Chapter 5 - A love before time

Day 2 (cont.)

Potentoris - Location Unknown - Hour of Hann

Shayera opened one green eye, but a strand of her own red hair obstructed her vision. She wave it away with a flick of her hand and then she saw his face.

"who...?" Whoever he was, his face was noble and strong, with a rough handsomeness. The room was unfamiliar too ."where...?" When she looked down, she saw both their naked bodies "WHAT," she shouted. This woke him up. The look on his face was as shocked as hers. His eyes were dark and intense, his hair an the feathers of his wings, black as a raven's. He looked at her in disbelief, which soon turned into disgust.

"Traitor," he spat.

She tried to cover herself with the sheets as she jumped out of bed "What am I doing here! WHAT-DID-YOU-DO-TO-ME!"

"To you! Ha! You must've brainwashed me to make me lie with the likes of you!" He stood up also, not bothering in covering himself. He was tall, over 6 feet, and athletic. His wings were shaking nervously.

"Don't flatter yourself! I wouldn't touch you with a laser beam from a hundred yards." Her eyes roamed all over his body, nonetheless. "I must get out of here, wherever here is." She began to pick up her clothes from all over the room.

"You are in the Thanagarian Delegation accommodations, and I can have you arrested for this. Consider yourself lucky it's only me and four other military attach es that came to Almerac first to check the security arrangements." He went into the bathroom.

"Yes, I already met three of your 'TWERL' companions." She could clearly hear him urinating, since he didn't close the door. 'Charming,' she thought furiously as she began dressing.
Suddenly, all memories of the previous night assaulted her at once.

-0-

After the Queen's Schedule Keeper told them the monarch was indisposed and the soonest the Exalted One would receive them was tomorrow at the hour of Tarin (that would be at noon), she and Adam had agreed on a meeting time and parted ways. He was going back to the C.C. to contact his wife at Rann, and she went to have dinner back where she was staying.
At least, the diner was a pleasant place, small and quiet. She sat at a table by the furthest corner, hoping not to cross paths with any of her compatriots.

She hoped.

"You dare come here to ruin our meals, traitor." The large shadow of a Thanagarian male stood a few paces from her table.

"You can go anywhere else if you don't like the company," she said in a tired tone.

"I kind of like it here. I'd rather throw you out of this place," he spat in a contemptuous way.

"You can try. Please do." she added in a defiant manner, caressing the handle of her mace.

"What name should I have written on your tombstone besides 'Traitor,'" He asked, raising his sword.

"When you get to the fifth hell, you can tell Sekkel that Shayera Thal sent you." She pushed her seat back and stood in guard. "How shall I call the mark I'll make in the handle of my mace after your demise at my hands." Her tone was stone cold.

"Ha ha ha! I'm really going to enjoy killing you," he roared. "And it's Commander Katar Hol, by the way" he swung his sword as they began circling each other.

In the same precise moment their Nth metal weapons collided, an image of them standing in a sand desert location, in front of triangular shaped buildings, holding hands and surrounded by a multitude of people cheering for them, the ruling winged Gods, appeared in both their minds.

"My Queen Chai-Ara! Magpie!" he said

"My Lord Khufu! Peacock!" She responded.

They both dropped their weapons and, with a flutter of wings they passionalely embrace and kiss each other.

"In Haani's name, what's this? What's happening to us?" she asked

"I don't know, and right now, I don't care." After they picked their weaponry, he took her in his arms and they exited the diner directly to his chambers.

-0-

A tremor shook her body remembering the passion of last night. Never in her life had she felt like that.
It was more than physical. A love as ancient as the desert sands themselves had invaded both of them and exploded inside their souls. It was communion. It was perfection.

"Chai-Ara?" he looked at her from the bathroom door with a mouth full of tooth cleaner. He seemed to have had a total recall as well. He rinsed his teeth.

"Khufu" she responded.

"What sorcery is this? Why do I have this memories of us?" He went to her and held her hands taking them to his lips.

"I don't...I can't seem to move away from them either. All I know is I remember us being a couple long time ago. And the place seems familiar. I've seen it on Earth." She put her forehead againt his hands.

"Earth? I've never been there. In that campaign I was asigned on one of the other worlds that will form the Hyperspace Bypass Chain," he recalled. "I remember there was a traitor..."

When she heard that, began to distance her from him "You mean me..."

"No, I mean in our past. The reason our former selves, if that is what our visions are, got separated," he corrected her.

"No. This is impossible. There must be an explanation." She tried to let go his hands, but his grip was firm.

"All I know is what I feel right now is too strong."

He was still naked and she hadn't finish dressing either. Looking down between them she said, "And hard."

They decided to leave the questions for later.

-0-

Potentoris - Royal Palace - Three hours later

It was already the hour of Tarin. Adam Strange was about to get inside the Throne Hall alone, when Hawkgirl came running down the corridor.

"I'm here..., I'm here! I'm sorry!"

"Oh, good! Any problems," he asked.

"Nothing. Just got entertained by a Thanagarian delegate," she responded.

"Those guys are a pain in the butt," he pointed.

"Not only there," she said significantly.

Unsure of what she meant, Strange said, "Right."

The Hall doors opened as they entered. Maxima received them with a worried frown.

"Ah! The Leaguers. At last. My dear Alan..."

"Adam. Adam Strange, Exalted One," he corrected her, with a reverence.

"...and the Bird Woman..." Maxima continued

'Why you'..."'HAWKGIRL', Exalted buns." said Shayera, lowering her head.

"Girl? Hmm, Sure. Whatever. Do you have any news of our...'Trinity' was the operative name, right?
We are becoming worried sick," said the Queen, faking dismay.

"Actually, Exalted One, we were hoping your personnel would know something." Adam asked, "Weren't they monitoring their journey?"

"Well...yes, of course they were. We lost contact the same time everyone else did," said Maxima, tripping with each word.

"May I ask, just to compare notes, Exalted, at what time was this?" Shayera felt the eyes of the ruler drilling a hole in her head. "And why didn't your people contact us the moment they felt something was wrong, Exalted?"

"We're not an Hour Page! About the same time everybody did!" Something about the way this winged lady said 'Exalted' made the Queen lose her composure. "Dare you question us? It was YOU who should've contacted us when YOUR team failed to report!"

Adam's elbo subtlely touched Shayera's ribs, telling her they better go.

"Indeed we should have, Exalted One. Our back up team, 'Triad', is about to arrive any minute now, so we must be going.
Do you wish them to report to you directly? If not, we'll keep your personnel posted on every developement. Thanks for your time and gracious patience." Adam took a bow and so did Hawkgirl.

"Mmm. You may leave." Maxima moved her hand as she would wave a fly away.

The moment they were out of the palace, Adam said, "That went well."

"Have you notice how nervous she got back there," pointed Shayera. "It's evident she is hiding something."

"Yeah. But interrogating the Queen will take us nowere. Let's go meet with J'onn and the rest and figure out a plan."

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Thanks for the reviews.

Sorry for staying too long in Day 2. I have to establish the situation and environment before moving forward.