Epilogue
Summary:
A leap into the unknown...
Staring up at the massive, golden gate, Raha wasn't ashamed to admit that his heart stuttered unevenly when the wings of it silently slid open. He would be even tempted to admit that his hand twitched, minutely yearning for the comfort of his twin's grip.
"Here goes nothing…" Damon whispered, taking a bold step inside the gate, and Raha followed, if far more apprehensive, especially when, as soon as they cleared the gate, it silently drifted shut, leaving them in the darkness. Briefly seeing nothing and only hearing the hitch in his twin's breath, he startled at the sudden sound when, with a whoosh, the torches set along the long corridor lit up, not to mention accompanied by a quiet 'meow.' Searching for the source of the sound revealed the small (familiar) form of the Sphinx perched on a small shelf above their heads. When spotted by them, the winged feline gracefully flew down to the floor in front of them and, with a suggestive wave of its tail, headed down the lit-up passage. "I guess… he's intended to be our guide," his brother chuckled, then, without missing a beat, followed the cat-like beast, looking about the walls of the corridor with obvious interest.
Raha took a deep, steadying breath and then caught up to him, quite unnerved by the death silence ruling in the place. Shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket, mostly to hide their shaking, he steeled his spine and attempted to seem far more confident than he felt, if focusing his eyes on the form of their feline guide.
"Do you think he's the one that delivered those messages?" he asked his brother in a whisper without taking his eyes off the creature.
"Possible," Damon replied neutrally. "By the state of this place… perhaps he's the last of its kind, too."
That – if true – seemed so sad he involuntarily tossed the little beast a sympathetic look – quite familiar with the idea himself. But he at least had his brother and, apparently: their father if they unanimously elected not to inform Sol of their heritage. Mostly because Ares warned them that were he brought anywhere near the shapeshifters, there was a reasonable chance that their kin would react to him, too. And according to their stories, there was a reason why the 'unmated' Allag were contained to their lair more so than their kin. Damon, obviously, blamed that on pheromones and Miqo'te sensitive noses. And Raha found in it another reason why they needed to find a proper lair before his children's birth – unsure what exactly would happen if they were born Allag more so than they – he and Damon – were. And their dad was happy as he was with their mother, too.
"Hmmm," his brother hummed out of nowhere, and Raha tossed him a curious, sideways look. Damon's narrowed crimson eyes drifted along the pictures carved into the golden walls they passed, and – knowing him as he did – he recognized the expression on his twin's face. Damon was in full 'study' mode, and if he even felt any nerves about the goal of this 'visit,' his inborn curiosity apparently overruled that.
"Anything interesting? For us, I mean?" he asked quietly, knowing that his twin had quite an experience with reading the hieroglyphs – and that's how the drawings alongside the walls looked like.
"I'm… not sure," his brother replied somewhat cagily, and Raha frowned, tossing him another sideways look. "Truly, what those suggest… Ah, I rather wait for what Bastet has to say to us before drawing conclusions, Raha, that's all."
"Okay…" he sighed, then returned to watching their guide.
The walk was quite long, and soon he realized that the corridor was near-unnoticeably curving down, seemingly leading them into the depths of the mountain. Along it, they passed a number of shut doors: each seemingly a thick plate of pure gold. Or so he assumed, reminded of Senri's stories about what his brothers taught him about the lost Clan's lair. Damon attempted to peel open one, earning their guide's indignant his and flutter of the Sphinx wings, so they realized that apparently they weren't meant to touch anything.
Increasingly unnerved by the sensation of being caged in by the walls, Raha painfully missed his mate's reassuring presence. Even knowing that Senri was right outside, waiting with his brother in Damon's car they elected to travel with, wasn't enough to soothe his growing nerves. He realized that he wasn't alone in that when his brother eventually – without a word or meeting his gaze – wrapped his hands around his arm, abandoning his study of the walls in favor of staring under their feet.
"It's… surprisingly clean, isn't it?" he murmured at some point.
"Huh?" he blinked, then focused his eyes on the floor, too. He was right, as there was no spec of dust to be found anywhere – which would be quite expected in the abandoned cave system, even as beautifully decorated as this corridor alone seemed. "…magic?" he hesitated a guess.
"Probably… but why? Even if the Miqo'te notion that she stayed here for those thousand of years – mourning – is true… why bother to keep it so clean…?" he trailed off to sigh when finally the end of the corridor became visible. "I guess… we're about to find out."
Swallowing thickly, Raha nodded involuntarily and only exhaled deeper when they arrived at the base of the massive, two-winged door decorated with the twin images of a female with a feline head. The goddess depiction on the left wing had the head of the lioness, while the other one was very much a one with a more common cat-like visage. Leading them Sphinx meowed softly, then jumped in the air and perched atop another shelf by the door, pointedly setting to clean its paw with a bored expression on its muzzle when the door plates slid open as quietly as the gate at the entrance did.
A tad surprisingly – for Damon, that is – they took a twin, steadying breaths before heading inside and into the utter darkness ruling behind the door. Those also slid close as soon as they passed, and they both froze – gawking – when here, too, the torches blazed to life out of nowhere. The biggest – more of a bonfire set in the middle of the massive room – revealed a woman watching them with an unreadable expression on her unearthly beautiful face. And seeing her, Raha could only stare in numb awe and astonishment: because if this was Bastet…
"Ha!" Damon suddenly crooned, and his shell-shocked gaze swiveled toward him. His twin's grin was nearly blinding as he stretched out his hand toward the massive female seated on the golden and jeweled throne. Almost wishing to slap a hand over his brother's mouth before he would somehow insult the goddess, Raha's hand twitched, but before he could even connect the thought with the motion, Bast chuckled. The sound – so unbearably lovely – had his eyes shoot back to her instantly.
Leaning against the armrest of her throne, if she stood up, Raha would be inclined to guess she would probably stand somewhere at ten feet tall, and if that wasn't intimidating enough, the beauty of her features was downright mind-melting! But most shocking of all – for him, anyway – she looked like them! Or, to be more accurate: how he imagined they would look like if allowed to Shift. He wasn't sure if it was some trick to… soothe them, for whatever reason, but she did very, very much look like a massive Miqo'te, with their crimson, feline eyes and even a waterfall of red locks cascading over her shoulders and chest – which he was grateful for because her dress… was indecent, to say the least! Sheer, transparent material decorated with gold and jewels, if not for waves of her locks, he could easily imagine… left little to imagine! And somehow… with her beauty and the uncanny similarity between them – even considering her – a goddess – as an attractive female was just… frying his brain!
"Welcome, children," she said. Her voice – silk and honey for his ears – had his eyes grow huge as saucers when she smiled, and despite being very, very committed to his shapeshifter and their growing family – the pang of arousal in his gut was undeniable... and made him want to turn around and leave! And probably fuck Senri into oblivion….
"Whoa…" his twin breathed, then chuckled sheepishly and finally let go of his arm, utterly fearless as he folded his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows pointedly. "Am I wrong assuming… this is a reason why we were required to attend to you… my goddess… alone..? I have to admit… the effect is potent!"
"Ever a scholar, Damon," the goddess smiled at him fondly, and for a second, his twin looked quite glassy-eyed before he shook his head and took a few deep breaths. "Sweet, considerate Raha…" her eyes moved to him, and he understood suddenly… as, despite not wanting her, his gut clenched with the desire that took his breath away. "Only those of my blood can stand in my presence and not fall mad with bliss. For I am Bast, the daughter of Ra and Isis, the love and pleasure incarnate."
"Those of your blood…" he repeated numbly and felt all of said blood drain from his face as his arms felt numbly to his sides. "Allag were…"
"…literally Her children," Damon whispered. They exchanged quick, baffled looks before their feline, crimson eyes moved back to the pair of identical ones, if fittingly bigger… and filled with uncanny warmth.
"Miqo'te were my creation, in my image, to be my guards, as they first were," she said, smiling wistfully as she rested her chin atop her palm, putting one leg on top of the other. Her honeyed voice sent no less of a shiver down his back than the shimmer of the covering her sheer material if he pointedly kept his eyes focused on her eyes. Explaining her effect on him wasn't helping with it that much! "My favored protectors, yet when humans set upon them, craving their glorious fur… They became mine to guard, for I am Bastet, as well, my father's protector as he crossed the skies. By his gift, I'm All-Seeing and privy to the past, the present, and the future. And so, I gave my children the ability to Shift, knowing with it – and the human-like cunning it brought to their nature – they'll survive. But surviving isn't quite the same as living, hm? They're beautiful, my beasts, but carved into the creation as the image of my vicious aspect, they're aggressive and territorial – and as they evolved, they closed themselves off in their lairs and forests, stagnating in their isolation. To unite them, I had my pick of lovers, the most beautiful and strongest among them, and the fruit of that union became my gift of love and pleasure to their kind. And in turn, their faith and devotion gave me strength when other gods dimmed and disappeared as their devotees forgot about them. In these hallowed halls, I set my court, surrounded by my children – able to withhold my presence and remain sane – for millennia watching my creation thrive and flourish."
"Yet, as the wheel of fate turns," she continued with a sigh, and Raha nearly wept at the sight of sadness that bloomed in those cat-like eyes – not that surprised by Damon's slightly shaky exhale. "So did my creation come to resent me. My children were few and precious and, by their inborn drive, capable to only Bond with those who matched their souls. And demi-gods by nature, a few could actually meet those criteria. Unbound, their allure was too potent for their kin, so I would have my pick of best and most capable and, under the pretense of competition for my favor, invited them to attend this place, and sometimes… My children would find in them a matching partner. They would leave my court with my blessing, and if their child were born Allag, it would be sent here to attend me, and so it went on for eons… But my beasts were immortal, and too many rejected resentment burned bright. As the human population grew ever bigger, I introduced the chosen few to my court, and when my children found a match among them as well – that was too much of an insult to those sent away from these halls empty-handed. And as the ferment grew, I saw the upcoming slaughter…."
"Why… allow it?" he whispered involuntarily, one of the questions that had burned on his mind since learning more of her story. "Those were your children… how could you…" he trailed off with a gasp when she smirked.
"Who said I did…?" Bast straightened in her seat and waved her hand around the massive, empty room without taking her eyes off him. "My sweet Raha, why do you suppose I stay here, keeping guard?"
Predictably, Damon caught on sooner, gasping audibly, and when he looked toward him, his twin's eyes were wide as saucers.
"Of course…" he whispered. "You would be hardly a goddess of protection if you let your children perish…."
"But the plate needed to be cleansed," her velvety-toned sharpened to steel as his gaze swiveled to her as he tried to wrap his mind around it. "So I took the immortality from my beasts, put my children to sleep, and waited for the time when the resentment burns out into the longing. Those half-human hybrids that could pass among their kin, I sent out into the world, seeing the promise of their future. Seeing you," she smiled at them, setting her hands on the armrests of her throne. "My sweet human-raised twins, to lead my children into the new age of coexistence. My fearless, brilliant Damon, to face the trial of uniting the Clans of my beasts," she nodded toward his brother with an indulgent smile, and he shivered, caught in her stare when her eyes turned toward him. "My sweet, considerate Raha, to guide my children with the heart of the beast and mind of a human and make them one. Working together, you'll bring joy and prosperity to my creations, this I foresaw on the eve of my children's slaughter, and by this promise, I let the assailants in, letting them think they achieved their deed. For a thousand years, I waited and bid my time watching over my children's sleep, waiting until you're ready to take your rightful place and be what my creations need you to be."
"Rightful place…?" he frowned with confusion, looking around the empty room.
"To finish what your chosen mate started, Damon, you'll receive my blessing to unite my beasts' Clans in my name," she said, raising her right hand toward his twin. "And you, Raha," she raised her left hand toward him. "You'll be my voice as those hallowed halls will become your home. You'll attend my children and me and guide us toward the unity with humanity…."
"I… c-can't…" he muttered with terror, backing away as he stared at that hand. Shaking his head violently, he took a deep breath, released it, then looked the goddess straight into her fiery eyes. "I can't. You must know…" he trailed off, tossing a look at his twin, who frowned with confusion, looking between them. Taking another deep breath, Raha steeled his spine and then raised his chin pointedly. "You must know that I can't," he stated with power, and his heart stuttered unevenly when she dropped her hands and chuckled.
"You can and you will, my child, because there's no safest place for your children than those walls that, for ages, thirst for their laughter," Bast smiled softly, and her eyes grew warmer. "Your mate, by his unyielding devotion and dual nature, would be welcome here to stand guard at your side, as he was always meant to be. And your children, Allagan all, will bring a breeze of fresh air into these stagnant chambers I grow tired of. You, with your knowledge of human ways and customs, will be my counsel and confidante, bringing us closer to the unity that will assure my creations' survival, and you'll be the guide, tending to both yours and mine children – to avoid the history repeating itself as it tends to do. This I, Bast, decree and your reward: immortality to see your work bear fruit, as I've seen it. Now, leave me, children, attend to your affairs, and within a full moon cycle, you'll return here, Raha, alongside your pregnant mate and take place at the foot of my throne as you were always meant to do."
"Preg…?" Damon started, but he tossed him a sharp look before turning his eyes back to the goddess.
"Even if I agree…" he said pointedly, resting his hands on his hips and trying to hide his nerves behind the calm façade. "…and so does my mate… You're aware that we…" he motioned between him and his brother with an impatient wave. "…can't Shift, yes? How are we supposed to lead – as you said – the shapeshifters when we're so… lacking…?"
The grin that bloomed on her beautiful face was downright blinding and took his breath away for a second.
"Who said you can't…?" Bast said and moved her hand… and his whole world shifted. Utterly confused for a moment, it took him a good time to orient himself as the goddess suddenly seemed even bigger, and only the uncertain look toward his twin explained the sudden change… some.
Next to him now stood a beast, very reminiscent of Senri's true form, and looked back at him with a funnily parted maw, revealing row after row of those terrifying fangs – if there we some distinctive differences between it and his mate. Not only the color of its fur – as crimson-red as its impossibly widened eyes – but more so in the fact that it had wings. The incredibly soft-looking fur turned seamlessly into red feathers on the appendages that fluttered wildly when the beast clearly startled and fell back to sit on its hinder paws.
"…Raha?" it uttered, and Damon's voice coming from its maw startled him no less than the sudden realization that they were the same height… he was on all four paws, and there was a suspicious weight on his back… Refusing to move a muscle otherwise, he turned his shell-shocked gaze toward the goddess that actually snickered at their expanse!
"I believed it would be… wise to let your first Shift take place away from prying eyes, children, so I hold it off until our meeting," Bast said, setting her hand gracefully over her lips, though her eyes shone with amusement.
"So… that Sphinx that lead us in…?" fuck, but speaking felt strange with feeling against his tongue far, far too many tee… fangs!
"She's my daughter and retainer," the goddess smiled, dropping her hands in her lap. "Once you're ready to return, Shtola will teach you of all the facilities of this lair, and you'll teach her how to improve and modernize it up to your comfort, yes? Up to the comfort of all of my children before I'll wake them to face this new world and its challenges under your guidance."
Raha nodded numbly, then looked down, in a mix of awe and no small amount of terror, staring at his paw, experimentally pushing it forward. His brain struggled momentarily when it did move, then razor-sharp talons poked out of the fur when he sent a message to his numb brain to 'clench his hand.' With ease digging into the smooth surface of the floor, he pulled it back and winced at the screech it elected. He closed his eyes, took a steadying breath, and focused on the thought of being human – or at least as close as possible! – and when he opened them again, he exhaled loudly, seeing that it worked. Clenching and unclenching his hand, looking at the fingers move… he almost jumped when something nudged his thigh.
"A little help here, brother?" the red Sphinx grumbled at him with obvious annoyance, and he blinked at it for a moment, utterly dumbfounded. Like this, it was distinctively smaller than Senri, nearly by half, but the wings… "Raha! How did you turn back?!" it snapped in Damon's voice, and he flinched harshly.
"I just… thought it," he muttered, then startled when it closed its eyes… and a moment later turned into his brother!
"This… will get some getting used to," his twin gasped, palming at his body for a moment, then exhaling loudly before looking at him. "Are you okay…?"
"Just…" he cleared his throat awkwardly, then his hands shot up and wrapped around his head… and yeah, hello, cat-like ears! Gawking at his brother, he didn't dare check if he also ended up with a matching, fluffy tail… but the weight at his lower back was an indication that most likely: yes.
Damon – the bastard – snorted a laugh, and his stupid tail waved enthusiastically.
"Hey, we were told to expect that," he said, raising his hand gingerly toward his head, then pulling on the she of his ear. "Ouch, Ares wasn't overstating how sensitive it is, hm?" he hummed to himself, then turned his eyes toward the goddess. Then – to his surprise – he bowed gallantly and, raising, grinned at Bast. "I believe that once my twin goes out of shock, he will appreciate the honor of serving you as I do, my lady. For my and my mate's part, we will be grateful for your blessing and guidance in trials to come, as I know my Ares's heart and his wish to bring unity you spoke of."
"Go with my blessing and spread the word, Damon," the goddess nodded toward his twin with a smile. "In a month's time, you and your mate will be welcome in those halls, and going forward, you and your twin will facilitate the arrival of those you see fit to be a match for my awoken children. I believe your true form will be enough proof of my favor to convince the Clans to present to you their strongest and brightest, I trust and see that you'll be wise to pick the very best. As for you, Raha," she turned that smile toward him. "Throughout this time, I'll grant you the company of my daughter so you can teach her about the world outside this lair. Shtola never left it other than on my behest, delivering the messages to you two, so it might serve as both the lesson and a warning for you and your mate when you're bound to see why your children's safety here would be assured. She can protect herself well, versed in your kind's magic to perfection as she is, but you can use the taste of what's to come, yes?"
"…our magic?" he whispered, then swallowed thickly. "Which… is? Seekers create, Keepers destroy… so what exactly can Allag do…?"
"The protectors, my Keepers," she smiled a tad mysteriously. "The providers, my Seekers. And my Allag, to rule their hearts with their sweet pleasures," her eyes drifted toward Damon, and that smile grew into a smirk. "Your guesses weren't completely off, my child. But it is not about control or leash, but soothing and healing. Your magic, my daughter will teach you to command, is that of life itself. To give and take in equal measure – as a balance to all in existence."
"To give and take…?" Damon repeated hesitantly, and they exchanged confused looks before understanding flared in his eyes, and they darted back to the goddess. "To… heal and kill?"
Bastet nodded slowly, then raised her hand between them, and when Raha followed its direction, he saw that the door behind them slid open soundlessly, but to his surprise, the lit-up corridor wasn't empty, but a girl stood at the threshold.
Graciously poised and gorgeous, the female was clearly Miqo'te, with chin-length pearly-white straight hair and pale, teal eyes surrounded by a thick veil of lashes. Her hands gracefully folded in front of her abdomen, however, barely covered the fact that her attire was very reminiscent of that of the goddess, sheer and leaving very little to the imagination!
"Shtola, my beautiful daughter, will guide you to the surface, my children, and her care for the time being, I put in your hands, Raha," Bast stated, and in reflex, he tossed her an incredulous stare. He was startled when his twin shoved his elbow into his side, tossing him a meaningful glare. Raha cleared his throat and shook up, then bowed toward the goddess.
"I'll be honored to serve as her caregiver," he said – hopefully smoothly – and straightened, in thought praying that the girl won't mind a swift change of attire – or they won't even leave this fucking mountain without getting mobbed by lust-crazed humans… or something!
If this – as Bast said – was to be a 'lesson' in what to expect with his and Senri's kits… he was starting to get the idea!
"This way, please," the girl spoke up, and her voice was sweet and reminiscent of delicate bells, nearly musical in its tone. She turned and, without looking if they followed, headed back the corridor.
"I bid you farewell, children, and look toward our next meeting," the goddess said, and he hid a sigh, then they both bowed once more and followed after the girl, soon leaving behind the audience… room?
Catching up with the girl… Shtola wasn't hard – what was harder was not paying attention to the fact that, in the back, her attire was as translucent! And at the amusement he caught in his twin's eyes – and knowing his devious sense of humor far too well – he wasn't that surprised when his brother soon spoke up, visibly stifling a laugh.
"So, Shtola, tell me…" he started toward the girl, ignoring Raha's warning, murderous glare. "…you look toward living with Raha…? His lair is pretty small."
"I do not mind," the white-haired beauty sent then both a sweet smile over her shoulder. "It's my mother's wish for me to guide you and to learn, and I'm… excited to see more of the world outside. If the space is scarce, I can Shift to a small shape, too, as before."
"That won't be necessary," he said, glaring at his brother when his smirk grew into a grin. "I'm sure we can accommodate you in whatever form pleases you the most, Shtola."
He just knew that the asshole was already scheming something…!
"I'm about to move in into my mate's lair, that's much bigger," his twin stated far too innocently.
"How nice for you to be mated," the girl smiled at him brilliantly, then turned back to look forward with a quiet sigh. "Sorry, I don't mean to sound envious… but it is my wish to find a mate of my own, by Bast's blessing."
"Ah… I don't mind trying my hand at finding you a perfect match among my mate's kin," his brother's smile was far, far too innocent, and Raha tossed him a suspicious look. "As a matter of fact, I already have the idea of just… someone perfect!"
"Damon…" he hissed under his breath.
His twin moved forward, next to the girl, then unceremoniously hooked his arm in hers.
"How do you feel about the idea of that, hm?" he asked the shapeshifter with a smile when she was slightly startled at that.
"At least let us leave this place before you start the matchmaking!" Raha sighed, rolling his eyes.
"Hush, spoilsport," his twin laughed, then turned his crimson eyes – ashine with humor back to the girl. "So, there's this gorgeous boy that belongs to my mate's Clan that – seemingly – just can't stay out of trouble! How do you feel about blondes…?"
Raha slapped his hand over his eyes, then shook his head, following silently and only half listening to Damon's tirade.
And knowing his twin…? He hoped Bast foresaw it, too, because he wouldn't be that surprised that in month's time, he would be coming back without the girl!
"…should we tell him…?"
"I guess…? On the off chance that he reads this before Damon gets to him…?"
"Okay, okay… Rahm, buddy… if you're committed to your status as a single, beware, because apparently Damon has you in his sights! And if you aren't… well, Shtola's a lovely girl, but there would be… some VERY carefully supervised courting involved, just so you know."
"So, yeah… as you all see: a lot of surprises pretty much jumped out on us! We discussed it with Sen, obviously, and he very much agrees with Bast: that the Allagan lair – after some necessary improvements – will be the best place to keep our kits safe. Believe me… just a road back from there was enough to give us a GOOD lesson."
"Mhmm… Damon summed it up as the fact that apparently unmated Allag's pheromones are… especially potent. To ALL around them, believe me. For now, we're keeping Shtola contained to our lair and she's happy enough learning about the world from TV, books and internet in a safe environment."
"Yeah, and Senri's having a field day, snarling at the humans constantly knocking at our door, coming from every other apartment… so it IS potent, I tell ya."
"Well… lesson learned, right?"
"That's for sure…!"
"Anyway, as we prepare to move and in between exchanged lessons, we're happy we managed to finish this guide. The Q&A that I'm looking toward, you can expect soon, as well!"
"Thank you for sticking with us, and perhaps once we settle in, we'll see about writing another: how to manage matchmaking between shapeshifters… or something."
"It is a serious task… in this circumstances, babe."
"No doubt here, Sen, just… at the heart of it all, we're all bunch of silly cats, hm?"
"That's what I've been saying this whole time!"