Words could not describe how happy I was to be out of that pyramid. I crossed my ankles and tucked my hands behind my head, staring up at the stars for the first time since I was a child. They looked so different now! I counted as many as I could and then counted the occasional shooting star that passed by-there were three. Beside me, Tanis was a regular ol' boy scout and managed to start up a fire. It was crackling and combined with the flow of water from the new river behind our location, I was in paradise. I sighed and closed my eyes of my own accord, enjoying the peace. There were no puzzles, no talking mummies, no soulmate issues or broken bones. It was bliss.
"He really seems to have taken to you." Tanis commented from across the fire. I hadn't told him to, but he had situated himself away from me. I glanced down to the odd little lump that had somehow dozed off on my stomach.
"I guess so," I chuckled as I brought my hand around to scratch between its ears. Tanis had called it a "chimera kit" and as I looked down at it-him- now, I could see why it would be a kit.... although I had never pictured a chimera being so cute. When Tanis had said it the first time, the only image that came to my mind was a malformed lion with a goat sprouting from it's back like a tree. That so wasn't the case. He had a lovely black coat of fur that couldn't decide if it wanted to be scales or hair. The underpart of it was like the belly of a lizard though, all smooth like. It's paws were tucked up against it-the claws that protruded from it's cuticles were near talon like and reminded me a lot of a what I pictured a dragon's claws would look like. He even kind of reminded me of a dragon a bit with it's tiny little horns protruding from it's head and long spiney protrusions from it's back that extended down into a very reptile like tail...but it had a feline face that was beyond utterly adorable and killed off any creepy aspect it could have had. I couldn't stand to leave it there in that decrepit pyramid.
"So what are you going to name him?" Tanis broke my thoughts and I answered him immediatly.
"Indiana-Indy for short." I pet Indy one last time before tucking my hand back behind my head and glancing over to look at my companion. I was met with a familiar smile that warmed me right down to my soul and I couldn't help but smile back at him. "I'm serious." I laughed.
"Like Indiana Jones?" he asked, poking the fire.
"Exactly like Indiana Jones." I replied looking back to the stars. Embers from the fire drifted lazily into the sky and floated back down to us as ash. I heard the long sound of a zipper coming undone and I jerked my head to the side as Tanis shrugged off his vest leaving only a tight t-shirt that left nothing to the imagination. Images of us tangled together in sheets flittered across my mind and I blushed hard enough for him to notice. He winked at me as if he had somehow caught my thought-Lord I hoped he couldn't read my thoughts!- and then looked back up towards the sky. I cleared my throat for some reason and followed suit. Indy grumbled at me from his slumber on my stomach, apparently I had been to loud for him.
"Do you ever wonder where we began?" I wondered aloud, careful not to wake the sleeping bundle this time.
"What do you mean?" Tanis asked and I struggled to frame my question.
"Like...our souls. Where did we come from?" I looked over to him "Why us?" He seemed to consider my question.
"Probably some preordained bullshit" he shrugged it off and I felt myself deflate. I don't know why I thought he would know the answer to that, but the fact that he didn't somehow irritated me. "I can't know everything princess" he mumbled at me and I looked over sharply again. I was really beginning to wonder about this mind reading thing, and if he was intentionally ignoring me he was both an asshole and a saint. He chuckled at me and closed his eyes.
It wasn't so bad being Tanis's Edin. I really had to hand it to the guy, he was defintely attractive and his body elicited responses from mine that were pert near embaressing...but even before I had known all about this Adim and Edin buisness there was an undeniable attraction I felt towards him. Of course I would never tell him that because I knew he would never let me live it down, but the attraction was there. I felt that hollow pit gnaw through the warm fuzzies and my mood died. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about the day's events too much, but that was near impossible too. I had changed in that pyramid, that was undeniable, but I felt as if I had lost something.513Please respect copyright.PENANAwgAQ8tR319
I thought of Max's face then and somewhere in my heart, I lamented. Maybe in some other life, Max and I were together living a normal life-a human one because I knew deep down I wasn't a human. I never had been. Tanis and I were a different breed entirely. I also knew I loved Max, just not the way that he needed nor wanted to be loved. From the very moment I set eyes on Tanis, I knew I was supposed to be with him, and the more I realized that fact the more I felt...uncomfortable. I had had such terrible experiences with guys and I had pushed each and every single one of those awkward moments deep into the dark recesses of my brain, never to be thought of again.
I took a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling, enjoying the fresh air. Across the fire which had slowly started to burn down, I watched the steady rise and fall of Tanis's chest and slowly but surely, I drifted into a welcome sleep. This time I didn't mind the darkness.
...
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Utah, United States
23:55 Central Mountain Time
-Begin Transmission-
"It has been exactly twenty four hours since the Earth underwent its first cataclysmic pole shift in thousands of years-and if you can hear my voice that means you survived. I'll try to be brief since I don't know how long this jury-rigged contraption will stay on the air-I'm broadcasting to any frequency I can. Where to begin, there's so much...ah, let me start out by saying that the coastal United States was completely decimated. Florida, half of California, Hawaii, South Georgia...they're all gone.. I've spent the last twenty hours compiling as much data as I could for you all and I found that we had our warnings...we just didn't know they were warnings. It started with the unusual cold breezes that swept through South Africa and South America first. Our governments passed them off as climate anomalies-tried to say they were caused by El Nino or some shit like that. Then came the nine point oh quakes that we rode off and completely ignored...and it all boils down to this old theory of Earth Crust Displacement. It was created by a guy with the last name of Hapgood way back in the early sixties, I think. The best I can describe it is this: Imagine the Earth is an orange. Now you can take the peel of that orange and completely rearrange it however you want to, but the inside of that orange will always be the same. Apply that to the Earth at an unusual accelerated rate. Guys, I believe that's what happened to us yesterday....and the only reason I find credence in this theory is that true north is no longer pointing towards true north....in fact, my gps is now reading north as a point somewhere north east of where Hawaii used to be, South has taken up residence in South Africa...
I can see my signal cutting in and out which is probably for the best at this point. I'll leave on this note: Don't leave the safety of your homes. If you aren't home, get there. Gather your supplies and bunker down because I have this horrible feeling in the bottom of my stomach telling me that we haven't seen the worst of it yet....then again that's probably my delirium from sleep deprivation setting in. I'm signing off now, but I will try to broadcast to you all as most as I can."
-24:00 Central Mountain Time-
End Transmission
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.......
More than 10,000 years ago
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Somewhere off the coast of Africa, a small island shook as the sleeping giant it hid slowly rumbled to life, Smoke pluming into the sky. Situated on the outskirts of a once dormant volcano was a city that once thrived with life. Now, it held nothing but abandoned streets, homes and families that refused to leave believing that they could ride out what they believed to just be earthquakes. In a temple situated in the middle of the shining city, a man barreled down the halls, a small child held firmly to his chest oblivious to the destruction that was about to befall her once beautiful home. The man chanced a glance down at his child, and for a brief moment he was envious. Her long raven black hair was pulled into a firm braid, and yet a few loose strands had escaped and managed to obscure her porcelain face.
The Earth gave a violent tremor, and the man was thrown against the wall. He clutched the sleeping child tighter, and began his sprint towards a cryostasis chamber that had been built by his ancestors. He flew through the doorway as a crack snaked up those stone walls, branching out towards intricately carved arched ceilings. Inside the room stood a guard-his oldest and most trusted friend. The two exchanged nods, formality behind them now in the trying times. Caenon, his guard, took no time in typing out a sequence into a glowing screen. In response, the stasis pod before them gave a sharp hiss and opened vertically to allow access. Before the man placed the child within, he glanced back down knowing it would be the last time he saw his only daughter. She would never know about him-never know about this place or her destiny until the time was right. It was the way things had to be now. He brushed his thumb across her tiny forehead, sweeping the stray bits of hair that had escaped their tight confine back behind her small ear. She didn't even so much as stir-and why would she? She had been placed in sleep meant to hold onto her conscious until times were much safer.
"Anuk," Caenon placed his hand on his friend's shoulder and the king had to fight back at the hot tears that stung the backs of his eyes. As he placed his daughter within the chamber, he could only think of what had been taken from him-ripped from his grasp. The clear door closed, sealing Anuk's child away for what was going to be forever...he knew it was for the best though. That combined with the fact that his legacy was going to live on was what propelled him forth. The king led his guard out of the room, and turned to look at him as the door sealed behind.
"Caenon, you must promise that you will protect her." He knew the answer even as he said it. "Raise her as if she was of your own blood. Make her strong and honorable. Make her a fierce Edin." Tears still bit at his eyes. Outside, the volcano continue to stir and shudder giving prelude to what was about to come.
"On my life." Caenon responded. The two men paused a moment more before grasping forearms.
"Protect my Atla." On those final words, the two went their separate ways. Caenon had barely made it off the island-their home as the volcano finally exploded.
In the center of the city, facing the volcano sat Anuk. He caught sight just as rocks punctured the sky and rained down the mountain before closing his eyes and concentrating his energies. He knew that around the world, similar scenarios were happening and he lamented. Atla was to be the new Edin, but due to trying circumstances she was unable to complete the transfer. The Edin had lost her Adim and to protect the world, she was sealing away her people's secrets.
Anuk placed his palms on the ground and immediately felt the Earth's energy flow into his body, connecting with his soul. With concentration, he focused those energies as well as his own towards his kingdom. He thought of his daughter's face as he forced high tidal waves to wash ashore. Water rushed into every opening, and took everything down with it just as the pyroclastic cloud had started to spew forth from the cone of the volcano.
Anuk gave himself to the Earth leaving behind the sunken city that was once his kingdom as Caenon disappeared across the ocean. When the time was right, he would return to his home and awaken the sleeping princess.
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