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| - Volidana smiled as she let go of Hezekiah’s hand and watched him go off to do chores with the rest of the cave. He would be no more than a few rooms from her and already she missed him, but she drew her thoughts away from him as voliarin approached. She gave him a smile as well. She was happy, more content than she had been in long time as she unconsciously rubbed the bulging form of her belly which told her that her child was soon to be born, very soon in fact. So soon that she wasn’t able to do her own share of the chores any longer. She could still join the other Vollistans in the La Terran cave in prayer. She felt a surge of gratefulness toward Voliarin for bringing them to this shelter and to this safety she so desperately sought for her child and so tried her best to listen while he explained how he had manage to glimpse Volir, the native sun and god central to the traditional Vollistan religion through one of the planet’s telescopes.. Had she stopped to think about it she would have realized she had no memory of leaving Athena, the exploratory vessel on which she spent the past two years of her life to come to this place nor any realization of just how long she’d been there. But she did not think of these things. Had she stopped to think about she would have questioned the peace she was feeling as an unnatural one for a being whose soul had known disquiet even doing the seemingly idyllic youth on Vollista. It seemed as though even then in the shelter of her home and goddess Vollista, under the ever watchful eye of the god Volir, she had had the vaguest sense of dread that that peace was soon be shattered. So restless had she been, she left the planet, courting danger, leaving her family and the very protection of god in order to ward of the impending danger from those she loved. Given all of this and the intervening turmoil of the past four years ,it should not have been the shock that it was when, just as she carefully rose to go join Rin and the others for prayer, the floor of the cave beneath began to shake sending her back to the floor. Everyone seemed in a state of surprise. That only lasted a moment before a voice thundered through the cave and inside their heads “I TOLD YOU NOT TO LEAVE” it thundered “YOU”VE NO IDEA WHAT YOU”VE DONE” and there before her stood Captain Marlan Ranix eyes glowing blue, as pieces of cave began to rain down from above. I..I’m sorry “ Volidana gasped. “I was frightened….I did what I thought was best for the baby I….The pain of a contraction ripped through her midsection. The child was coming. Volidana shook with both pain and fear, but Hezekiah was at her side and Voliarin nearby. The birth seemed to happen instantaneously, yet she was positively exhausted and relieved to see that Voliarin was holding the child. I took a long moment to realize that he was regarding that which he held with abject horror. “What..What’s wrong ? Is it alright? Hezekiah went over to look at the babe and a look of unspeakable sadness crossed his face as he tried to shield the child from his wife’s view, What is wrong with my baby?” Volidana demanded, though weak, rising to her feet just long enough to glimpse her son’s eyes which were glowing her bright red . Volidana’s shock and dismay was betrayed both in her eyes and the bright purple aura that surrounded her as her whirling mind tried to make sense of what she saw. It was Voliarin’s voice that prompted her to speak “The child is possessed” he exclaimed “I..it will be alright” she said haltingly “It matters how one is raised not how they are born. He will be raised with all of the love and gentleness I can give him. Rin, give me my son” Voliarin for his part looked torn and perhaps about to comply as the child began to slip from his grasp. Luckily another pair of hands caught them , or at least it seemed like luck for the space of two seconds before a knife was plunged through the babe’s midsection before it was allowed to finish its fall to the ground. Volidana wailed and lurched herself forward. The rest of the world was dead to her as she watched the lifeforce of her son bleed on the ground. She was torn between retreating into the darkest safest corner or mind or latching onto a hope that because of it’s glowing eyes meant that somehow it would survive. She reached out her mind to hit upon a sickeningly familiar presence. Red, brighter than the blood on the ground sprang from Volidana’s skin as she looked up to regard Volari, whose attention oddly enough was not focused on her. He was addressing someone else as he said with a mixture of annoyance and bemusement “I did not tell you to do that?” A hard, cold young voice answered him back somewhat petulantly “Why do you need it? You’ve got me.” It was only then that Volidana turned her eyes to regard the second speaker, a young strapping adolescent holding a knife in his hand. Volari seemed to regain his composure upon following volidana’s gaze “Now that was a shame” he said in a droll tone” but fear not dear lady that is not your own progeny you have. Is she son?” Volidana was still regarding the youth. He was tall and lean, having the look of a Vollistan except for a decidedly darker skin tone. He looked back it her with open raw contempt. The horrible undeniable truth was seeping into her brain even as he spoke “Father says you hate him and from the look in your eyes I see it’s true.” “I do not hate your father. I love him with all that it is in me.” She turned now to regard Hezekiah who was clutching her hand, his eyes betraying equal shock. Odd that she had not noticed him before now, but perhaps not, given how her head was spinning “That thing is not my father” The boy shot back ‘He is a coward who runs and would not accept glory when it was offered him, but ran and hid. You both hide behind the lie that is peace. Weak and pathetic. There is surely hatred in you both. I sense it. I’m grateful that I had father to show me the truth. “The capacity for hate is in all things but….” Volidana began. Volari’s voice cut her off laughing “Have you adopted the mystic’s penchant for riddles? You said it yourself ‘it matters not how a child is born, but how he is raised. He is my son in his heart and in his….” Suddenly he winced slightly as if stung by a bee. He turned to regard Hezekiah “Aren’t you a bit late?” Hezekiah’s face was a mixture of fury and concentration as he readied a second psionic volley, before he screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground, having been hit at once with the psionic force of both father and “son” It was the boy Volidana was regarding with open mouthed astonishment. “He wasn’t supposed to be… Volari cut her off again “psionic? He isn’t supposed to be adolescent either. “Wonders of science, as it were.” Hezekiah was gone. She knelt to his lifeless bdy, glancing about her for help but found none. Marlan, hiver powers and all was gone. Voliarin was gone. She looked up to the boy, who according to science was hers, expectantly. He just sneered down at her “oh no Mother. It shall be much more painful to let you live. And somewhere on the Athena Volidana awoke screaming
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