, the way it really was. They should all see how Queen Sonia had died, and realize again how far the lust for power can go.

So she grasped the necklace firmly in both hands, slowly brought it to the funeral pyre, and carefully spread it across the Queen's ribs and collarbones. She then added more jewels: bracelets, gold earrings and rings, and only at the very end did the crown come into view.

At first Electra remained silent, but then for some reason she remembered an old song. She and her family used to sing it at home, as a tradition and reminder of their origins. And so she began to hum the tune quietly to herself, not daring to add the lyrics. After all, it had been a long time since she had last spoken Swedish. It was only when the crown had been properly settled upon the Queen's forehead that Electra gathered some confidence and sung the words of the last verse.

Before the song died down, she adjusted all the jewels and protruding bones one last time, and looked down at her work. Then she knelt by the Queen's skull, looked briefly into the empty eyes, and bowed her head. At least she owed her that.

Please forgive me, she spoke to Sonia in her thoughts. I'm so sorry for everything I did to him. I'm sorry that I couldn't find understanding for his actions, that I wasn't supportive when he needed it most. I'm sure you would have been. I wish I could be like you, but I can't. That's why I'm envious. I wish he thought of me the way he thinks of you. I know I don't deserve it, but I can't help it. I keep silently hoping that he might... that we might find our way back to each other. But whatever lies ahead, I'm going to try to get through whatever's wrong. Even as I am, your husband still trusts me. And I won't let him down again.

Letting out a long sigh, Electra closed her eyes tightly, etching the oath upon her mind.

After she managed to calm down, she stood up again and looked around. Most of the funeral pyres were already set up, and the people of the Forest Nation were gathering at the refreshments by the river. She hesitated whether to go too, or wait for Zahri here, when the person in question decided to speak herself.

"I knew I could trust you with the task." She said appreciatively.

"Really?" Electra asked, turning to follow Zahri's voice. "You think it's all right like this?"

"Of course." Zahri smiled. She looked the same as before, wearing the same skirt and jewelry, but something was different. Oh yes, the queen's braid. It once again adorned her smooth forehead.

Zahri saw that Electra noticed the fact and her smile grew even wider. "He let me keep the braid." She revealed happily, her fingers touching her forehead.

"Didn't I say so?" replied Electra. She also smiled, but mainly because Nemo had been mentioned. Perhaps her fears were unfounded after all. Now she wanted to ask about him; just to know how he was feeling. The question was already on her tongue, but she paused. How could he be feeling right now, at an occasion like this? A stupid question to ask.

But then Zahri grabbed her hand and turned a bit more serious. "He was asking for you."

"Yes?" Electra breathed, much more eagerly than she needed to.

Zahri raised an eyebrow in response. "Do you miss him that much?"

"No, actually..." Electra lowered her gaze and shrugged. "I was merely wondering how he was handling it all."

Zahri glanced away and thought. "Mother says he has a true royal demeanor about him. No matter what, he keeps all his pain to himself."

Of course, as always, Electra thought, remembering the moment when she and Nemo had first met. He had tried to comfort and encourage her, to ensure their survival, and he had carefully hidden all his sorrows, always. And it was always like that. He never complained about anything, never said a word out loud. Perhaps only now was Electra able to finally realize and appreciate it all.

"Don't worry," Zahri said, surprisingly gently, touching Electra's cheek. "You'll see him soon."

"Yes, I know."

"Come on, we should get some refreshments." Zahri returned to a more matter-of-fact tone. "Everything is ready, the ceremony will begin soon."

The sun was already setting, and evening was descending over the forest. Surprisingly enough, the heaven itself seemed to be inviting the waiting dead - before the sun could reach the horizon, the sky became unusually clear.

Everything but the funeral pyres had already been cleared from the river bank. From the queen's bed a path had been marked out by burning torches, leading up the slope, all the way to the first trees. Along this path of lights, the crowd had gathered, the men on one side, the women on the other. Scented sticks were lit, and as the intoxicating smoke began to ascend to the sky, the Forest Nation began to sing.

Electra and Zahri were amongst the closest to the queen's funeral bed. Across the aisle from them stood Zahri's brothers and other relatives. The Old Man was not with them, instead he had joined a group of his friends who occupied a more distant spot.

Electra glanced toward Zahri, who stood at her side, took a breath and interlaced her fingers in front of her. The funeral ceremony was about to begin any moment, and her nervousness was growing. She unconsciously leaned into the alley again and stood on tiptoe to get a better view of the spot between the trees. Zahri seemed to sense her nervousness and gently stroked her forearm. She smiled lightly and encouragingly, and continued singing. Perhaps there was nothing to worry about, after all.

After a moment of this quiet, slow singing, however, everyone's voices suddenly grew louder, and it soon became clear why.

The rulers of the Forest Nation appeared among the trees at the top of the slope. They walked down the center of the marked lane, hand in hand, stately and deliberate, toward the funeral pyres. Ayana was adorned in a long white skirt with gold trimmings, wide metal bracelets, and a multitude of necklaces of animal teeth. Her husband and Ruler was dressed and adorned very similarly, just with slightly different details.

When they reached the Queen's remains, they bowed respectfully and without any haste joined their people, each on his own side of the aisle.

Electra could hardly stay calm anymore. She took several deep breaths and exhaled again. Even before a battle, she had never felt like this – at least she had always known what was expected of her. Now she wasn't sure. She had never experienced a funeral ritual like this before, nor had she ever witnessed the burial of an Atlantean in Tartessos, let alone a member of the royal family. Zahri had only given her a cursory description of the ceremony, so she had no idea what exactly would happen and how.

She tried to focus on Zahri's chanting for a moment. She tried to join in, but eventually gave up. She didn't know the words or the melody of the songs, and even if she did, she still wasn't sure she would be able to sing. In a way Electra felt sorry, because under different circumstances she would have enjoyed this. After all, it seemed that everyone in the Forest Nation was already born with a full, resonant voice and a sense of rhythm. The melodic lines of their polyphonic songs blended smoothly into each other, every voice complementing the other.

The joint song continued for a few minutes, then slowly quieted and faded out. In the ensuing silence, Ayana herself began to sing. She sang a slow, dreamy melody, to which the others answered just with a gentle hum, and Electra found that despite her nervousness, she was slowly being carried away by the music. However, before the calm could fully settle in her mind, the song changed.

Now, Ayana's voice carried a strange urgency; the previous dreamy undertone was gone. She repeated one tune, over and over, each time a little louder. Gradually, her relatives and all of the Forest Nation joined in. People began to clap and stamp their feet, and their singing grew in intensity.

Electra felt insecure amidst all this noise. With growing tension, she couldn't help it and looked towards the forest again. No one was coming, still nothing was happening. She ran a hand over her forehead and closed her eyes.

She felt Zahri squeezing her other hand tightly as the chanting of the Forest Nation roared at once through the clearing like a raging storm. Could it be? Was the one awaited by his people finally here?

Electra gathered her courage and leaned out into the alley. This was what she had been waiting for all day – to be able to see Nemo in person and make sure he was still here and unharmed.

As she watched him walk slowly between the burning torches, she couldn't move. She tried not to panic. His eyes...

Zahri pulled her hand mercilessly towards her. "Don't worry!" She shouted in Electra's ear, just loud enough to be heard over the powerful chanting. "His eyes are just closed. It's a habit."

Electra hesitated, but finally nodded uncertainly. And as Nemo approached, it became clear that Zahri was right. His eyes were closed, which was somewhat strange in itself, but not really terrifying. His upper eyelids, however, were coated in black dye, the dark line of which ran down his cheeks from the corners of his eyes. From a distance, therefore, his appearance was frightening to say the least.

"It is a sign of sadness." Zahri explained. "I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner."

"Perhaps you should," Electra admitted. "But don't worry about that," she added hastily, bringing the whole thing to a close so she could look at the incoming King of Tartessos again.

Apart from the black-coated eyelids, his face bore the same symbols as Electra's – rows of black dots and then a continuous line to signify the number of enemies he had defeated.

He was dressed similarly as the two rulers of the Forest Nation. The strip of white cloth tied around his hips was edged with gold and flowed down to the ground; his feet were bare like everyone else's, and on his forehead sat his golden crown. No ornaments or precious stones adorned it, only the engraved emblem of the Third Eye, the symbol of the Empire of Atlantis. No other jewels or ornaments were yet visible, for they were hidden beneath the heavy white cloak in which Nemo was wrapped. However, when Electra looked closely, she discovered that this cloak was made of feathers, and that it was not actually a cloak in the true sense: The white feathers, stacked in several rows, were attached directly to his arms, wrists, and fingers. His arms, thus decorated, were folded on his shoulders, perhaps just to hide the Blue Water for the time being.

Nemo's eyes were still closed, yet he continued on his way with unwavering confidence. Not once did he step aside, not once did he speed up or slow down his pace as everyone greeted him along the way. The people in the front rows seemed to be in a trance, holding out their hands, but no one dared to cross the line marked by the torches. Electra watched it all silently, realizing that she had never seen Nemo like this before.

What was the use of giving up his past and his name all those years ago. What his origins had predisposed him to could not be erased. He was still the king of Tartessos – perhaps now more than ever. Perhaps it was because his homeland was gone, and the last of his nation's faithful were about to make their pilgrimage to the Stars, that he decided to embrace and express his past self again as deeply as he could.

Finally, he walked past Electra, Zahri and her parents and reached the very end of the alley. There he stopped – just a few feet before his queen's funeral pyre.

The mighty chanting suddenly ceased, and instead all the sounds of the forest and the river emerged from the silence.

Nemo waited a moment longer and then slowly turned to face the Forest Nation.

"When we pass through the darkest night, among the stars we shall unite." He said in a sonorous, utterly calm voice.

The flickering lights of the torches enhanced the tense anticipation on the faces of the gathered crowd, and the intoxicating scent of the forest and water and the gentle smoke wafted over everything.

Nemo opened his eyes. At first his sight remained fixed high above the treetops, where the stars were starting to appear. Then, finally, he looked down at everyone present.

"Tonight, we will see our dead off on their final journey." He began in a voice just strong enough for all to hear. "But first of all, I would like to express my immense gratitude to all of you. Thank you for the devotion with which you have cared for the deceased ones, thank you for all the time you have hosted them. Thank you for the preparation of today's ceremony, and for the way you have welcomed me and my friends."

After that, he bowed his head, and continued in a quieter manner. "It is very difficult to come face to face with a past as sorrowful as ours. But it is as necessary as it is inevitable. There is no hiding or running away from who we are."

Electra glanced away involuntarily at the words. She had to look away, at least for a moment, to pretend that all of this didn't concern her. Of course, Nemo was right, and so was the Old Man. She just couldn't face her past, not yet.

Nemo didn't spare her, though, as he spoke again, more urgently this time. "So, let us remember now what brought us here," he urged everyone. "Let us go back to the very beginning."

With those words, he lifted his eyes from his people to the evening sky and finally opened his feathered arms. Through them, the light of the Blue Water poured forth, and an almost blinding glow flooded the entire clearing. There was a startled whisper, and the people fell to their knees.

Electra couldn't help but join in. There was no other way. She felt uncertain, as if the ground were shaking beneath her feet. Because unlike the others, she was seized with panic rather than wonder. As much as she didn't wish it, the past was calling her very strongly. Right now, more than ever, she could feel a woman named Electra leaving her, fading from her core. Electra, the first officer of the Nautilus longed to leave, to lose herself in the darkness of oblivion, at least for today. For the Nautilus itself no longer existed, and perhaps never had existed, nor had the person named Nemo. It had all suddenly disappeared. Time, once suspended, was awakening again, and with it, Tartessos, and all who once inhabited it.

No, not yet. Electra begged herself. We're not at the end, I can't be Medina. Please stay.

She hugged herself and closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't let it happen. Because, when was the last time she had been Medina? Yes, it was when she was still weak and scared. Back when she still didn't know the world around Tartessos; when she still cried for her loved ones and felt helpless and lost.

No, she didn't need that now.

To her immense relief, the glow of the Blue Water began to fade again, and Nemo's hands rested on his shoulders once more. Everyone present raised their heads and stood up.

The King of Tartessos closed his eyes and Electra felt a tiny touch of reality.

Zahri placed a hand on her shoulder and stood on tiptoe. "When he closes his eyes, it's as if he's with the dead. When he opens them, he's with us again." She whispered in her ear in explanation. Electra needed a moment to realize someone was talking to her. But then she absorbed the words and nodded briefly. It made sense now.

Any further thoughts, however, left her consciousness as she fixed her eyes on her king once more.

He took a breath and began to recite the traditional Atlantean poem, an ancient epic about the beginning of everything.

The first verses rang out into silence, but then the Forest Nation began to respond to the following ones by humming gently.

Electra knew the poem, having heard it many times in her lifetime, even in a version with musical accompaniment. But never before had she been able to imagine the scenes from the text so vividly as she could today. She felt as if the clearing and the whole tree city had truly approached the vault of heaven, as if they were surrounded by the light of the stars, in which it was possible to see everything that had ever happened since the beginning of time.

The poem spoke of the Creator's will that gave rise to space and time. Then the great battle of the two principles that led to the birth of material things. Then of the first lights that lit up the darkness, the birth of the stars and the worlds around them. A nation that mastered its world, and finally harnessed the power of its star. The brave pilgrims who braved the cold embrace of the universe. Of how these explorers struggled to find a new home among the stars, until suddenly they were greeted by the light of a welcoming Sun, with a blue planet shimmering with life.

More verses celebrating the beauty of the Earth followed, and then stanzas about the history of Earth's Atlanteans, essentially filled with wars.

The last part of the poem would then speak of an eternal peace that would be forever secured by a single Atlantean Emperor if all obeyed him. However, Nemo omitted this stanza and instead recited an entirely new one, apparently his own, about the destruction of Tartessos and that peace would come when the last of the Atlanteans had righted their wrong.

Electra's heart clenched. Of course he was talking about himself.

As the poem came to an end and the singing of the crowd slowly died away, the King of Tartessos opened his eyes again.

"Our loved ones will now return to where we all came from." He spoke after a long, quiet reflection. "Let us say our goodbyes then, but let us not forget. On the contrary: let's cherish their good deeds, let's forgive their wrongs, and learn from their mistakes." he said, and Electra found herself repeating the last sentence with him. She remembered the words from her childhood – she had once seen them on the walls of prominent buildings in Tartessos. She didn't know their origin, but she had to admit there was something about their meaning. She couldn't imagine a better way to cope with the loss of a loved one.

Nemo paused again, closed his eyes, and turned to the funeral pyres.

It was probably a sign for Zahri, who took a breath and started singing, this time in Atlantean. She sang alone, with no accompaniment from the others. They just listened and watched their king as he walked to the queen's funeral pyre.

When Nemo reached his late wife's bones, he raised his hands, removed his golden crown from his forehead, and laid it at the queen's feet.

Zahri's song continued to tell of love and longing for a distant home as Nemo slowly strode back to the gathered people.

But he stopped halfway, his back to the living, his face to the dead. He fell to his knees, opened his arms and stretched them to the skies. The glow of the Blue Water fell on the banks of the river meander and all the funeral pyres.

Zahri finished her song, and the clearing was once again embraced by silence.

There was a sense of anticipation in the air above the crowd. Electra had no idea what was about to happen and was beginning to think that probably no one really knew – maybe except the rulers of the Forest Nation, who remained calm and focused.

The light of the Blue Water continued to grow stronger, its rays piercing through the white feathers attached to Nemo's arms. It wasn't very noticeable at first, but with each passing moment it became clearer that something was happening to the blue-white glow.

The shadows were growing shorter. The Blue Water was rising.

With a soft click, the gem broke free from the pendant on Nemo's necklace and continued on its silent journey upward.

Electra found herself holding her breath, as did everyone around her. She had never witnessed anything like this before, and so she just watched the Blue Water rise slowly, high above the clearing, as if eager to join all the distant stars, twinkling in the evening sky.

But besides the singing of the nocturnal animals and the gurgling of the river, another sound could be heard – Nemo was breathing heavily.

Electra held Zahri's hand in hers. "What's wrong?" She asked, her voice quivering.

"I'm not sure," Zahri replied, equally concerned.

Then Nemo spoke again. "When we pass through the darkest night," he began in a low, exhausted voice, "among the stars we shall unite."

His hands trembled, so he let them fall to the ground. At that moment, the ruler of the Forest Nation turned into the alley and looked at his wife, Ayana. She nodded, and the two of them strode together to their king. They knelt close behind him, one on each side, and took his hands. After a quiet moment, Ayana looked back and gestured for Zahri, for Electra and everyone else, to come too.

The glow of the Blue Water was growing stronger.

Electra followed Zahri, not letting go of her hand. They both stopped behind Ayana, and knelt down. Zahri grasped her mother's palm while still holding Electra's. In the same manner, Electra reached for a hand of Zahri's cousin behind her, and so it went on and on until everyone joined in.

Then through the ensuing silence Ayana's voice rang out in a beautiful, enchanting melody, and the others accompanied her quietly.

The light of the Blue Water was so bright now that day was breaking over the clearing.

The singing grew louder, and even if Electra wanted to join in, she probably couldn't. She felt so exhausted, so weak. Her body was shaking and everything around looked like from a dream. Finally, she had no choice but to close her eyes.

The blue-white glow became unbearable, penetrating even through her closed eyelids and causing pain.

Electra lowered her head, crushing Zahri's hand in her own. She could barely hold herself up, even while kneeling, the ground was threatening to swallow her. Exhausted and helpless, she heard herself whimpering with pain just before a shrill, hissing sound cut through the air.

The singing died away; the glow faded.

With the last of her strength, Electra looked up to see the Blue Water falling into Nemo's hands.

Her face was bathed in the orange glow of burning funeral pyres.

"Thanks." Electra whispered as she was allowed to rest her head on Zahri's shoulder. She still felt weak, but perfectly calm as well. The warmth coming from the burning pyres was nice and comforting.

It had been some time since the people of the Forest Nation had dispersed one by one to their homes, but Electra still wondered if the ceremony was truly over. Because from her perspective, it wasn't, not quite, even if it was just her and Zahri, who still lingered in their place, waiting.

Nemo had been completely exhausted after the pyres had been lit, his nose and chin covered in blood, but he had been still conscious. Probably unable to get up on his own, he hadn't even tried. The two rulers of the Forest Nation had stayed close to him, making sure that no one disturbed him. And for all her fears and curiosity, Electra had had no choice but to appreciate their efforts. Finally, at Nemo's own request, the rulers had put him to sleep and left him alone.

The people then had come to bid farewell to the dead, and then disappeared into the shadows of the forest. Those who had to remain on guard for the fires went to hide in the shadows near the river bank. Finally, the Rulers themselves, and Zahri's brothers, had gone. Perhaps Zahri would have followed them, but Electra refused to leave Nemo, and Zahri couldn't have left Electra.

The latter didn't even want to talk anymore, but eventually her curiosity got the better of her.

"So, is all of it your work?" Electra asked after looking again at the ornaments on Nemo's body.

Zahri coughed lightly. "No, not just mine. I only painted his face, like yours, plus his arms and back." She answered in a quiet voice, as if afraid Nemo might hear her. "Then my mother sent me away."

At that, Electra lifted her head and gave her companion a suspicious look. "What for? Is he painted... everywhere?"

Zahri shrugged. "Hard to say, I wasn't there." She said, smirking.

Electra just smiled, closed her eyes and shook her head.

"No need for jealousy, I haven't seen anything." Zahri teased, giving her a gentle nudge with her shoulder.

"I'm not jealous."

"So you say." Zahri shrugged again, probably thinking something different.

"I don't even know what all those symbols mean." Electra spoke after a moment as she focused again on the black paintings on Nemo's chest.

Zahri mused. "Mostly the symbols of his people, and grief, death and love... All sorts of things." She said, and after a long silence, she stroked Electra's cheek with the back of her hand. "Will you be here with him?"

"Hm." Electra murmured in agreement. "Are you going to bed?"

"I guess so," said Zahri, but still lingered in her place. "After all, I don't want to get in your way." She added quickly with a little smile.

Electra waved her hand, lowering her eyes. "As if there was something you could be in the way of."

Zahri just sighed. "I'll get you something to cover yourself." She said then and placed a quick kiss on Electra's forehead. Then she stood up decisively and made her way up the slope, marching through the lighted alley. Electra followed the girl with her eyes until she disappeared in between the trees. Then she turned her gaze back to Nemo.

The glow of the funeral pyres illuminated his calm forehead, black-coated eyes, and painted cheeks. His right hand rested on his chest, and in his palm, he clutched the empty pendant of his necklace. He held the Blue Water tightly in his left hand, aligned along his body.

He twitched almost imperceptibly, and his eyes visibly flickered from side to side beneath his eyelids. And then again. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something.

Electra glanced toward the queen's funeral pyre. Are you with him now? She thought as she stared into the stream of sparks rising into the night sky.

She bowed her head then, disappointed in herself once again. I'm the one in the way here, she admonished herself. After a moment, she stood up with an effort and took a few steps back, until she felt her legs wouldn't obey her.

"I was already quite convinced you would stay." The Old Man's voice rang out. He walked up to her and stood at her side.

"I will stay." Electra stated quietly but firmly. "I just... Don't mean to disturb. They seem to be saying goodbye."

"You're probably right." The Old Man agreed, looking up at the stars for a moment. "Do you want me to be here with you?"

"Yes please. I don't know if I can keep from falling asleep."

"Even if you do fall asleep, what then? No one is going to mind tonight." The Old Man encouraged her and without further ado, he sat down beside her, legs crossed in front of him and arms resting on his knees.

Electra stretched her body, and waited a moment longer before following his example.

"Now I'm wondering," she echoed afterwards. "Couldn't your friends make us tea in the morning?"

"What do you think?" The Old Man said to her, slightly amused.

"I guess you've arranged it already."

"Your guess is quite accurate." He confirmed with a smile.

"Then you seem to have thought of everything." Electra teased, watching him with tired, narrowed eyes.

"I surely have an example to follow." He answered with a similar undertone in his voice.

Electra just smiled now, and they both continued gazing into the flames of the funeral pyres.

She was almost asleep when Zahri arrived to wrap her shoulders in a thin, cozy blanket. After that, Electra only managed a brief "thank you" before she lay down and closed her eyes contentedly.

When he woke up again, the sun was rising, bathing the bright bedroom walls in golden rays. The windows and patio door were open, and the thin white curtains above them billowed in the gentle gusts of the morning breeze.

Elu rolled over onto his back and his hand fumbled beside him. No one shared the bed with him, neither at this moment nor before. The other blanket was folded and the pillows neatly arranged.

He stretched and sat up, looking down at his arms in amazement. They were painted with carefully executed ornaments, the symbolism of which he recognized in some cases, while others seemed utterly unknown to him. One glance was all it took to see that these designs also stretched across his chest and stomach, all over his body. He tried to search his memory, but couldn't remember where they came from.

He looked around the room a moment longer, at the familiar reliefs and paintings, the tall palm trees reaching to the ceiling, until his gaze rested on the shiny, amber-colored surface of his piano.

It's been years since I've played, he lamented. But how come, when he had the instrument right in his bedroom? Again, he couldn't remember.

He rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air. Then he stood up and, with a few swift movements, wrapped himself in the blanket as had been his habit for years. He made it to the patio door, but for some reason he couldn't get out. He couldn't take another step, no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't get any closer to the door.

At that moment it occurred to him that this place probably wasn't real at all. The whole room, the morning light and the rushing wind were probably just part of his dream.

He leaned his shoulder against the wall near the door and stared ahead of him, into the folds of the white curtain rippling in the wind, and it was just as clear as the rising sun that it was all happening in his mind. Because in the real world, everything around him had been buried somewhere beneath the surface of a great dark lake.

With this realization, other memories slowly began to come back.

Now he knew why he hadn't played his piano for so long; it was clear to him why he had been so alone when he had woken up just moments ago. Well, none of what he saw around him belonged to him anymore. This was no longer a part of his life. He had long since become someone else, even renouncing his name.

He stared through the flapping curtain, expecting nothing in particular, wishing the dream would end so he could leave this unhappy, lonely place.

In the next moment, however, he changed his mind.

The wind had died down. The curtain dropped back to the door, revealing a slender figure against the wall on the opposite side of the door.

Her long dark hair was down, and her large green eyes smiled mysteriously at him. She wore a familiar white dress - it covered her shoulders, but the slanted neckline very generously revealed her beautiful flat tummy. She was barefoot, and not a single piece of jewelry adorned her. This was exactly how she looked when she came to him on their wedding night years ago.

"Now, is this what you're thinking about?" She spoke to him with a heartfelt smile.

"What I'm supposed to think about when you show up like this?" Nemo objected, a faint smile also tugging at his lips.

Sonia shook her head. "Well, this is your imagination. I didn't get to decide my outfit." She said and held up the billowing curtain above her, gazing eloquently into his eyes.

Nemo also caught the curtain above them and reached out his other hand to his queen. She returned his motion, but they could not touch. The remaining bit of space seemed insurmountable.

Sonia nodded understandingly and lowered her eyes. She probably knew beforehand that touch would be impossible. "I knew you'd come." She whispered finally.

"It took me a while, though." Nemo confessed bitterly, glancing out the open door. For the short time that had passed since his awakening in this dream world, the sun had already risen considerably above the horizon. Even the clouds were sweeping across the sky at an unusually fast pace.

"Time has no longer a meaning to me. What matters is that you're here." Sonia echoed again, still in that gentle voice. Slowly, she let go of the curtain, but not before glancing at his painted arms. "It suits you, by the way."

Nemo also let the white strip of cloth fall between them. He watched the curtain wave in the wind, then he smiled briefly and lowered his gaze. "Better not ask me I got those."

"Don't worry about it." She assured him, hesitant for a moment before adding: "I assure you I'm not worrying about anything anymore, Elu. Certainly not this."

Nemo pursed his lips, closing his eyes. "I miss you," he managed in the end. And yet there was so much he wanted to know; so much he wanted to say.

"We'll meet again, Elu. There's plenty of room between the stars," was her soft reply.

"I know." He said, and then promptly groaned in disappointment. "And yet... I've done so many things wrong, Nia. I'm not the one who should have stayed alive."

"Stop it." Sonia admonished with a strong disapproval. "You're doing what needs to be done. Always."

At that, Nemo just laughed contemptuously. "Oh yes, of course. And the Blue Water is still as useless to me."

"But that's not true!" Sonia retorted again, putting her arm on her hip and leaning slightly forward just to force him to look into her eyes.

"Besides, why rely on the Blue Water alone?" She continued, a little calmer now that she had gotten her point across. "Yes, I was able to get more out of it," she admitted, waving her hand as if it didn't matter much. "But what good was it to me in the end? I relied on the thing too much. And we both know how that turned out when I was denied its help."

"I should have been with you."

"No, you shouldn't." She said, shaking her head. "You would have died, too. And all would have been lost."

At those words, Nemo hesitated on what he should say in response so as not to sound too rude. "All would be lost, you say?" he stared at her in disbelief. "Nia, I've destroyed our city! I destroyed it!"

"No, Elu." Sonia replied, perfectly calm and composed. "You saved the people all over the Earth."

"At what cost?" Nemo hissed, looking away.

"My brother set the price." His queen didn't hesitate to answer. "He was the one who doomed Tartessos the moment he activated the Tower. Even with the Blue Water it would eventually collapse, it wasn't built for such things. But before that, millions would die, wars would come, enslavement, suffering... You prevented all that, don't you see?"

"It won't bring our people back to life." he argued quietly. "And as for the people of Earth, I certainly didn't save them. I did not."

"It will come. Hold on, you're close." She said, resting her head against the door frame. She smiled tenderly as their eyes met again. At that moment, Nemo would have preferred to remain gazing into her calm eyes. He wished nothing else would ever happen. But the shadows were lengthening all too quickly around them, and there was much more to come.

"I may well not be able to control the ship." He echoed after a long silence.

"It's going to take a lot of strength, prepare yourself for that." She nodded, looking down at the tips of her bare feet. "But you can do it, you'll see." She said, looking back up at him.

"I wish you were right."

"I know I am." Sonia insisted. "You've always handled all the life's difficulties. Even without the Blue Water, when you needed to. I've always admired you for that."

"Please, spare me this talk." He growled at her, though he hadn't really intended to. He instantly regretted it, but he couldn't help it. If there was one thing he hated, it was these sentimental, appeasing statements.

"Do you think I'm exaggerating to comfort you? I'm just saying what I think." The queen objected. "And while we're at it," she began again, a little more gently, "If you and Nadia get the chance, destroy it. Destroy the Blue Water."

Nemo hung his head and folded his arms in front of him. "I've thought of that so many times... But what about you?" He looked at her questioningly. "After all, your mind is inside, too."

"My mind?" Sonia chuckled scornfully and looked out onto the terrace. "Remember back then, when we were children and we were afraid of that picture of the Emperor? Remember those horrible eyes, that terrifying, lifeless look?" She said then, looking back into his eyes. "I hope you understand that I don't want anything like that. That wouldn't be me anymore. The life I have lived is enough."

"Too short a life, don't you think?"

"It was worth it. With you. I wouldn't change a thing, Elu."

At those words, Nemo just ran the back of his hand absently over his eyebrows. Then he also glanced outwards, up towards the dark blue sky. He struggled to find the right answer. "Me neither." He admitted quietly. "I just didn't imagine the ending like this."

"I guess none of us did." Sonia agreed. "But it'll be all right." She said, her voice still low and gentle.

"Sounds like you already knew something." Nemo sighed.

"Let's just say I know enough." His queen revealed, whereupon the wind picked up and hid her behind a screen of billowing curtains.

"What am I to do then?" He asked after catching the curtain and lifting it. "Tell me, please."

"Keep doing what you started. And don't lose faith. Trust your people as much as they trust you." She said, thinking for a moment. "And Venu-"

"Venu is gone. He's Emperor Neo now." Nemo reminded her in a matter-of-fact tone; in a voice too resigned for what his words really meant.

"No, he's not." Sonia said confidently. "Not really." She added as she watched Nemo's incredulous expression. "Remember that when you meet again."

"I shall try." Nemo admitted after considerable hesitation.

Sonia then glanced around the room, which was quickly plunging into darkness. "One last thing." She spoke with urgency.

It was obvious at that moment that when the sun disappeared over the horizon, this dream would end. The wind died down and Nemo let the curtain fall back to the door.

"Go ahead," he encouraged his queen.

"Remember what we said at the end of our marriage vows?" She began.

"With you until I die."

"With you until I die." Sonia nodded. "And if I'm not mistaken, my funeral is just ending."

Nemo watched her thoughtlessly as the light of the setting sun painted her eyes a lighter shade. "Why do you say that?" He finally asked.

"Just to remind you that our marriage ended with my passing."

"Does it matter?"

"Of course." Sonia confirmed for him, disappearing for a moment behind the receding curtain. "Don't stay alone, Elu." She said pleadingly as the strip of white cloth revealed her again.

"I don't have time or thoughts for this." Nemo shooed her away.

"But that's not exactly true, is it?"

"That's none of your business."

"Whatever. Just so you don't regret it later." The Queen said then, whereupon they both just watched in silence as everything around them was getting swallowed up by shadows. The precious time of their meeting passed ever faster.

"She hates me." Nemo said finally. He had to say something.

"Really?"

"She wanted to kill me."

Sonia shook her head. "If she wanted to, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. But you know that yourself."

"I took away her family, her future." Nemo blamed himself again, perhaps for the thousandth time in his life. "I have no claim on her."

"And has it occurred to you that she probably sees it differently now?" Sonia reminded him. "Maybe you should finally talk about it."

"I guess so." He acknowledged after a moment of thought.

"I'm sure she does." She nodded, but she was almost invisible behind the fluttering curtain. "It's time." She sighed as her eyes reflected the last faint rays of light. "You'll make it, Elu, I know you will. All of you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Nia." Nemo replied, making one last attempt to capture the features of her face.

"I'll see you again." She called out to him from the darkness.

"Among the stars." He added, slowly closing his eyes and letting the darkness surround him once more.