Fourteen Times in Perim

by Quazer

When humans found themselves on a Perim that never knew humanity before, they had to learn a lesson quickly, that Perim devours and destroys the unprepared. I, however, found myself having to learn that lesson time and time again. I have died so many times, only to start all over again. Maybe this time I'll survive. AU, rated M for violence and sexual content.

88. The Feared One

I do not own Chaotic nor anything related to it. It belongs to TCDigital.

-[]-[]-[]-

The Feared One

-[]-[]-[]-

It's been about a solan now. The war is still going on. The M'arrillians have recovered a bit, and the tribes of Perim are back on the defensive.

My mental defenses are coming together slowly. I'm pretty good at recognizing an intrusion in progress, and I am passable at blocking it when I find it. Still not perfect, though, so if a M'arrillian attempts to invade my mind, I really should just get the heck out of there. Enre-hep is also reaching the limits of what he can teach me, so I very well might not make any further progress.

I'm still skinny, but it's reasonable now. Eventually all I will need is a good diet and a workout program to regain my old body. The Danian controllers insist that I'm healthy enough for them to start performing accelerated procedures on me, but Manuel is nervous about the idea. Personally, I'm just glad that I don't need a cane anymore.

Hera is twenty-one solans old now, and Jupter is nine. Jupiter is reaching the age where Mipedian start reflexively trying to turn invisible, so I've seen his outline shimmer several times when he hides from me. Isis and I are trying to help him get used to me, but the going is slow.

Hera, on the other hand, has become quite the rambunctious little Mipedian.

"Uncle Iflar's coming back!" Hera cheers as she dances around, her muge's cloak billowing around her. She should be having her lessons right now, but she's so wound up that Tiaane decided to have the lesson later. So instead my family is sitting in the living room having an early celebration, with Tiaane as a guest..

"Coming home on time, too," I grin. "Have I ever told you the story about the time he came back late from a campaign?"

"You haven't," Hera says as she sits cross-legged in front of me, "but Mom mentioned it a few times. Not a lot, though."

"I have not heard this story," Tiaane says.

A bit of story-telling should fix that.

-[]-[]-[]-

"So you and Daddy weren't married back then?" Hera asks when I get to the part about Theb-sarr inviting me to the royals' table.

"No, we weren't," Isis says. "It was his first time seeing me, and my first time speaking to him."

"Your first time actually seeing me was the day we Humans arrived in Perim, was it?" I grin.

Isis gives me a confused look. "How did you know that?"

"Just a guess," I lie. Really should have kept my mouth shut.

Hera pipes up, "So when I grow up I'll get married too?"

"When you find the right person who loves you and that you love back," I say.

Hera grins widely. "I'm going to marry Tiaane when I grow up then."

I try very, very hard not to laugh. I'm partially successful. Isis doesn't fare much better. Tiaane simply looks stunned.

Hera looks around innocently. "What?"

I lean forward a little and poke Hera's nose. "You're a little too young to be worrying about things like that. Besides, you don't really know what marriage is all about."

"I do know what it's about!" Hera says as she puts her hands on her hips.

I push down anxiety that starts bubbling up in my gut. "Oh? Then tell me."

Hera blinks, then starts picking at her claws. "Um... a mommy and a daddy live together, and they take care of little babies who grow up... um..."

Tiaane seems to have recovered. He leans forward and chuckles, "When you grow up, you'll want to marry someone closer to your own age. I'm almost five times older than you are. And I'm your teacher-"

"Relax, Tiaane," Isis says. "Little children always think they know who they'll marry."

"I'm not little," Hera pouts.

"Yes you are," Jupiter mutters from Isis's lap.

"What?" Hera spins around. "Oh, I'm going to get you!"

Jupiter leaps from Isis's lap and dashes for the door. Hera chases after him. I'm laughing so hard my stomach hurts.

-[]-[]-[]-

Two hundred Mipedians. Two hundred. That's how many Iflar had rescued. Not only Mipedians, but Overworlders, Underworlders, and Danians as well, both Perim-natives and Humans..

Our relationship with the Danians might as well be an alliance now. Chaor delivered a surprising message of thanks. Maxxor, eh, we still haven't heard anything from him.

The most surprising things had yet to arrive, though, as I'm quickly finding out.

"You brought a M'arrillian!" Mudeenu roars at his adopted brother. "You brought one of those things from the Deepmines!"

Iflar folds his arms and glares at Mudeenu. "It was my decision to make. He- wait, she- no, they- whatever. The M'arrillian is one of the same ones that gave you information when you were tasked with rescuing Osiris. Freely gave you information, might I add."

I'd only been half-listening before, but my ears perk up when I hear Iflar stumble over his pronouns. "May I see this M'arrillian?"

Iflar raises an eye ridge at me, but replies, "Southwest medical tent."

I leave Mudeenu and Iflar to argue as I hurry to the tents. I find the right one and step in. A pair of light blue worm-like creatures are lying on a pair of cots, with a rather confused Mipedian doctor sitting nearby.

"Twins!" I cry out.

The worms' heads turn towards me. {it is prince osiris}

{i can see that, brother}

{hello your highness, you are-}

{too kind, coming to greet your-}

{former captors}

"Why are you here?" I ask. I almost don't care. The Twins were probably the most decent M'arrillian I had met.

{because we are injured}

{badly injured}

"I mean in Al Mipedim-" I begin before I realize what they had said. "Injured?"

{you were aa'une's personal-}

{prisoner and secret weapon}

{we were severely punished-}

{for our part in releasing you}

{we barely escaped execution-}

{though that might have been preferable}

The doctor presses his hands against the sides of his head. "How the heck are they doing that? Are they reading each other's minds?"

I ignore him. "What happened?" I ask the Twins.

{chained to the walls-}

{with no way to move}

{sometimes our bodies were cut open}

{though at least that was better than-}

{what some of the others who survived-}

{had to go through, though we were sometimes-}

{forced to watch}

"Watch what?" I ask before I can stop myself.

There's a long pause. {what part of aa'une's body glows brightest}

"Never mind," I almost shout. "I get it."

Another pause, this one quite uncomfortable. Then the Twins say, {you are very scary, prince osiris}

{absolutely terrifying}

"Huh?" I have no idea what they're talking about .

The worms glance each other, and then they suddenly start moving in unison. {{aa'une and phelphor are terrified, we told prince iflar that as well, they are terrified of you and what you can do, though they would not say what it is that you can do}}

I point at my chest. "Me?" Then again, Aa'une and Phelphor do know that I'm dreaming this whole world.

{{the fear is contagious,}} Twins continues. {{many now fear you, even if they have never met you}}

They stop moving in unison. {there are many rumors as to why-}

{you are feared so much}

{some say you can steal souls}

{others say that you are really a demon-}

{posing as a human, while some believe-}

{that you are cothica, and even pray using your-}

{name instead of cothica's}

{blasphemy}

{indeed}

{that was not an insult, we-}

{simply disapprove of the practice}

I feel a chill in the air. So an entire tribe of creatures are starting to fear me? I wonder how complicated that will make things.

-[]-[]-[]-

Up next: The Dishonored Son

-[]-[]-[]-

Like I said before, Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.

If you like the story, please follow and leave a review!