The God of Gravity part 2: Olympus

The Heir

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The hooves of the camels clacked and echoed throughout the mountainside. The wind blew upwards and behind them as if it wants them to see what is up there and can't wait for them to see it as soon as possible. Hiroki as usual led the way and almost felt the tiredness of his camel because it has been carrying him for months back from when they started crossing this unforgiving desert and now climbing this terrain. The sun is setting behind them as they get near the top of the plateau. The camel he's riding and the camel who carries his stuff, felt relieved as Hiroki stopped to wait for his comrades following behind him at the leveled ground. The first one to arrive is Sayuri, riding the camel Jasper. Then followed by Jack on the camel he's riding and the camel that carries their stuff.

They got off of their camels and Jasper transformed back into himself. He stretched his back and said, "That took a long time to climb!"

Sayuri walked in the direction where she spotted another village. The three followed behind her and they went further into the plateau. As they walked closer, they begin to see what the village looks like. They were not that surprised in seeing the whole village abandoned. The mudhouses have cracks and holes on them, and debris spreading throughout the grounds. They are still outside the village and near the first house they are about to pass by. The air blowing from the village seemed too cold for a desert village. Although his sense of smell isn't as good as Jasper, Hiroki can smell something that makes him feel that he doesn't want to find out what it is. They finally passed by the house and walked on the street of the village. And they saw it all.

Skeletons of people who ought to have lived here were lying everywhere, half-buried by the sand. A sudden gust of wind made a wind chime from a house sing a loud song that was supposed to make people feel at home. Hiroki, unlike the rest, felt more than just uncomfortable. Seeing the grin of these skeletons is not worth seeing in the first place.

Jasper went to check a house and called, "Hello? Anybody home that is not a skeleton?" He giggled faintly.

Hiroki didn't mind him and went to check on other houses, as well as Jack after they tied their camels on a wooden pole. They just let their lady do what she wants and she walked deeper into the village.

Hiroki entered a house with a trembling voice as he called, "He.. he.. hello?" and no one answered. He just walked on the floor then made footprints on the undisturbed sand that invaded the floor long ago and piled up for a long time. The inside is very dark and there are shadows everywhere but he can see well that he's the first one that entered this house for that period of time (if we only count the living). Then there he saw three skeletons sitting in the corner, still in their clothes and their hair intact on their skulls. The adult is in the middle and the two small ones are at each side embracing it. There is a single bottle with little water that the one on the right is holding with its small hand.

Hiroki just stood there until the sunlight from the windows behind him, lit up the three corpses. And somehow, he can make up a story on how these corpses came to be. The adult is the mother. A boy at the left, and the girl at the right. Then there's a little mystery of why the bottle still has water in it - which the girl holds with her left hand. Hiroki had something in his mind about that, but it just made his heart sink faster than stone falling into a deep trench. He just turned around and let them be. He went to Jasper and Jack as they talk to each other.

"Did you find someone?" asked Hiroki.

Jasper shrugged and said, "All I found are fleshless people."

"Me too," said Jack. "What happened here? There's no trace of fighting. It's like they just starved themselves to death."

"Could be," nodded Jasper. "Look at that," he said pointing at the small, shallow circular bricks at the center of the village. They walked towards it and saw what it actually is. "That's a well, isn't it? And it's completely filled with sand. And look," he said while kicking the sand and saw buckets and other skeletons. "there are guys that kicked the bucket." He touched the bucket. "Wait, I think that was an unintended joke." Then he giggled. "Damn, sorry."

Hiroki just shook his head in disappointment but decided to go and find Sayuri. "I'm going to find Lady Sayuri," he said and the two of them just have had a conversation.

He walked, following the footprint she made until he saw her sitting on a cart. He stood behind her and didn't bother to make a sound for he already knows that she knows he's there. She is just sitting still with her katana on her lap while looking at the ground. The dark sky crept slowly and they just stayed there for minutes until the shadows on the ground are as dark as her hair. She stood up and went back to the other two. He couldn't see her face because of this darkness but saw a faint glimmer in the corner of her eye. Then he followed her.

The air is cold on this plateau compared to the lands that are closer to sea level. Jack and Jasper already set up a house where they can stay and it is the only warm and bright house in the village. They removed the corpses and made a fire at the fire pit in the middle of the house. Then they already cooked food.

She walked through and Jasper says, "My lady! let me show you-" but she already went to inside a room for her own and shut the door. "Never mind, I was going to show you that."

After that, they waited for the food to be cooked and enjoyed the warmth from the fire. They sat on the chairs that they found that are still standing because most of the chairs in this house and other houses are broken or rotten. There were no crickets to fill the emptiness of the night, so the fire is the only one that I making a sound. Hiroki started to scoop rice for the lady. He brought it to her door along with a bottle of water.

"My lady," he knocked and the door opened instantly. "Here's your food, my lady." She grabbed it and was about to close the door when Hiroki said, "Aren't you cold, my lady? You can join us around the fire if you-" She closed the door on his face. "Okay," he said.

He turned around to join the two but then the door opened behind him. He turned back and saw Sayuri shivering a little after a cold breeze entered from the window as she holds her water and food in each hand.

"You want to be near the fire, my lady?" he asked and she nodded. And the three of them were surprised.

Jack stood up and said "Please, do sit on my chair, my lady." while gesturing his metal hand at his chair.

Then Jasper did the same. "This is much more comfortable, my lady. I tricked both of them that this is the worst chair, but in fact, it is the best that we found."

"Uh....," filled Hiroki in his speech as he tries to say something. "You can sit anywhere you like, my lady."

Then she walked to the nearest chair and sat on it - which is Jasper's chair. "Damn," he thought. "I regret saying that. I loved that chair." Then she looked at him at the face as she noticed his disappointment. He smiled very widely as he says, "Nice choice, my lady!" Then she faced the fire and ate her dinner. Jasper slouched as he saw Hiroki sitting on his own as well as Jack. He's the only one who is standing.

Later, he found a short table and decided to pull it closer to the fire to make it as his chair. Then they ate as soon as the food got cooked from the fire. They all paid tribute to their goddess and were not that surprised about her appetite. She doesn't even gain any weight no matter how much she eats.

"I have something I forgot to tell all of you," said Jasper. Hiroki and Jack caught their attention except for Sayuri - who is busy eating. "I haven't been able to tell you because I stayed as a camel the whole time we spent escorting the women that we rescued and in our journey towards here. I had a chat with the women and I found them interesting-" Sayuri glared at him while chewing. "It's not what you think, my lady!" he explained while shaking his head in nervousness. "Uh, the interesting thing is that I have found out that the 'Heir' those rebels we met a long time ago were talking about is someone called, the God of Scorpions."

"God of Scorpions?" asked Hiroki.

"Yes, let me finish first. His name is Emaan. They told me that Emaan is the leader of the Brothers of the Oasis and the members of that group consider him as the rightful heir to the throne of Ra. But the fact is, as what they told me, Emaan self-proclaimed that he is. I already know that the current ruler of the Ra Clan and this continent is Cleopatra, the Goddess of the Sand. Well, when my family went to Ra City five years ago, it's not that I want to brag about it but..... even though she's ten years older than me, she's my ex-girlfriend."

Hiroki coughed after he choked on his food for he was surprised. "I'm sorry, my lady," he apologized and continued coughing and stopped when he drank water.

Sayuri narrowed her eyes at Jasper as he got alarmed while saying, "I swear I said it to prove my point! To prove my point about who truly is the rightful heir of the Ra Clan. I know who she truly is when we were together and I say she's what I expected to hear from those women. They described her as a very kind, lovable, helpful, honest, caring, and empathetic goddess. I also witnessed these things from her when we strolled casually around the Ra City streets. She kisses every child we come across, she gives people free food every time she goes out, shakes the hand of every human she talks personally, and everything she does that are admirable acts anyone could ever ask. They say that she is the most perfect goddess in the Realm but for me, Lady Sayuri is the best." Sayuri growled at him. "Okay....." He cleared his throat and continued, "She's even tough to fight against because I saw how she trains. I know a lot of fine goddesses in Olympus but unlike her, they have their flaws and I sometimes admire them about it as well as everybody else. Because it is a thing that keeps people, people."

"I don't understand," said Jack.

"Everybody has a flaw. You can fix it but realize you have another flaw. You can even choose to hide it. I can't seem to find any flaw from Cleopatra - and it disturbed me that is why I broke up with her. She even said that she's glad to have a relationship with me and she still loves me. I can tell that she wasn't lying and I almost took back what I said because I made her cry but my intuition as a thinker kept me from taking back the word I said or else it will make me a fool."

"So, what's the point in telling us some of your little romance?" asked Hiroki.

"I was saying that knowing her and I gathered careful facts. I can conclude that she is the true ruler of the Ra Clan - there's no doubt about that because of her lineage and how many people pray for her and why she deserves it. And Emaan, the God of Scorpions is not the legitimate ruler. What is disturbing me more is, as far as I know, no excellent rulers in history rules only with goodness. You have to be cruel and good at the same time. That is why I am wondering how she kept being herself and her ways for a long time considering that she ruled the Ra Clan for almost five years now. But that is just a small span of time, nothing can change that much. That's why I am disturbed by the peacefulness of that City even before she came into power."

"Are you making this up?" questioned Hiroki.

"Of course not. I can show you a picture of ours if ever we get close to Olympus. I have dozens of pictures of my ex-girlfriends I kept in my drawer that only I can open and lots of pictures of other goddesses that I find attrac-"

Sayuri hit his head with her sheathed katana then the table that he's sitting on got destroyed. "Gaghhh!" he cried in pain. "I'm sorry, my lady."

Hiroki and Jack laughed at him while Sayuri calmly ate her remaining food.

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