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1077 Words
Kaion did not want to leave Senere, but she made her choice, just as she was trying to say. If she wanted to play the grownup thing, then she should also leave the consequences too. Well, that was all he could do to help her learn about the life, after all, right?
He made his decision. Senere was not fit for her house anymore. She did not want it, so why would he be bothered about it? She made her choice, just as she said she would. Now, it was his turn to work on going home. He needed to learn about those portals. How do they open? How can he open one? What activates them?
He started to map the regions of the territory where they were signaled first. Then, he started to gather all the information about the portals, how much did they open for? How many soldiers can pass through at once? How often do the portals open?
He was also required to work with the Sun House, which was not all bad, but he knew they were reporting everything back to the king. For now, he kept nothing hidden, He needed all the support he could get. But soon... he would have to learn how to open one eventually, and then, that would be dangerous. They could kill him for the knowledge, so he had to be careful.
Occasionally, the Goddess was joining him in the research. She was so smart and her scent was troubling him at times when he realized he could concentrate less when she was around him. Moon... Silver Moon was her name, what a beautiful name... fit for a queen... if only...
He had to get back home, in his world, so he needed to pay attention, focus on the information, not on females... That was what they were good for... only distracting... not good at all, because no matter how smart she was, she was out of his world and he needed to get back. She was probably a spy for the king, for sure giving the intel about his progress, anyway. And he had no time for that kind of distraction. Even if... he... no, he did not need it. All he needed was to get home. To study... He should study more...
At the same time, she was the one spending time with his sister.
-She is happy here, you know? Moon told him and the melodic line of her voice already made him pay attention to her, not to the words she was speaking.
-Who? he asked her confused.
-Senere. She seems happy here.
Did she just read his mind about his sister? He looked at her seriously, thinking about it. She was a Warchild, after all, the blood of that king... her mother could... could she do it too? Should he ask her? No, she would lie to him about it.
-I don't care. Is her problem now. I just want to go home.
-You don't care about your own sister?? How many sisters do you have??
-Just this one. But she made her choice. He towered over the desk full of maps, where he was trying to find any pattern of the portals.
-You only have one and you don't pay attention to her feelings. No wonder she ran away... She said no one was ever listening to her.
-Of course, she would say that! Women just want attention! Let me work now.
-You are looking for a pattern... But sometimes, a woman can see what you won't... ever... Moon just put her bottom on the desk, to his annoyance, and she just took a pen in her hand, drawing a line, and giving something just as close to a pattern, an irregular shape, but nonetheless, a pattern of the portals. He never thought about that... he was not sure about that... but he felt something... something was familiar in that irregular shape that she drew on his map.
At first, he was mad, and he felt the rage building inside him when he saw her drawing on his work just like a child, but within seconds, her drawing made some sense... in a way... that he could not explain.
-That is... I saw this before... I know it... but I don't know what it is...
-It is the Zicon.
-Umm? He could not make sense out of her words. She was too close to him and his brain was malfunctioning. Was all blank. He could not think. Nothing. Zip.
-It is the Goddess's path to the Underworld! Look, see?
She pointed at the line she just draw on his map and then it just clicked for him too. It was indeed a pattern, the entire journey that they were taught that the Goddess herself has made in order to get to the underworld, to meet her husband, the God of the war and destruction. That was what the legends spoke. They were learning that at such a young age; he did not quite remember it all. It did not make sense, anyway; he was a soldier now, not a child to be scared of the old tales.
-So... if you are right, you are saying that... the next one will open around... this area...
-Yes... let's test the theory, shall we?
-But wait! How do we know when will it happen?? We might have a place... sorta... but not a time...
-Right... well... we could just place guards and see the timing. Did you find any pattern in the timing so far?
-No. We can not wait for hundreds of years in order for the next one to open!
-Is not hundreds... Look... they open once in some hundreds of years, but they open close... Let's mark them and mark the time too, and let's see what we can find about it...
Goddess, her hair just by chance slid from her shoulder directly onto his shoulder, stroking his cheek as she leaned over the paper he had made. He was sitting down, and she was too close to him, standing, and she began to note the approximate time at which they had recorded the opening of the portals over time. Her hair was so silky and was smelling like the spring, his favorite season. He had to shake his head to let that cozy feeling go away, so he could focus on the task. These women... were trouble for the men...
- Writer
