Day Four
The four nurses raced into Da'an's room with more of their alien sedatives, but Liam had not been in there all day. In fact, he had not been there since he'd stormed out. He had taken long walks around the temple to get a feel of the place. It was peaceful. The walls were not thick, but they were soundproof. All there was were his own thoughts and the passing wind. It was raining outside today, so Liam was confined to the main hall where Nye was conducting a worship service. Fewer were there than he'd expected. They all wore blue robes with metallic silver lacing. Liam felt like he was in a mosque observing an Islam prayer service. Their movements were certainly similar. It was peaceful just to watch them.
But there was no peace for Da'an. That's where he was supposed to be. He was supposed to be supporting his friend, but it seemed like there was no point in doing so. Da'an was far beyond his help. He began to think he should have gone back with Street to Earth. There was no place for him here. Why in the world had Da'an asked him to go? Wait. He had said that he was going with him. He had wanted to go. For some reason, Liam could not remember who had asked to go first: him or Da'an.
After the prayer service, one of the nurses from Da'an's room offered Liam some food. He accepted it, but he didn't eat it. He was too busy thinking. Nye sat next to him in the blue robe in which she had conducted the service.
"You should eat," Nye suggested. "It loses its freshness after a while."
"I'll live," Liam said. "I've had too much sugar anyway."
"Is that why you are here and not with your friend—because the food is too sugary?" Nye asked humorously.
Liam allowed himself to smile, but only for a second. "Why am I here?"
"Because Da'an asked you to come," Nye said.
"No he didn't. I told him that I would go with him. He said he understood."
"He understood because he wanted you to come anyway."
"I'm useless to him. Whatever's happening to him—he's miles away from me now—light years. How in the hell can I help him? The only thing I'm good for is watching a good friend die. I'm his protector, for God's sake!"
"And as his protector, your job is to keep him from death. You feel incapacitated."
"Why should I bother if he's going to continue to take stupid risks?"
"Is that what you consider this?" Nye asked solemnly.
"You said it yourself. He's going to die, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it."
"When I said it was highly unlikely that he would survive, I also thought that he would not last past the first day."
"Four days. Whoop-dee-damn-doo. Only six to go now. He's not even halfway done."
"In Da'an's mind, mere minutes have passed. Each minute, to him, could bring pain, sadness, recollection, epiphany, sorrow, uncertainty—all of these things. In a way, you and he are enduring the same, and yet one of you is here contemplating surrender. Who is the stronger?"
"I just wanna know why this is happening. Why my companion and no one else's?"
"When you were off finding your destiny, how many worried for your safety? How many times did you risk your life? How many times did you think to yourself, 'this is the last I shall ever see of my loves ones?'"
"Lots of times."
"And how many times did Da'an want to help you? How many times did he want you safe and out of harm's way?"
Liam bobbed his head. "A lot, I guess. Renee, Lili, Auger—I guess everyone worried about me."
"And out of all the times you put yourself in harm's way, out of all the times you faced death's door, how many times did you return unscathed?"
"A lot, I suppose. But for Da'an, it's totally different."
"How is it so different?"
"I was never in limbo facing myself and fighting…oh…" Liam began to think about the time he put himself in a near death state to save Auger and Maiya. He had been a hairline away from death. What would they all have done if…
"Young man, not every challenge is going to be easy, and you will not always be there to protect Da'an," Nye said. "There will be many occasions where Da'an will have to put himself in harm's way in order to move ahead. Does it make him reckless? Does it make your job mute? I cannot answer that. What I do know is that before he came to Earth, Da'an lived for over two thousand years conquering every challenge that came his way without your help and many times without protection. Despite how fragile he may seem at times, he is stronger than he appears to be. Even I underestimate him at times, and I have been inside his mind."
Liam shook his head in confusion. "What's the point of your story?"
"My point is that there are some paths that were meant to be undertaken alone," Nye explained. "Even though Da'an must undergo this ritual alone, he asked for you to remain by his side because he cares for you. Sometimes, the mere presence of a good friend is good enough. Da'an did not ask you to come here as a protector. He asked you to come here as a friend. Your presence is what Da'an needs right now, not your protection, and despite what you think, that is an encouragement and a compliment of the highest kind."
Liam's smile remained a little longer this time. "I just wish I knew how it got to this point in the first place. It all happened too fast. I never expected it."
"Neither did I when it first happened to me. Perhaps I will tell you about it someday," Nye said rising.
"What's wrong with now?" Liam asked.
"Not now. Tomorrow," Nye said. "Right now, you have a friend who could use your support."
"Renee's taking care of him right now, and we're not going anywhere for a while."
"You are certainly resilient once you get curious, but I was not referring to him. I was referring to her, the one you love."
It took Liam a second or two to realize that Nye was no longer focused on him but rather on the beautiful blonde behind him.
"Hey Renee," Liam said slowly.
"Feeling better?" she asked quietly.
Liam nodded.
"Mem'na and Alo'in asked me to leave. They said that I should spend a day with you. You looked like you could use some company."
"Was it that obvious?"
"If it is obvious to me, major, than it is more than obvious to her and my peers," Nye said taking her leave. She ignored the dirty look Liam gave her.
"What about Da'an?" Liam asked to Renee.
"He'll still be the same when we get back. He'd want us to rest, I think. Wanna take a walk?"
"It's raining outside," Liam said pointing to the window.
"Then, just sit with me."
"Here?"
"Why not? You've got food," Renee said pointing to his fruit.
Liam took a bite of the purple fruit. "Hop on."
Da'an had had all he could take of Bel'lie's ranting and ravings once he saw them haul him off to the infirmary. It appeared as if a volcano had erupted. All plant life had been reduced to ash, and nothing of the creek was left but a puddle. The Synod deemed it a forest fire caused by a lightning storm. Bel'lie, for attempting to murder his child, would soon face a long trial in front of the Synod, Da'an remembered. He also remembered that he and Ma'el would be passed on to Ka'li's care for some time. And as for what was left of this part of the forest, he was surprised anyone had survived. He was surprised that he had been capable of such destruction as a child. It made him understand the priests' decision to suppress his memories. He began to wonder if he would have done the same thing had he been in Bel'lie's shoes."I should have given you to the Gods when you were born…"
A stab of guilt hit Da'an hard on his right side.
"You cannot run from it, you know," a familiar voice said.
Da'an turned to see that man in the black mask staring at him.
"He tried to kill me. How was I supposed to feel?"
"He tried to kill you numerous times before you put him away. How did you feel then?"
"Leave me alone," Da'an said, shaking off bits of ash from his back and storming away.
"Where do you plan to go now, child?" the high priest asked.
"Anywhere but here."
"You still long to leave the Commonality?"
"I long to understand what the point of all this is!" Da'an spat in frustration.
"The point, Da'an, is that feeling of guilt you had the moment you realized that you treat your own child the same way Bel'lie treated you," the high priest said. "The point is that despite your family's reputation of being so high and noble, you are truly no different than any other family at the time of the war. Every last one of you was paranoid, angry, and full of hate. My point is that the moment you stepped out of that water, you did not pity your parent. You did not attempt to reason with him. You did not even speak to him. You wanted him to suffer, and when he did, you enjoyed it. Does that sound familiar?"
"Do not even try to bring my child into this," Da'an said sinisterly.
"Or what?"
"You are not a holy man."
"I am a priest that has accepted that we are in a holy war. It is the purest against the separatists. You acknowledged this at one time. Now, you seek to walk away from us. Think about it, Da'an. You and I are not so unalike."
"Will you stop saying that! I am nothing like you."
"Then, why did you try to kill your parent? Why did you pass that same hatred that swelled inside of you to your own child?"
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"You belong with us, Da'an. You belong with your people. The fact is that you are incapable of leaving us because deep down inside, you know that you are just like us all. We are at war. The actions that you call horrid are for our own survival. Even if you did break away from the Commonality, no human would have you. You claim that humanity cares for you and will take you in, but they do not. They have not even forgiven the generations before them for the tragic but necessary actions they enacted against their fellow man. Do you honestly believe that they will forgive you?"
"They certainly will not forgive me if I continue to associate myself with you."
"Us, Da'an! You are us! You are just like us! You are not a good person. You are not diplomat. You are a killer, and without our interference, you would have killed every last person who opposed you. You would have turned out just like your own child. We channeled your rage. We saved you, Da'an. By eliminating your memories, we channeled that very evil you would have used on us against the real enemies. You would not be half the Taelon you are today if not for us."
Da'an turned back to face the priest with a poisonous glare. "You are not a holy man," he repeated.
"Neither are you, child."
The hand of the high priest thrust Da'an out of the ash and into the ruins. It was the citadel that had once been a part of the Taelon capital. It was burning, and there were people screaming.
It was the massacre. That terrible event where Jaridian terrorists attacked the capital and killed numerous diplomats, soldiers, and innocent people, including Ka'li. A thousand years had passed, Da'an recalled. Zo'or had just been born via a joining with Quo'on. It would be the last heterosexual Taelon joining.
There was a child running through the ruins with his parent away from the screams. There was a shuttle waiting for them that would take them to a Taelon colony on one of the moons. They stopped when two Jaridians saw them.
Run! he told his child.
They both ran as fast as they could, but the Jaridians were too quick. They managed to grab the parent. The child turned to watch him wrestle the Jaridians.
Forget about me, boy! Just get to the shuttle!
He hesitantly ran. The Jaridians dragged the parent into a building and began beating him. The parent tried to fight them off, but they had shaquarava, and they were much too strong. One of them pulled out an energy knife. The parent froze. The Jaridian grabbed him and started hitting him.
"We are going to make you suffer, Taelon scum," he growled.
"Just kill me now and get it over with."
More Jaridians entered the room to see what all the fuss was about. One of them was a lieutenant. Da'an could tell by his clothing. He waved his hand, and the Jaridian beating the Taelon dropped him.
"Taelon scum!" one of the Jaridians yelled.
"Damn you!" the Taelon shot back.
"You obviously do not realize that you are mere seconds away from dying a very painful death," the Jaridian lieutenant said. "Now from what my soldier tells me there was a boy with you. Where is he?"
"I do not know."
"You Taelons are completely incapable of reason," the lieutenant said. He hit the Taelon with his shaquarava. The Taelon could barely stand.
"Useless Taelon bastard!" one of the soldiers taunted.
Da'an could tell the Taelon was suffering. At the corner of his eye, he saw that two people were watching. One was the child that had gone back for his parent. The other was the second parent, the one who had gone off on his own to look for the child. The badly beaten parent saw the boy hiding. A pleading look appeared on his face, begging the child to just leave him.
"Let me go! Leave me alone please!" he told the Jaridians.
"Tell us where the boy went! We saw you with him!" one of the soldiers barked.
"I don't know where he would go!" he shot back.
"Tell us!" roared the lieutenant.
Da'an could see the angry figure in the dark. His eyes had turned bright red.
"What are you staring at!" yelled the lieutenant.
"N-Nothing," the Taelon panted.
The lieutenant looked in the direction of the Taelon and saw the meek child hiding. When the child figured it out, he was frozen with fear. The lieutenant looked pleased. He threw down the Taelon and started towards the child. Immediately, he began choking. The room began to rumble and objects started shaking and exploding, including the Jaridians' weapons.
"Wh-What is happening?" one of the soldiers trembled. "Lieutenant, sir, what is happening?"
The lieutenant was too busy choking to answer. He rattled and shook like a drowning victim. The child could not bear to watch at first, but soon the sounds started to fascinate him, and he turned back to look in wonder. One last rattle came from the lieutenant, and he collapsed on the floor never to harm another soul again. The other soldiers, pale with the terror that a hex had been placed on them by the beaten Taelon, all raced out of the building back into the screams.
The beaten Taelon on the ground looked more enraged than he did afraid. (Ungrateful bastard!) He knew that it was not just he and the child in the room. Da'an! Did you do this!
The second parent stormed out of his hiding place and took the child with him to meet Quo'on. Zo'or only stared at Da'an and Quo'on for a second. Then, he looked back at the dead Jaridian, fascinated by the corpse. Quo'on gave Da'an a dirty look. How could you do this!
There was nothing I did to him that he did not have coming to him.
That is not what I meant, and you know it! You cannot kill a Jaridian that way. No Taelon can! How did you do it?
What does it matter? He was about to take our child, and I gave him what we wished upon him.
I do not give the finest dirt about that piece of scum! You murdered him with telekinesis. No Taelon can do that.
I was protecting our child! One less of those knaves to deal with! Tell me that if you could have, you would not have done the same.
Quo'on hung his head low and placed his hand on the back of Da'an's neck. Dearest. You know I would have.
Da'an took his hand. We are wasting time. The shuttle will not wait for us. What is he doing?
Zo'or! Stop that!
Zo'or instantly stopped poking the corpse and stared at Quo'on.
Now, you listen to me and listen well. Quo'on said grabbing the child by his shoulders. Tell no one of this, boy! Do you understand me?
Yes, sir, Zo'or said in a strange tone.
No Taelon can kill! If anyone asks, Da'an did nothing to him! Your parent was never even here. The other Jaridians killed him. Do you understand!
Yes, sir, again with that strange tone.
You promise us. Promise us both.
I promise you both.
Good. Now we must hurry.
Da'an had never recalled that until now. He also recalled that the three never made it to that shuttle. The Jaridians commandeered them before they could reach the shuttle and took their revenge upon them. The Taelon soldiers would have to rescue them, and the fighter pilots would have to bombard the entire capital to drive the terrorists out. Days later, the Synod would declare war on the Jaridians, and the beginning of the end would occur.
"Do you pity that dead Jaridian?" the high priest asked Da'an.
"I pity my child for having to see that," Da'an said.
"He has seen much worse than that."
"I should not have been the one to have stolen his innocence. I am his parent. I should have tried to preserve it, but I was angry and backsliding."
"And now you threaten to walk out on him forever, at the time he needs you the most."
"Do you even know what he plans to do?"
"He can be saved. You both can. That is why he needs you so. We all need you."
Da'an forced the high priest's hand from his shoulder. "No. I will not do that. I will not be branded to hell with the rest of you."
"The path you are on right now is what shall lead you to hell. Ours is the path of salvation. We can purify you. We can cleanse you of the beast that lurks within you."
"I can only cleanse myself, and I cannot do that as long as I am with the likes of you." He started to run.
"Keep in mind, Da'an, if you wanted to truly free yourself, you would have done so by now. You remain under my guidance not because of me, but because of yourself. You know I am correct, even if you choose not to admit it. By pursuing this path, you are only furthering your own misery."
Da'an continued to run until he was out of the bitter memories and out of the range of the high priest's gruesome distorted voice. He was nothing like them. He knew it, and somehow, he was going to prove it.
