Time Shows All (62)

      I spend another seventy years or so, having spend nearly a century in total living in Atlantis, visiting most of the globe as an Envoy for the mystic island with differing members in my retinue. Cole pulled me aside after the dozenth trip he was able to accompany me upon which was barely a quarter of the trips Sert and Meli had accompanied me upon.

      “I must have words with you.” he stated hesitantly. I was sitting alone in my study looking over memory crystal versions of the paper trails I had been following about how the foreigners were ex-pulsed from Atlantis originally. I motion to the chair sitting across from me with a casual wave. “We have seen many different cultures outside of our magical allies which has made me question the position Atlantis should play in the world.” he remarked shyly.

      “And what role do you see Atlantis playing in the greater world?” I returned. I resisted the temptation to look into his mind and find where this conversation would be going. He glanced up at me before his eyes shied away.

      “We could conquer them all but I do not see it as a feasible concept.” he answered slowly. “It would be easy to defeat them in battle but they could never be properly control and turned into Atlantian citizens.” he clarified quicker. “There is an oddness to them that makes me feel they would be more trouble than they are worth as citizens or as enemies.” he explained. “I am still unsure if they could be of value as allies but it is the only option left to us regarding them.” he concluded with a sigh.

      “They have many hidden talents.” I returned. “And they have a very independent nature that does make them fight harder than most when their freedom is removed.” I explained to him slowly. He sighed and nodded to me.

      “To be truthful ...” he half whispered. “I have come to like them like children needing to be cared for.” he added softly.

      “They are as a race very young.” I replied. A small smirk formed on my face suddenly. “Like Atlantians are children if compared to my true progenitors.”

      “Not a thought I relish thinking after seeing your powers at work personally.” he returned with a mild shudder.

      “It is the abilities you cannot see that are truly terrifying.” I muttered back. I saw no reaction from him that he heard my muttered words nor did I find traces in his mind to this fact. He nodded to me with a soft smile.

      “I must leave for a few days on business for the Council.” he stated calmly. I felt the nervousness in him. “I will try to avoid them thinking conquest is the only solution to keep the humans in check Sir.” he added softer. “They deserve to grow as is their path which will carry them back to Atlantis eventually.” he whispered to me. He did not speak words of parting as he turned and left my den in silence. I finally felt that he understood my thought of what Atlantis should do for the humans: absolutely nothing. It is all they needed to do until the great darkness faced the humans. Trading would help and hinder humanity moving forward in the direction it should be going but it would not truly harm them over all. It became complex for humans and Atlantians alike once it returned to trade with the outer world fully. I still saw the double vision that troubled me of Atlantis exploding into a great black cloud and it sinking beneath the waves to sleep for a small eternity. On the practice field, Sert stopped our combat in mid swing asking me a question I had only half expected from him.

      “Cole has more purpose than being an annoyance to Meli with his female garb during our voyages in the human lands?” he stated. I paused my slash to stare at him seeing if it was a ploy he was trying to distract an enemy or a true question.

      “What ulterior motive would Cole have by dressing like a woman?” I returned slowly. I knew the answer but decided to see if my pupil had discerned Cole's true motives.

      “He is a man that believe in stealth over outright show of power.” he replied. “I see him hiding himself to be a stealthed blade to protect us.” he answered slowly. “But I sense it is more to protect Meli because he can hold back near her because of his women's garb.” he added suddenly. His last words seemed new to him as that thought had formed while he formulate his explanation.

      “True.” I returned softly. “Our snake Cole loves to be in the shadows while making things happen in the spotlight.” I agreed easily. “But he has refused to ever cross blades with us on the practice field which does not show him as one that can wield a sword with competence.” I countered.

      “I have seen him wielding a sword during some of your absences.” he admitted. “It is the second reason I would want to face him in the training field.” he continued. “His style is a deceptive one which I would enjoy a chance to learn counters for.” he confessed. “But he continues to refuse my request to face me in a sparring match.” he concluded.

      “Stealth also suggest he likes to hold himself as a mystery to others.” I suggested. “The less people around him know about him, the less we can reveal to others.” I hazarded. “And the more of a surprise for us if we must face him eventually.” I continued calmly.

      “I never said we could not defeat him easily together or in single combat.” Sert remarked quickly. “It would be a difficult fight to start until we see his abilities more detailed than what he has shown us so far.” he explained. I nodded my agreement. “And in the guise of a woman, he would be able to hold back with Meli to guard her and our back efficiently.” he continued slowly. This was his typical pensive speech pattern as he selected the proper words to relate the thoughts forming in his mind. “But I still cannot trust him enough to be at peace with his sword behind me.” he concluded. His indecision and lack of trust would never fade fully. His misplaced hatred of the Council of Atlantis would always colour his views of Colêsträ keeping distrust in place against him.

      “But in the other world, you must accept what assistance you receive.” I told him softly. “I do not trust all I meet but know when to allow protection and assistance from others.” I continued easily. His eyes contracted as I saw in his mind multiple moments during our voyages that I behaved in this manner. “Being able to tell when to accept and when to refuse is the pinnacle of survival in the outer worlds” I concluded.

      “Which cannot be done fully without knowing those you deal with.” he countered. “Easier for you with your ability to look into people's minds.” he continued. “Not so simple for those lack such abilities.” he concluded.

      “I do not need my abilities as often as you believe.” I returned. “Many things can be learn with eyes and ears as much with mental tricks.” I explained. “How a person moves and speaks can tell you how much to trust what they are telling you.”

      “Similar to spotting strengths in an opponent while battling them?” he hazarded.

      “Yes, but some signs are less subtle during discussions than while in combat.” I replied. “Arm placement, body angles, and other mannerisms speaks volume of the person you are face during discussions.” I clarified. Mild confusion still lay on Sert's face. “A foe in battle cannot hide taking attack stances while still hiding his attack moves.” I explained. “But speaking to a person while having your arms crossed, avoiding eye contact, or showing only there side to you can signify being closed to your words and thoughts.”

      “And if they are closed in that fashion, trusting them would be unwise?” he returned slowly. I nodded back to him before, with a rolling motion of my hand, signalled him to continue the thoughts he formulated. “Being closed to your thoughts makes it hard for them to accept you as a friend they are willing to protect.” he continued in that pensive moderate tone. “Even if you have saved them prior to that moment.” he added sadly.

      “It also depends if they trust you, if they can accept you, or if they see a way of profiting from you.” I remarked. “Many motives can make humans assist you with a certain level of trust.” I explained. “Keeping your word as Atlantians are driven to do goes a long way with winner the humans over to our side.” I stated. His broad smile and vigorous nod showed he understood. In his mind, I also saw that he now accepted Cole's protection by dressing as a woman but still did not trust his motives. Not a major problem for them performing their duties to me without beating each other to a pulp or worse by killing each other.

      I did not attempt explaining the secondary reason Cole used the female disguise to Sertian since it was not important for him. Meli could understand it better than him while acting like the somber sister to the empty headed flirt Cole's Flower persona. Humans as a race underestimated the presence of an empty headed flirtatious woman in their surrounding. This ploy worked well at gaining information for myself and our party as we negotiated with different groups of humans for Atlantis not to mention for my private missions that my companions only vaguely knew about.

      Sert visited his first wife often but she had remained in Africa to perform her duties instead of moving to Atlantis as an Ambassador. Her death in battle a year ago had place Sert in a very dour mood but it had been held at bay. His twin daughters from that wedding were split at the age of fourteen. One remained in Africa with her Aunt while her sister came to gain a position as guard trainee upon Atlantis. Sert's letter of introduction gain her a chance to try for this honour. She refused to stay in my home claiming it would be unjust to have better accommodations than the other trainees. A simple comment to Rez had the Ursus Guards requesting her as one of their ranks to keep her out of the hands of the Council Guard services. She gain a full warrior status both as an Amazon and an Atlantian Royal Guard within three years of her arrival. Queen Aurora gave her the right to remain as both a Royal Guard reserve and a representative of the Amazonian race indefinitely. Lady Serya decided to remain while her sister, Matian, would visit every other year.

      “I must ask you a very odd question Father.” she stated during her latest visit. Sert signalled that she could speak before Meli and myself. “I have noticed Matian changing with the passing years while I see no changes in myself or the Atlantians around us.” she declared. “Is this the effects of my living upon Atlantis?” she asked.

      “I do not exactly have a direct answer for you.” Sert replied. “It is the way of Atlantians it seems to age much slower than the humans.” he answered. “But I am unsure how this effect you or your sister Serya.” he continued softly. “What medical ideology can you add to this Meli?”

      “The healing net above Atlantis slows the damage caused by normal ageing.” she responded.

      “And it is in part within the genes which your sister share with you.” I stated. Meli nodded her agreement.

      “Others should age slightly faster than your sister but you age much slower while living here.” she explained. “When you leave Atlantis for long periods of time will have you ageing closer to your sister but would return to nearly nothing when back on Atlantis.” she continued easily.

      “It is like ten years on Atlantis ages you only by a year in the outside world.” I declared to here.

      “And what speed does my sister age at?” Serya stated glancing at us.

      “I would believe at a half year rate for each year she lives.” Meli answered. I nodded my acceptance to her calculations. “But you would not return to that ageing rate until nearly a year has passed.”

      “But the longer you remain in Atlantis, the shorter that period may become.” I commented quickly. “It is not fully understandable because very few races have remain longer than a few years upon Atlantis so far.” I explain my unclear statement.

      “It is a possibility but it is being verified by our medical personnel who examine the non-Atlantian residents of Atlantis.” Meli remarked easily. I let her, Sert, and Meli continue speaking of the life span and ageing processes of Atlantians and the suppositions about the half breed effect present in Sert's twin daughters. I left for a meeting with the Council while Sert learned with his daughter of the possibilities of her genetic parentage.

      Meli did find love as Sert had but it was not with Lorenzo but with a shaman of the Raven clan of naturalist linked loosely to Odin's pantheon. This lover of hers removed a good portion of my herbal training obligation toward Meli. He had surpassed normal humans both in mystic abilities and slowed ageing because of his shamanistic studies and devotions. But this man that Meli liked herself too fully had secrets that remained hidden from her. I knew him from my past and we could never be seen as friends. His clan blood and training had changed his physical form slight from normal human giving him black feathers to replace his hair. This alteration also proved his rank within the tribe as a shaman of great power but this was not all that he was.

     He was a fully trained and adept soul assassin without equal with but one failure on his list of permanent dead. My soul still existed after he had fully expended all of his gifts, abilities, and skills in his attempt to assassinate me. It may be this failure or his consciousness finally revived in him that changed his path to return to the Shaman's studies. I still distrusted him on principle since he still held all the tricks of an assassin of souls and the darkness in him to performed such soulless actions. During one of my solo trips for the Powers That Be, namely my adoptive mothers this time, I came across him travelling alone to Atlantis. Standing on the wooden dock of a nameless port where I change to a human vessel while he took the Herald back to Atlantis is when we finally were alone and able to exchange true words.

      “Going to visit Meli again?” I asked quietly. We stood staring at each other.

      “Yes, you old undying bird.” he replied. I sense a mix of respect and fear coming from the black feather haired man.

      “Careful since this bird knows your true claws and still lives.” I retorted. I played on his fear to gain a confession from this man with a shadow ridden past.

      “My years as a soul reaper are long past noblest of all who live.” Raven returned reigning back the anger caused by these words. “The soul assassin Raven of the quick claws and beak has been dead for many years of my present life.”

      “Did failing to kill my soul after thirteen fully invested attempts final crush your hunger to erase life?” I asked smirking mercilessly at him.

      “Enough!” he exclaimed suddenly. “I have return to my people and to my teaching as a truly devoted shaman to atone for my evil actions!” he screamed at me. Heads raised to glance between us giving him a chance to calm himself. “I will never allow myself to walk that dark path again.” he concluded. He eyed me defiantly standing fully straight ready to fight me if needed.

      “Meli would miss you if I was forced to prevent you coming to Atlantis.” I stated in a deep voice. My soul and mind echoed the words at him. “It would be best if you never harm her little black bird.” I commented in that same empty echoed voice. “This little bird prefers taking on much larger targets but I'm willing to make an exception for Meli's sake.” I concluded my veiled threat to him.

      “I have no chance against an opponent such as yourself noble Kestrel.” he said calmly. “And I will do my best never to hurt my love, Great Ancient Plague.” he concluded. With a quick bow, he shot passed me to hop onto the Herald to escape my stare. I did not look back at him, knowing he understood that death was nothing compared to what I would do to him for hurting Meli during this lifetime. She was powerful enough to deal with him in her next life without my direct interference.

      I often thought of their love bound that had formed quickly forcing both to rush into each others arms whenever they had a chance to do so. Her falling for a man that bore the same name as nearly ninety percent of his clan wore was a little confusing for others. None of the Atlantians could discern which was her Raven and Meli did everything to keep it that way. I knew that Annianka herself did not know of his existence and Meli did everything in her power to keep him all to herself. I must believe she missed the hint both Raven and myself dropped from time to time proving that we knew each other outside of the constrains of formal Atlantian contacts. Raven finally made arrangement that his visits only occurred while I was away from Atlantis to alleviate either of us revealing the truth of our shared past.

       It was a pointless exercise for me but kept the thoughts of failure away for a few days while I focused on others. But even my powers seemed to fail me sooner than expected. It started with a simultaneous summons from Annianka and the Council of Atlantis. I rushed to Annianka's tower with Sert at my heels and Meli preparing our travel gear at home. Cole was hip deep in Council business keeping him far from our shared estate for most of the week prior to this emergency summons. The Atlantians had learn to dodge out of my path when I was rushing for fear of being trampled then cost me more time while I was staled excusing ourselves. This race ended with us meeting Burdish at the doors to Annianka's tower residence.