13 - "Banal, Trite…Stale."
-Fifteen Years Old-
"Toma?"
"He is not the one currently in control," Delek replied.
"I know, I… Um…"
Delek looked to her.
"Soon, I'm going to blend, and Iasis is going to see what I saw at the river."
His eyes flared. "I ordered you never to speak of it."
"I'm just wondering…what do I tell Iasis? She's going to ask once she's in my head."
"She will see that you were ordered not to speak of it."
Malika sat down. "I didn't mean to intrude."
He made no reply.
"Why don't you like me?"
"You are against the law."
"Well, that's…petty."
He looked to her with the slightest look of amusement.
"What does Delek and Toma mean?"
"What?"
"Your names. What do they mean? Malika means queen."
"Your parents named you queen?"
She smiled slightly.
"I suppose it is appropriate."
"What about Delek?"
"Delek means 'to work.'"
"That's kind of boring."
He shrugged.
"That's what you picked for your name? 'To work?'"
"It was the name of my first host's brother."
"Oh."
"Delek the First was killed by Jaffa before the blending."
"I didn't know you were a second."
"Many Tok'ra are. Or thirds."
"And Toma?"
"It means…banal, trite…stale, essentially."
"Oh. That's…sad? Did his parents know the name of the meaning?"
Delek didn't reply, clearly talking to Tian. Finally… "Actually, it's his second shield name. The first one broke."
"Shield name?"
"His people are given multiple names. Their true names are kept closely guarded as they believe it has power over them. The shield name usually has a negative meaning to further protect the person." He smiled slightly. "If you were an evil spirit, which child would you steal? The one called 'stale' or the one called 'queen?'"
She smiled slightly. "So…at the river, I heard true names that I'm not supposed to know."
"…Yes."
"I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone."
He nodded. "Thank you."
"How does a name break?"
"Suffering."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"He's been Toma since he joined the Tok'ra."
Malika nodded.
~+~+~.
"Sister! Sister! Sister!
"Cousin! Cousin! Cousin!"
"Cousin! Cousin! Cousin!"
Malika woke up to multiple squeals, and that confused her.
"Cousin! Cousin! Cousin!"
"Sister! Sister! Sister!
"Cousin! Cousin! Cousin!"
"Cousin! Cousin! Cousin!"
"What the…?" She sat up to see Iasis and multiple larvae.
Lantash walked in. "We thought they came here."
"Father?"
"Young One returned to us." Iasis squealed happily.
"Per'sus is back?!" It had been over a year. The Tok'ra had even considered a funeral, but after they lost so many others, they didn't want to admit to losing another Tok'ra.
"He's back," Lantash confirmed.
"Is he alright?"
"He…will be."
"Einar?"
Iasis and the larvae all swam off.
"He still has Einar," her father assured.
"And they…found larvae?"
"I don't fully understand the story myself, but the councilors have assured me us that they won't harm Iasis."
"This is good news then!" Malika made a hop.
"Councilor Per'sus would like to see you," Lantash said. "He's in the infirmary."
Malika ran off, but then got nervous. "He…will be." What did that mean? She mentally prepared herself for the worse, including the possibility that Einar was dying. As she approached, she heard squealing again.
Per'sus looked like Per'sus. She was greatly relieved to see that Einar appeared fine. She ran over and hugged them.
"Malika." Einar smiled. "You have grown taller."
Malika smiled as she looked to him.
"We didn't mean to worry anyone."
She knew he was downplaying whatever happened for her sake. "Did you bring the new larvae home?"
"Yes." He brushed his hair back with his hand.
"Are you alright?"
"Tired."
Malika approached the larvae. They were in one of the streams that was higher up, putting them more at chest level. Malika gave them attention this time. "This is very strange."
"You're telling me," Einar chuckle.
Getting a closer look now, she could see that they were different ages.
"We feared Iasis might get a little jealous," he admitted as he picked up the young queen, "but you have accepted them graciously."
"They rescues. Like me. They need parents."
"The oldest will be ready to take a host in less than a year."
"Still need parents."
Malika smiled. "You can't deny them parental love."
Einar glanced to them, then shrugged. "We will figure it out."
Iasis and all the larvae squealed.