Into the Land of Immortals - 17C
Sunday, April 05, 2009 (11:35:38)

Posted by TerishD

Into the Land of Immortals
Chapter Seventeen
Part 3

Annalia tried to comfort Venicht on the walk back to the apartment. He cried while saying that he missed his parents. It did not help when she mentioned the landscape of where his parents were. Annalia thought that the lack of civilization would get the lad to focus on what amenities he had around him. He however spoke of climbing in the big trees, playing in the stream of water, and generally being able to relax bare-foot the way he saw his parents. It finally took stern words from Nuverd to have Venicht wipe his eyes and regain his composure.

Entering the castle, he however asked, "Nuverd, did my father miss his parents?"

"I don't know, Prince Venicht. That would be a question for Emperor Ferrigote. He was the one that taught your father after being driven from his world."

Annalia added, "By the time that your father met Emperor Ferrigote however, he had already been a year away from his parents. He had probably already done his crying. The stories of your young father do not have him crying. Still, Prince Venicht, your father even today speaks well of his parents and the Dozzrines. I thus am certain that he did miss them."


Things are not really resolved, but the situation is nicely advanced.


Into the Land of Immortals
Chapter Seventeen
Part 3

Annalia tried to comfort Venicht on the walk back to the apartment. He cried while saying that he missed his parents. It did not help when she mentioned the landscape of where his parents were. Annalia thought that the lack of civilization would get the lad to focus on what amenities he had around him. He however spoke of climbing in the big trees, playing in the stream of water, and generally being able to relax bare-foot the way he saw his parents. It finally took stern words from Nuverd to have Venicht wipe his eyes and regain his composure.

Entering the castle, he however asked, "Nuverd, did my father miss his parents?"

"I don't know, Prince Venicht. That would be a question for Emperor Ferrigote. He was the one that taught your father after being driven from his world."

Annalia added, "By the time that your father met Emperor Ferrigote however, he had already been a year away from his parents. He had probably already done his crying. The stories of your young father do not have him crying. Still, Prince Venicht, your father even today speaks well of his parents and the Dozzrines. I thus am certain that he did miss them."

"Can I read those stories?"

"Your mother has all those books in a private closet. I can let you into her room to pick them out."

Nuverd said, "I believe that they are all accessible in the normal manner."

"Yes, but these have liner notes written by the empress, Terish, or even Ferrigote." Annalia turned to focus her eyes upon Venicht as she said, "Those are not stories, but actual history. Respect the books." She then gasped before adding, "Although I will have to check what language they are in. Most are in the script of Davelda, but your father tends to write in the language of his home. Ferrigote does too, since Terish actually was the one that made him respect the written word."

Nuverd responded, "Prince Venicht has been taught the script of his father. I cannot say that he paid the best attention, but I was present during most of those lessons. I also had the duty of having to read some messages from my king. I thus believe that I can help in the translation."

Annalia spent the rest of the walk up to the apartment discussing some of the early adventures of Terish with the adults around her. Prince Venicht stayed quiet while the group moved on to the royal apartment. Once alone with Annalia beyond the front room, he however lit up to see a usually locked door opened. She noticed features of the lad showing him close to crying as he moved through his mother's bedroom, which she assumed was him suppressing his feelings of missing his parents. Upon seeing another door unlocked and opened, he lost the emotion of sorrow while becoming eager to speak on the number of books revealed.

The shelves were not filled with books, but the presence of fancy book ends holding ribbons tied to small banners stating certain topics, time periods, or simply presentation styles caused the closet to appear very stuffed. Annalia worked to explain that Straekin had accumulated everything she could find on Terish. Many were in strange languages, although in each book was a reference to a translation in the national database. Seeing the odd scripts, Venicht found himself agreeing with Annalia that he needed to begin with the stories in the database, then he could come back later and speak to his mother about the more obscure stories or details. Annalia suddenly looked up, and reached for what she suddenly considered an agreeable solution.

"Here, Venicht. This is the story of your father's first meeting with Dathol and their later journey together to a holy place."

The lad accepted the book, then said, "I heard her, too, Annalia. Munulva said that book would tell me where my father and mother are going."

The lady looked to the shelves while attempting to think back upon her thoughts and why she had reached for that book. She could not remember any mention of the destination of her empress and the group, but they did admit that they were journeying through holy places. Annalia however did not want to speak against being divinely manipulated.

"I cannot say that I heard her, Venicht, but I will not deny that I do worship Munulva and will only take honor that you consider me willing to obey her."

"Annalia, how do I play with children that grew up?"

"I cannot answer that, Venicht, because I grew up as well. You are the first child in over six hundred years. You might need to be like your father, and simply lay the ground work for others that follow. You simply need to trust that we are watching, and will watch your sisters as well. We might now be teaching you, but we are not ignoring the lessons that you are teaching in return."

"Well, thank you for the book."

Annalia escorted the lad out of the room, then saw him move to his room. Understanding her duties as the official hostess, she moved back out into the front room. The silence of the front room disturbed her, but she had experience in many situations. As she turned to ask about what the group desired to drink, one of them spoke.

"Prince Venicht is a most remarkable child. We have been quizzing General Nuverd concerning the early training being given to the children. He knew of Prince Venicht, but could not be as certain about the girls."

"The society of Thiminy has a structure where each sex has their own requirements. Straekin is not challenging convention, although encourages Terish to be very informal around the girls. They thus gain a broadness in their lessons by the things that Terish does with them."

One of the ladies that had been quiet said, "I cannot believe that the empress allows herself to be limited."

"The society does not limit anyone, but simply sets requirements. Empress Straekin is more than proven her willingness to fill her place, so all accept her other activities. Of course, the fact that she often does her other activities with Terish makes those activities actually socially acceptable as well."

"How about you?"

"I happen to like doing female things. I crochet, I sew, I cook, I handle social occasions. I had no problems on Thiminy."

"How about the other attendants of our empress?"

"We serve the empress because we like doing certain things, certain things that apply to the life of an important lady."

One of the men had to ask, "But don't the people of Thiminy expect you to be married as well."

"Yes, but you have to remember that Straekin was present around them for decades before she finally took upon herself the full role of being the wife of Terish. The people of Thiminy thus accept that in time we will settle into our lives as well."

"What about you? Have you been looking for your own answers?"

"I do want children. I enjoy working with Venicht, and I believe his trust in me is because I was there early in his life changing his diapers. When Straekin takes back off traveling with Terish, I would like to have the courage to go with them."

Another man asked, "You don't believe Munulva will solve our problem?"

"What problem? Being immortal is not a problem. Empress Straekin fully accepts that there are many here on Davelda that have no problems with their lives. Those that want more will need to find the answers that satisfy them. Munulva is a support, but she has never been one to force certain decisions upon us."

"No, she hasn't. Of course, that gives some the evidence that she is not real, but only a figment of those of us with imagination."

Annalia felt the weight of hearing her empress express certain words, "Whether she is or not, after six hundred years those who are unhappy cannot allow themselves to stay in their ruts. There are alternatives, and some really fantastic alternatives. Straekin did not start practicing magic because she liked it, but because her citizens were doing it and she felt they deserved some support. She did not make a meeting with Terish because she wanted to sleep with him, but because he was supplying answers to questions that she wanted answered herself."

One more of the men now asked, "Yes, but why did she continue to stay with Terish? Specifically, that day when he and Ferrigote showed up barely able to stand while pulling that wagon loaded with treasure."

Annalia wondered why the man focused on that event. It was a popular video of Terish, although often used by his adversaries to put him in a bad light. That caused her to consider this man as someone who wanted to speak against the father of Venicht. Annalia however held back making a retort considering that Straekin had made a scene that day acting and speaking in support of Terish, and from that day had worked to keep herself in his presence. No mention of a future marriage had occurred until after he had regained his sanity, but one reason stated for Terish to have gained Thiminy was to give himself the status necessary to properly court the Empress of Davelda. Suddenly feeling a need to avoid the topic of the past motives of Straekin, Annalia worked on an evasive response.

"Terish helped our world from his first interaction with our citizens. The horse handlers of Davelda are very loyal to Terish. I am loyal to him. I believe that Empress Straekin made a wise decision that day."

The man looked to the camera before asking Annalia the next question, "Is it in the plans of Empress Straekin to make Terish the Emperor of Davelda?"

"It is in the plans of Empress Straekin to get Terish back out among the omniverse where he can continue to help people and the centaurs can spread their message. She has no plans to return to Davelda."

The entire room went quiet. Annalia noticed that no one moved, and felt a strong sense of tension. Her own training indicated that she needed to speak, but she did not know what to say – at least not until she remembered the reason for the group to come to the castle. Taking the advice of Empress Straekin to go ahead and take the initiative when others would not, Annalia spoke the words she felt everyone waited to be uttered.

"If Davelda is looking for someone to sit in the throne of Empress Straekin, you might want to try and convince Prince Venicht to accept the position."

The group stood with a number of the members stating words of thanks for the audience. Annalia handled the formalities of seeing the guests out of the apartment. She closed the door with a strong desire to recall the video from the camera in the room and check certain phrases and body language. In coming back into the main room, she however found Nuverd waiting for her.

"Do you really believe that this world will force Prince Venicht to step into his mother's place?"

"No. Venicht is giving the people answers, but his father provided those as well only to be condemned as a criminal. It might sound strange, Nuverd, but we trust Straekin. She brought us out of the war and has led us for over six hundred years. She will find an answer and return."

"I thought she did, and sent Prince Venicht here for the purpose of letting you know she found the answer."

"Straekin is not a cruel lady, Nuverd. She sent Venicht here because she wanted him to know where he came from. She did not send him here to condemn him."

"Condemn?"

"Honestly, I believe that the reason Munulva hasn't been speaking to us is that she does not stay on this world either."


In the next installment, another goal is reached.