Phoenix rising broken vo.., p.1
Phoenix Rising Broken Vow, page 1
BROKEN VOW
THE PHOENIX RISING INFINITOLOGY
Angela JK Timms
Copyright © 2015 Angela JK Timms
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person or persons who do any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
ISBN: 1522932259
ISBN-13: 978-1522932253
DEDICATION
FOR MY PARENTS JOYCE & GEORGE TIMMS
THEY WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND ALWAYS LOVED.
1
Joniel laughed as Kyla splashed him with a spray of water. His muscular frame glistened in the sunlight, his blonde curls now dripping with salt water. His eyes flashed with mischief.
The sea around them was a radiant blue and the white sand below the waves and occasional shell was visible through the crystal clear water. The sun beat down from a cloudless sky, its bright blue hue reflected in the gently lapping waves. Joniel dived at Kyla, catching her around the waist and pushing her under the water before lifting her up and throwing her so that she landed in the gentle waves with a splash.
On the beach two beautiful young women, one blonde, one brunette, were sunbathing. They heard their father laugh and looked up in time to see their mother fall flailing into the water. The blonde haired sibling laughed, sat up and turned to her sister. “Aliniel, I love to see them together. We have been very lucky. I love it here but I heard them talking last night. They were talking about taking us back to where they came from.”
Aliniel smiled and lay back down on her reed mat. Her dark brown hair almost tumbled off the mat onto the fine white sand. “You shouldn’t have been listening into their conversation my sister. If they decide that is the right things to do, they decide. I wouldn’t question either of them. Arla, well, what do you think? Do you want to leave here? You must have an opinion or you wouldn’t have mentioned it now when they are not able to hear what we are saying.”
Arla was picking up handfuls of sand and letting the grains and minute shells run between her fingers before falling back onto the beach. Her body was well toned and muscular which was quite a contrast to the more delicate physique of her sister. “We’ll do what we have to, we aren’t children any more. That is probably why they are thinking that it is time we saw the real world. I have loved it here but I can’t help feeling that there is more to life.”
Aliniel closed her eyes and felt the warmth of the sun on her face. “This is our real world. Why can’t it go on forever? You know we can never come back if we leave here.”
Arla laid back and closed her eyes too. “I know, but some things aren’t meant to last forever.”
Joniel and Kyla ran out of the water and up the beach until they disappeared into the green leafy undergrowth of the thick jungle. They emerged an hour later dressed and a lot drier. Joniel ran over to the two girls, Kyla following. He laughed and shouted. “It is time for your training. You will hunt us today.” He grabbed Kyla’s hand and ran back into the Jungle.
Once in the jungle they split up. Both shinned up a tree with great ease and ran along the branches, jumped to the next tree and the next. Then they ducked down and hid.
Arla and Aliniel counted the usual amount they had done hundreds of times before at the start of their hunt and kill game and then set off after their parents. They ran up the beach leaving a trail of disturbed sand. They entered the jungle carefully and followed the tracks that had been left. They both found a tree that had tracks leading to it though those tracks to most people would have most likely have been undetectable, particularly Joniel’s. They moved along the ground carefully, hiding in the undergrowth. They then scampered up a tree each. They crouched in the branches, balancing unaided as they smelt the air and listened. The animals were disturbed. Birds squarked and twittered their annoyance at the disturbance in their territory. Somewhere a long tailed Ekalan squeaked its shrill cry and they heard it crashing through the greenery as it swung off using its amazing striped prehensile tail and long gripping arms. Its long nose would be sniffing out the best place to go, its long tongue flicking out to scent the air in order to avoid danger.
Both sisters remained motionless until they were certain of where they thought their prey was hidden and the animals had calmed down. Then they moved fast, jumping from branch to branch.
Kyla heard Aliniel coming as she darted through the trees and swung down from her branch and climbed down the tree. Aliniel was faster, she climbed down the other side of the tree and by the time her mother was at the bottom she had her dagger at Kyla’s throat.” They both laughed and hugged each other.
Arla knew where Joniel was but she also knew that in speed and dexterity he was much faster than she was. She cursed not finding her mother, someone she was much more evenly matched with. She didn’t head directly for him but jumped to the tree to the side and climbed into the upper branches. She could feel him watching her. She climbed and then leapt from the branch. She thought she had caught him completely by surprise as she landed on the branch where he was crouching. One arm wrapped around the tree, the other around him and she suspended him off of the branch.
Joniel laughed and she looked down, he had his dagger pointed at her heart and his other hand had a firm grip on the tree. “Sorry, Arla, but that was close, really close. You are getting better.” Arla laughed and they climbed down the tree together and ran back to the beach where Aliniel and Kyla were laying on the mats.
That night was stormy outside the cave system they called home. The wind lashed the trees and drove the sea onto the shore with a ferocious power. It howled in the entrance tunnel and water pooled on the rocky floor. The family had retreated to their caves, used to the regular storms, and the girls were in their room. Arla sat on the bed, Aliniel was standing beside an ornate dressing table with a huge mirror which reached almost to the top of the cave. Around them they had an impressive array of make-up and dresses. Arla looked up at Aliniel who had just finished dressing up in a fine ball gown. “It was good of Uncle Nai to bring these for us. He always brings such wonderful presents.” She picked up the ornate lacquered box that he had brought them the new makeup colours in and put a few things back in it. “Do you think he’ll take us to his realm one day?”
Aliniel smiled and unzipped her dress. “I’m sure he will. He told me he would years ago. Now that we are older perhaps we will meet a Fey Prince and live happily ever after?”
Arla laughed. “You are such a dreamer. I think what Nai has told us of his people should be enough to put you off. They are dark, dangerous and eternal. Forget those story books that he brought us as well. The human’s view of them is so different but I find it amusing, don’t you?”
Aliniel smiled mysteriously. “Yes, I do. Well we can be dark, dangerous and eternal too. Are you going to accept father’s bite when you are old enough? Would you claim that immortality that is your birth right?”
Arla looked thoughtful. “I don’t know yet. I don’t have to decide for five years, you six so I wouldn’t worry about it. It depends who I fall in love with. If it is one of our kind then yes, I suppose I would. If I love a human or other race then perhaps I would choose to grow old and die with him. I really don’t know.”
Aliniel looked thoughtful. “I am worried about going back with our parents. They haven’t said anything yet and I think that is more worrying than actually having to face the prospect. I know we’ve been trained to deal with the politics and I really can’t wait to see my first state ball but life is simple here. That I could meet someone, settle down here and be happy to the end of my days, why should I want for more? I can’t see why they want to leave. They have everything here and they are so happy.”
Arla looked down at the makeup she was putting away in her box. “For us, so that we can find the love that they have. Where are we going to meet anyone here? Also I would think that it is because there are people dying out there and people suffering when they think that they can help. We might be able to make a difference.”
Aliniel slipped her dress back onto its hanger and back into the zip up wardrobe. “I don’t think we have a choice anyway. I’ve seen it in their eyes, both of them. They feel guilty for their happiness here. I know that a lifetime here is but a minute there but it weighs on them sometimes. I’ve seen them in the evenings when they sit outside beside the bonfire on the beach. They talk about life back there and they go over and over plans of what they can do to help. I’ve seen that dark shadow come over father’s face.”
Arla closed the lid. “They can go back any time, they don’t have to go back now. Father has told me that he is different there. Here he is happy and with the woman he truly loves. They are not threatened and they don’t need to be the people they are back there. Back there he has to be a commander, a warrior and by what I can work out one of the most feared assassins on many galaxies. Here he is just father, we love him and he loves us. I can’t imagine him being anything else than that.”
Aliniel shrugged. “But what would we be if we went back? We’ve been trained. You could be a great warrior. Both mother and father have said so. They are training us so I’ve always known that we’d go back one day. Didn’t you? So is that what you are going to be? Will you be a f reedom fighter for Mission Command and fight against the religious controls of the evil Followers?”
Arla laughed. “If I had a choice then that is probably what I’d do, join mother and father and try to help them. No, that won’t be possible, we know that. When we return we will have to be presented at Father’s home court. One or other of us will be married off to someone there or for some political alliance.”
Aliniel smiled. “We don’t have to be. I spoke to mother about that subject ages ago. Father has seventeen children, six of them are women and they have already been married into the Court. We may well be free to love who we want to and do what we want to.”
Arla smiled at her sister. “Oh sister, you have such romantic ideas. We carry mother’s royal bloodline. Don’t you think that is going to be a bargaining point? From what I’ve heard about the family our great grandmother will want to make as much of that as she can.”
Aliniel looked thoughtful. “But it does mean that they will accept mother and that she may be with father when he is back on his ship even though she was not born into his family. The rules are complex but I’ve spoken to her. She’s worried about going back obviously. She has always said that it is years in the future and not to worry about it. I know that she does though.”
Arla also looked thoughtful. “I suppose so. But what if they don’t accept her? I know that father is important but there are older members of his family. I can’t imagine anyone choosing not to love mother but then I’ve only seen her here. It will be strange to actually have to put into practice what we have learnt. Deep down I suppose I can’t wait. I’m of course terrified about the idea.”
Aliniel smiled. “I could wait forever to avoid all that in fighting and watching my back though. I really can’t imagine what that will be like. I love the idea of the grand balls on father’s ship and the elegance of living in such a gracious way. They will probably think us complete barbarians if we cannot meet their high standard of manners and etiquette.”
Arla smiled back. “We will cope won’t we sister? We are going to take that Court by storm. We knew we were going to be presented one day, that day may well be sooner than we thought.”
Aliniel looked serious. “That is unless great grandmother takes a dislike to us.”
Kyla stood at the cave entrance. They hadn’t heard her arrive and had no idea how long she had been there listening to their conversation. She was dressed casually in a long deep blue velvet robe, her hair was loose and wavy after being braided since she got back from the beach. “What isn’t there to like? You are two beautiful girls and we have taught you etiquette, manners and I would put my money on either of you in a fight. Do not worry your heads about it and has someone been listening at cave entrances again?”
Arla looked down at her box as Kyla came to sit beside her on the bed. “You and father have everything you want here. Why leave?”
Kyla looked down, initially with a knowing look but then they saw the sadness on her face. “We do have what for us is a perfect life here. But life can’t be like that, not for people like us. Your father has a duty and I will follow him. I too have a duty and your father will support me. Even if we can have forever here before going back, we would forget what we were fighting for. Time will erase the anger of what the Followers are doing and the sadness of losing our friends. That is what makes us strong when we have to fight the radicals. They have their passion, we have to have ours. Anyway, it is time you two experienced life and found yourselves loves of your own. You are eighteen and nineteen now. You must choose your futures and whether to accept your father’s gift or not. That is another choice you must one day make. If you stayed here then you could have an eternity of happiness but it would be lonely. There is more to life than our little family group.”
Aliniel looked down at her mother while tying the belt on her silken robe she had slipped on after taking the ballgown off and carefully hanging it with the others on a rail suspended from the ceiling. “Why can’t you give us the gift? Why can’t you bite us if we want to take on the immortality?”
Kyla smiled. “I am an immortal because I followed the path of the White Lady and trained for many years to accept her gift. I am of Joniel’s race now because I accepted his blood. I cannot pass my blood on to anyone else because it carries the markers of the White Lady which prevents that. I have given you the royal bloodline as you are my daughters. That is all I can do for you. If you wish to choose Joniel’s gift or curse you must accept his bite, if you would follow mine you must train for years and then be accepted by the White Lady as a true believer. Now I think it is time for you both to get some sleep. Joniel is going to put you through two days of intensive training and testing before we have to leave and he does not tire. If you don’t get your sleep he is going to really make you suffer for it. As you have already overhead what we were saying there is no point in us discussing this. It is your father’s decision and I have to say that I agree with him. It is time you had a wider experience than this island.” Kyla kissed her daughters goodnight and left the room.
In their room Joniel was sitting on the bed. He had his head in his hands and he was thinking. He looked up when she came in. “Are they happy with our decision?”
Kyla smiled and kissed him. “I didn’t have to tell them. They had already overhead what we were talking about. I think so. I overheard a fair bit of their conversation before they noticed I was there. It is time that they made their own way and found their own lives before it’s too late. We can’t keep them sheltered here forever. I just hope we have trained them well enough.”
Joniel kissed her passionately. “I just hope I’ve trained you well enough to survive the family. That is my greatest fear. I trust you to know what to do and I have complete faith in you that you will take them by storm. You have elegance and I know you can play politics or at least keep out of it. I don’t trust them, not in the slightest and neither must you. What I do trust is that you are bright enough to deal with them. I am myself here, we can love and laugh and I have been truly happy. There I must be the person I have to be. Whatever I have to do and however I have to appear, never for one moment doubt that I love you.”
Kyla smiled. “If we could stay here I would but we must return with our daughters. I’ll keep saying it and then it may seem real. It doesn’t at the moment. I did think through sending them with Nai for a while first to get used to bloodthirsty politics.” There was a flicker of hope on her face.
Joniel looked down at his hands. “I would not send my two beautiful daughters into that pit of vipers without my protection. You still do not grasp the true darkness of that place. Under the elegant beauty beats a heart of true blackness. Well not all of them but some, and it is hard to tell the difference. Our family’s code of ethics is built up on strength, manipulation and status. In those things you can trust in a way. Nai’s people can be and do anything, the chaos and randomness makes that place very, very dangerous. I believe our girls can survive going back but I wouldn’t want them to do it alone. You haven’t met grandmother but you will have to. She scares me totally. If I am going to be able to have you with me on the ship she is going to have to accept you. She is a master political strategist and a purist. You are of the blood now but you weren’t born that way. She will want to speak with you and on that conversation will hang our future together and possibly our lives. I will not live without you. They may not let me live with you and their solution will be swift and if we are lucky painless. So now you know why I have doubt about going back.”
Kyla smiled at him. “I am going to be positive here and say that I can handle your grandmother. Are you going to tell her we’re already married?”
Joneil smiled and looked up at her. “I’m not that brave. We’ll leave that one unsaid as she would probably not accept a marriage performed by two of the Old Ones. She must see our laws carried out. It is the only thing that has held the Enclaves together through the millennia. Now my love, I suggest that we set worries aside and enjoy the last of our time here. I have summoned Nai.”
