Courage (31 page)

Eyes still glowing, Aerigo raised his head and looked at Kara, both curious and sad.

Kara sat up and started to speak, but stopped and lowered her gaze to her hands in her lap. “Something... something has gone terribly wrong with Nexus.” Her voice sounded scared, desperate. “He doesn’t listen anymore.”

The glow faded from Aerigo’s eyes. He sat up straighter, brows furrowed.

Kara snuck a look when Aerigo shifted his position, then resumed staring at her hands. “Neither of us know what went wrong. We looked at ourselves and each other, and even Nexus. We loved and nurtured him, and gave him lots of attention and guidance. I gave him more attention, but that just became the way things were, since Baku is a Creator and I’m not. Nexus resisted his father’s care, even as a baby. We squashed his efforts to wedge himself between us, but he never learned to enjoy the three of us being together as a family.

“We’re at a loss as to what caused it. We’re not certain it’s just his nature to be the obsessive, violent, and the selfish person he’s become. We see a mix of our personalities in him, but he’s so incredibly different from us. It’s almost like he’s not our child, but there’s no mistaking he is. It’s... strange.”

“What do you expect me to do? Divine family matters aren’t my place.”

Kara looked up. “That’s not exactly what I meant.” She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Nexus is planning something--has been planning something since before you were born. Did Baku ever tell you why exactly he created you?”

Aerigo nodded unhappily.

“Nexus keeps his plans private most of the time. The rest of the time, he’s hints at them, like he’s testing me for what I approve and don’t approve of. In the more recent centuries, I learned that he’s planning a war of some kind. I don’t know whom between or for what reason, but he’s most looking forward to the results the war will yield. I only know there’s a war because every time he makes progress, he comes back to me, looking for my approval. I think my obvious disapproval is the only thing slowing his plans down. I don’t know why he wants it so bad, but does. It gives me
some
power over him, but it’s not enough. I don’t enjoy war one bit. Whatever Nexus is planning sounds particularly nasty, and he keeps looking to me for encouragement to continue pursuing it.”

“Then tell him to stop.”

Kara buried her face in her hands, then ran her fingers through her hair as she said, “Oh, gods, Aerigo. I tried that once. It did not go over well.”

“Again, what do you want me to do? What do both of you want me to do?”

“Embrace your role as an Aigis. Your kind are the only ones who can halt this building tidal wave.”

Aerigo turned away and leaned against the chair. “Ask another Aigis. I can’t help you.” His eyes started glowing blue again.

Kara seized Aerigo’s forearm. “Aerigo! I. Am. Scared.”

Aerigo looked at her with guarded concern, but didn’t try to wrench his arm free.

“I feel so powerless. Nexus doesn’t listen to me anymore. Every time I try to parent or guide him, he refuses to listen or goes into a blind rage. He’s seeing other gods who I’m certain are throwing him down a dark path. I fear directly confronting them because of Nexus’ temper. And Aerigo... I...” Tears welled in her eyes and she grimaced. “He... he’s trying to do things with me that aren’t appropriate between a mother and son.”

The glow in Aerigo’s eyes shifted from blue to red. The diminished muscles along his neck and arms bulged with tension.

“I let him kiss me. I do my best to avoid letting his lips touch mine, but sometimes he forces me. He physically grabs my face, acting oblivious to my fear and discomfort. It’s anything but loving. I think he likes seeing me scared. It makes him feel powerful or something. I’m not sure because there are other times he tries to seduce and undress me with the same loving behavior I used to enjoy from Baku, but I hide on my realm and block his entry. Aerigo, I can’t keep hiding from my own son while he plots something awful.”

“Where’s Baku been while all this has been going on?”

“He’s tried to help me, but they end up fighting every time. He knows I’m uncomfortable, but not that I’m scared, and how far Nexus’ advances have gone. I’m too ashamed to let him know.

“The fights are both good and bad. Bad because this isn’t how a family should be. I don’t want my husband and son clashing. But at the same time, the calm after the fights give me a break from other familial discomforts. Nexus never has any interest in making any advances on me while he’s recuperating. It’s selfish of me to say that, but I can’t help but feel that way.” She bowed her head. “I’m going dead inside, Aerigo. I have no obvious solution to my family problems, but that’s not what I want your help with.”

“I know. I wish I could help with that too, but I can’t.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it very much.” She hugged his arm.

He rested his free hand on Kara’s slender arms. “Still, what do you want me to do?”

“Keep hunting for the other half of your power. My gut says that’s the only solution now. Nexus is too far down his dark path to be turned around or diverted.”

“That power’s gone,” Aerigo said bitterly. “No Aigis has achieved it in millions of years.”

“It’s never lost. It’s merely hidden. You’ve listened to too many gods who desperately hope it’s lost.”

“The second half of the power can only be unlocked by those who already know how to find it. Nobody in this day and age knows. It’s a fruitless hunt.” He let go and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Kara kept her arms entwined in Aerigo’s “The knowledge is somewhere. I don’t believe Olod would let such power slip away so easily. He took great care in your design. Have you met all the other Aigis?”

“No. Why?”

“One or more of them may know. There have always been Aigis since the War of Creationism. Your numbers have always fluctuated, but you’ve never outnumbered us. There is a chance the knowledge has been preserved, and kept
very
secret. You are aware that some gods hate Aigis, right? I mean besides my son.”

Aerigo nodded unhappily. “There are many who wouldn’t hesitate to kill me or Daio, or any other Aigis if we crossed paths. If we harnessed our full--” His eyes widened and stopped glowing. “I’ll look for them. Just give me some more time to recover and compose myself, and then I’ll go look for them.”

Kara leaned over and kissed Aerigo on the cheek. The faintest of smiles played across his face, but it lasted as long as kiss. “Take your time, Aerigo. Countless lives are at stake. You need to be wholly prepared for this undertaking. Maybe Daio can help you.”

“No,” Aerigo said tersely. Kara gave him a look that conveyed she wanted him to elaborate. “I don’t trust him anymore. I haven’t for almost two thousand years now.”

“Around the time Nexus took charge of him?”

“Yes. He’s not who he once was.”

Kara looked crestfallen. “That’s sad news. At least he was decent enough to guide me here so I could see you. Kismet is a godless world. I won’t remember where to find you once I leave. Would you like me to stay until you’re ready to go?”

“I’d rather be left alone to recover on my own. The presence of extended reality is weak on this world, but there have to be places where I can world-hop. Every world can be hopped to or from. I’ll come see you when I’m ready.”

“Promise?”

“Of course.”

Kara stood and the chair narrowed to its proper width. “Just be careful of your timing when you visit my realm. I don’t know what Nexus will do if you cross his path. I can protect you only so much from him.”

“I know, and I will.”

“Goodbye for now, Aerigo.” Kara’s form disappeared like a switched off hologram.

Aerigo stood, crossed to the windows, and placed his hands on the white window sill that ran the entire length of the wall. He took a deep breath and sighed, then glanced at the chair he’d been sitting in. He walked out of the frame and the video faded to black.

End of Entry.

The computer screen righted itself and all the flaps in the desk and ceiling tucked themselves away with metallic clicks.

Jenna remained sitting up on the bed with the pillow clutched to her chest, thoughts racing through her mind. Not only had the video given her some ideas on how to help Aerigo stay on the mend, but now she had a million new questions. Kara had called Kismet a godless world. That was so jarring to hear. What did it mean for her world? How did that happen? Was anyone looking out for them? Kara hadn’t seemed overly concerned that Kismet had no god, and neither did Aerigo, in fact. What did it all
mean
? On top of that, the two of them talked about there being multiple gods in the universe and that things weren’t all joyful and at peace.

Kismet was a world of predominantly atheistic people. Mingling with other worlds was the main reason theism had never died. This file had so many snippets of information opening up new vistas to the rest of the universe. The file was hundreds of years old, too, and consciously tucked away. It wasn’t just another segment of security cam footage, so why had it not caught fire and spread across the entire globe? According to the conversation, Kara had to be a goddess, and despite her stunning beauty, which seemed to have an effect even on the fish, she looked and acted so... human. So not godly. Had she misunderstood part of the conversation?

Jenna got up and sat before the righted gellikin, and scribbled two memos to herself. One was to talk to Aerigo about Kismet’s supposedly godless state, and all the burning questions that stemmed from that. The other was to talk to Rox one-on-one once she was recovered enough. She’d gleaned from Kara that the best way to keep Aerigo moving forward was to keep his mind off himself and on helping others.

She started watching the file all over again. She
had
to understand.

* * *

Hoping to not bring any attention to himself, Kabiroas cracked his eyes open. The room was lit only by the light pouring in from the hallway. He fully opened his eyes. The semicircle of magic beds were empty, curtains drawn into a clump by the head of each bed, every bed lamp off and machines asleep. The machine beside him was off as well, and the “ivy”, or whatever the female doctor had called it, lay coiled by itself on a metal tray on his other side.

Kabiroas took a deep breath and exhaled. He could breathe just fine now--well, almost fine. A fraction of his lungs still felt squeezed off, but no matter. He could breathe plenty better than before. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat upright, then paused, waiting to see if dizziness took him. His head swam a little. That was it. No nausea, no gasping for air, no fight to stay awake; just faint dizziness that he could function with.

Now was the time to make the kill.

He slipped to his feet without making a sound, then pulled his cloak about him so his front was covered as well. He stopped by the doorway and threw his hood over his head, then peered down the hall. It was deserted. He didn’t hear voices, footsteps, or mechanical noises. The lighting was muted as well. Everything looked hazy. This struck him as strange, but he dismissed it as a side effect of the air poisoning.

Kabiroas snuck out of the room and padded down the hallway on silent feet. He stuck to the side and moved swiftly until he reached the end of the hall. Footsteps approached him. He pressed his back to the wall and bowed his head so no part of his face was exposed. The footsteps came within several feet of him and continued going down the hall in the direction he wanted to go. He waited for some distance to grow between them, then followed the human down the next hall. He paused before each doorway, covertly peered in, then moved on to the next. He repeated this several times until he relocated the one with the two Aigis in it.

The curtain was still drawn around them, but this time it was still. Dead still. Aerigo must have stopped recharging. Good. That had to mean he was too deep asleep to regain power. Kabiroas snuck up to the curtains and pushed one aside just a hair. Aerigo was asleep, his breathing even and head sunk deep into a pillow. Kabiroas slipped inside the curtain without making a noise and closed it behind him. The girl was asleep as well, lying on her own magic bed, completely defenseless. He might as well kill them both, since the opportunity presented itself.

Kabiroas stood before Aerigo’s bare feet, drew one scimitar with an arcing flourish, and poised the blade’s edge at her throat, then drew the diamond dagger hidden along the small of his back and held the tip over Aerigo’s heart. This was finally it. Revenge was finally exacted for him and his people. Eternal glory was his.

Kabiroas raised his dagger and sucked in a deep breath. Before he could begin the downward thrust, a ghostly monster leapt out of Aerigo’s body, baring claws, fangs, and huge glowing eyes. The monster curled its claws around Kabiroas’ throat and squeezed. He dropped both weapons and the monster lifted him into the air, then pelted him to the ground with his Aigis strength.

Right before his skull would’ve been bashed into hundreds of pieces, Kabiroas woke with a start, clutching his mattress in each balled fist, heart pounding, and sweat coating his face. His body felt heavy and his breathing mirrored the unease he’d felt in the dream.

Other patients lay asleep in their semicircle of magic beds, everyone’s lights off and only light pouring in from the hallway. Several machines beeped away, and a light din meandered in from the hallway. Kabiroas had his own machine beeping away next to him. The “ivy” was still in his arm and the plastic face mask still over his nose and mouth.