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C.E. Dorsett

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. Table of Contents

PART ONE: THE CHILD OF CENTURIES 1

PART TWO: DIVIDING SOULS 58

PART THREE: BACK FROM THE DAWN 113

PART FOUR: NEMESIS 169

GLOSSARY 220

Acknowledgements

Brian- You made this possible.

Chris- You nurtured my imagination.

Mom & Dad- You nurtured me.

Everyone at Good Shepherd in Berkley, CA- You helped me more than I can put into words.

Charlet Remus & Mary Kay McDonald- You believed when few did.

Richard McDonough & Elizabeth Tringali- You taught me how to write and think for myself.

Thank you to everyone else who believed in me; and thank God for all my detractors: you inspired the rage that that helped to get me out of bed.

PART ONE: THE CHILD OF CENTURIES

CHAPTER ONE: ECHO OF LOSS

The great temple of the Holy Ennead, on Al-Benu where it all began, was full of friends and strangers. Ianus was stunned. So many people came for his day of Ascension, but his adopted father was a very popular predicant in Shiloh. They must have come for him. Standing quietly in the narthex, he straightened his white robes nervously. He closed his fox brown eyes, and recited his prayers. His chestnut skin paled, when he heard his cue to enter the nave.

As he walked slowly down the center aisle, Ianus scanned the crowd for his adopted parents. They were sitting in the front row, smiling. Maya, his mother, waved at him. Her cinnamon eyes shimmered with tears of pride.

The spicy, sweet smell of the altar incense wafted down from the dais and filled the room with otherworldly warmth. Ianus’ footsteps resounded off the marble floor. Sterile echoes broke through the sound of his breath. So many people sat quietly staring at him. Ianus gulped; he could see in their eyes how much they expected from him. The tender touch of the incense that only a moment ago invited him into the heart of the mystery now only numbed him. He felt caged in. He wanted to run. Even the familiar bas-reliefs carved into the granite oppressed him. The legends were remote; today, they lacked grace. Taking a deep breath, Ianus tried to let the scent of the incense relax him, but the great responsibilities he would soon carry weighed heavily on his mind. After today, he would be an adult in the eyes of his community, and a guardian of another’s life. Stopping before the dais, he bowed to the altar.

“Ianus Akeru!” The green robed predicant behind the altar cried out. The oversized, leathery wings of the tiny dragon-like Ceeri hanging onto his back opened. “You have come to this place through many trials and tribulations, and may I say a few more than most.” A whisper flashed like lightning across the congregation. “Do you come to this place willingly, knowing the consequences of the choice you make today?”

Ianus smiled at the predicant behind the altar. He wished that his father could have performed the rite, but that was forbidden. Family members were not allowed to officiate the ascension ceremony. At least his good friend Aashen could initiate him. “I do.” He pronounced confidently.

Looking down at the golden laver on the altar, Ianus blenched at the sight of his own boyish face looking back at him. Beyond the mirror-like surface of the water, he watched with trembling lips as the silvery black Sukallin churned in the water. He could still hear Aashen speaking, but no one had ever fully explained the ramifications of sharing his body with another sentient life. He agreed to the merger because it was tradition. Every Shedu on his eighteenth birthday would enter the temple to be entrusted with a Sukallin, to repay their debt to their original hosts who where now extinct. Those who refused this honor, the Lamassu, were seen as weak, or even unstable. He wondered if he would share its memories of the countless other hosts with whom it had shared its life. For the first time, he was afraid of losing himself.

Aashen walked around the altar, and laid his palm on Ianus’ brow. “My child, may your life be long, and full of joy and wisdom. Today you open your heart to another, may your life together be filled with peace.” Aashen took hold of Ianus’ hand, “On this day, we entrust you, Ianus Akeru, novitiate of the House of the Jade Moon, with Osanna, this great and noble Sukallin.”

Ianus turned to face the golden laver, pushing back his robe from his right arm. Cautiously, he submerged his forearm into the laver. The fluid Sukallin felt like seaweed against his skin. He struggled to keep his arm submerged. Pain, like a thousand needles, cut through his skin. The Sukallin constricted around his hand. An icy cold shock ripped through his fingers. Slowly, the hematite—colored ooze crawled up the black skin of Ianus’ arm. Rivulets of blood dripped into the water. Ianus fought off a shiver as the Sukallin merged into the flesh on his arm, seeping between the cells leaving only a discolored mark in its wake. Ianus smiled. ‘That wasn’t so bad,’ he thought.

Suddenly, the world spun around; his vision blurred. The warmth fled from his body; his chest collapsed. He steadied himself as the room went black. Softly, in the periphery of his vision, a cold light illuminated a field that stretched out before him.

‘Where’s the temple?’ He thought, desperate to catch his breath. The light grew brighter. Ianus staggered backward as a great stone tower appeared out of nowhere… out of nothing.

Something white glistened at the base of the tower. Ianus was drawn to the strange white shadow. Closer and closer, step-by-step, he approached the tower until the image became clear. It was a white dragon! Larger than any Ceeri he had ever seen before. The beast was sleeping.

“It sleeps, blissfully ignorant of the world around it.” A soft feminine voice whispered in his ears. “Look on it well boy, for your time has come. Ihy’s time is passing.”

“No!” Ianus screamed, “My Father’s time is now! He is strong and healthy.”

“He stood by and did nothing at the foul deeds of his children!” The voice interrupted.
“What are you talking about? I am his only child, and I’m adopted. Who are you talking about?”
A sudden gust of wind shoved Ianus to the ground. He looked over his shoulder. A titanic, red dragon rose from the ground. Its blood red scales glistened in the light. Savage teeth overlapped in its maw, as smoke billowed from the corner of its mouth. It hovered over Ianus’ head. Calmly, it surveyed the tower. With a great burst of speed, it lunged forward. The white dragon stirred. The red pulled back.
“What’s going on?” Ianus shouted. “Why are you showing this to me?”
Silence.
The red dragon landed. Slowly, it crept toward the tower. Closing in on the white dragon, the red one smiled. Rearing up on its hind legs, it slashed the white dragon’s throat.
Blood gushing from the wound, the white dragon let out a great cry. It reeled back on its hind legs and thrashed about violently, as if fighting off numerous unseen assailants. Screeching, it crashed to the ground. After a thunderous roar, it fell limp beneath the tower. Its hollow eyes stared plaintively toward the heavens. The earth shook violently. A horrid clatter echoed from the very stones of the tower. Dust and smoke erupted from the grout lines. Ianus leapt back. Brick by brick, the tower crumbled and fell, crushing the body of the slain beast.
The red dragon crawled atop the rubble and bellowed in victory.
“Some have lost their soul to the machine,” the voice continued, “The cacophony of voices within the liquid sky is too much for them. Others have lost themselves to their aspiring spirit, thinking they can control the fluidity of thought itself. You must become the soul of the machine—swimming in the waters without drowning. Follow the path of the War Maiden, and rebuild the tower.”
Ianus gasped. Everything vanished. He was alone.
His mouth fell open as the high altar came back into view. The statue of Uma Nari caught his eye. Her soft blue robes invited Ianus to prayer, “O holy Mother, protect us all from evil, stand guard at the gates of our cities and in the temple of our hearts. Pray for us Holy Mother, now and at the hour of our death.”
Slowly, he turned around. The proud, thin face of his father stood out of the crowd.
“The rite is concluded,” Aashen announced, triumphantly, “May we all go in peace.”

CHAPTER TWO: THE GUARDIAN

No one had noticed Ianus’ confusion. Aashen put his arm around Ianus’ shoulders, and guided him down the aisle. Through the intricately carved doors, they exited into the paved courtyard.

“I remember when I was eight, and received my Ceeri,” said Aashen with a distant look in his cerulean eyes. “His thoughts confused me for several days, until I learned to separate his from mine,” slapping Ianus playfully on his back, “I understand it is very similar for the Shedu.” He watched Ianus inquisitively.

Ianus closed his eyes, “I don’t hear anything.”

“Really?” Aashen cocked his head. “You should hear something, even if it's only general chatter. I will ask someone about it, if you like?”
“That’s all right,” Ianus nudged Aashen in the arm with his elbow. A moment of dizziness, he shook his head, “Maybe our connection isn’t strong enough yet.”
With a slow, appraising look, Aashen said, “Well, happy birthday,” he bit his lip, “I should go find my brother before he upsets someone.”
The crowd filed into the textured cement courtyard that stood between the gothic towers of the temple, the marble domed library, the stone arched façade of the monastery, and the hedged and flowered gardens. Drummers ran to their drums, and filled the air with music. The rich aroma of the confections and the fruity scent of the meads filled the air. The crowd divided, some went to the tables on the north end of the courtyard nearest the library, and the others joined with the music and began to dance. Ianus worked his way through the “Congratulations,” and the “Good show,” one man began recounting the story of his merging. “I almost blacked out you know, that thing was so cold, but you get used to it.”
Ianus shook hands as they presented themselves out of the mass of people. Finally, he saw his parents, Ihy Khem and Maya Isann, at one of the tables. Ihy’s tall gaunt frame was hard to miss in a crowd. He carefully navigated the sea of pleasantries from people he had never met before, until he fell out of the throng and into a chair next to his father. Looking around at the well-choreographed chaos, he smiled at Ihy. Maya was gone. ‘She must have gone to get something to drink,’ he thought.
“So, you’re a man now?” Ihy said, his weathered face was just beaming with pride, “Do you feel any different?”
“I feel like someone filled my arm with jelly,” before Ianus could say anything else, his father thrust a wrapped package into his hands. “Something strange did happen,” he looked up from the parcel, “When I merged with the Sukallin, I… well, I think I received a vision. Is that normal?”
Ihy’s smile only widened, “No, that is very rare. This is a very auspicious sign,” he wrapped one of his long arms around his son, “It is said that Tien Shaa and Rohan received visions at their merging, and they’re saints now! Come to think of it, I think your grandfather, Nusair, also had one.” Ihy looked over his shoulder for Maya. “We really should wait for your mother to come back, but this is too funny. Open your present.” Ihy shifted down the bench away from his son.
Ianus ripped off the shimmering silver wrapping paper much more cautiously than he usually would have. Ihy had a bizarre sense of humor. Ianus expected something to jump out or shock him.
“O, come now, it won’t bite!” Ihy grabbed his son’s hands and tore the paper off.
Ianus lifted the black leather book up to the light to see the gilded title. “Sen Prescience Book, for the Shedu language (Illustrated).”
Ianus flipped through the pages, “It’s blank?”
“Well of course it is, boy,” Ihy pulled a stylus out of the pocket of his jade green cassock, “You haven’t written anything in it yet. You see, you write a date, or a ‘what if’ into the book, and it will predict the future. Isn’t it funny! We got you a prescience book on the same day you received your first word of knowledge!”
Ianus wanted to laugh, but the lingering dread from his vision was too powerful. Forcing a smile, “But surely, prophecy can’t be trusted.” Ianus grabbed his father’s hand, and squeezed. “I mean, after all, we all make our own destinies, don’t we?”
“Well, boy, you know I’m an augur, don’t you?”
Ianus gasped, “No! I had no idea.”
“I can see patterns of action, and intuit the possible future. Sometimes it’s easy, other times it’s quite difficult. Sometimes I’m right, and well, I don’t know of a time I’ve been wrong.” Ihy threw his head back and laughed. “It’s like, if you see a person heading toward a store. If you have enough information, you can say whether or not he’s going to go inside. Maybe even predict what he’s going to buy. It’s just like that, but on a larger scale.”
“Well, I need to see more proof before I believe what I saw was anything more than a side effect of the merging.”
“O, Ihy!” Maya said with a sigh, a stony look on her heart-shaped face as she arrived back at the table with three mugs of honey mead, her midnight skin glowing with anger, “Couldn’t you wait for me to get back before you gave Ianus his birthday present?” Setting the mugs on the table, she threw her arms around Ianus, “Well, Happy Birthday!” She held him so close; he could hear her heart racing with excitement. She kissed him three times on the top of his head. Laughing, shw shook her had as her irritation faded, “Do you like it? I told him you would prefer a vacation to Idunn beach on Adrakaya, but you know what Ihy’s like when he sets his mind to something.”
“I love it, mom,” Ianus lied through an exuberant smile. He couldn’t stand to see her sad.
The crowd fell inordinately silent. Even the drummers left their rhythms to the wind. Ianus followed the eyes of the crowd to two people wearing long, red robes and masks who were emerging from the garden. The smooth masks that covered their faces were even inlaid with lenses to cover their eyes.
“Raewyn!” Someone in the crowd shouted. “Allostheoi!” Someone else gasped in horror.
Mysterious nomads, the Raewyn wandered aimlessly from planet to planet. Little was known about where they came from or why they sojourned through the galaxy, and what was known was more rumor than fact. Still, it was rare to see a Raewyn; two in one place was often considered a sign or omen. The two cloaked figures looked at each other and turned toward the garden labyrinth.
Ihy climbed up on top of the table, and motioned for the band to resume playing.
“Do you think those people were Raewyn?” Ianus muttered.
“What would it matter if they were?” Ihy retorted, “Raewyn are open members of the Jade Moon, the Camenae, and even the Mne Serephin. It’s just superstitious townspeople. Raewyn move from world to world, never settling down because of reactions like that. Totally uncalled for!”
Seeing the anger in his father’s silvery eyes, Ianus slipped away and joined the dance.

Ianus woke up early the next morning, put on his Gi and belt, and hurried out to the courtyard to practice his forms and stances. Ihy was already outside. Ianus watched as he moved as if to unheard music. His father’s pale skin gleamed in the sunlight with radiance unmatched in all of Shiloh. His long silver hair flowed elegantly behind him as he twirled and kicked. Ihy was a master of the arts.

Recognizing where his father was in the fire song movement, Ianus joined him. He leapt through the air, careful to control every muscle; he kicked. As he spun around, he moved his arms to block the imagined fists. A slow crouch and lightning quick slide to the left.

“Ihy!” He heard Maya call out, “Feel like sparring?”
Ianus almost tripped over himself.
“Focus, boy!” Ihy reprimanded him.
Ianus quickly turned to watch Ihy and Maya duel. Maya leapt into the air as a

light from the green jewel that was embedded in the black leather glove on her right hand flashed. ‘A periapt sword,’ Ianus thought as he touched his own periapt jewel.

Swords materialized in Ihy’s and Maya’s hands simultaneously. The blades clanged as they danced around each other. Two hazy forms locked together in conflict floated lazily across the courtyard. For a moment, Ianus lost himself in the dazzling sight of the two Makers, just as he had lost himself in the dance the night before. ‘This must be the dance of destruction that Rohan muses over in the Scriptures,’ Ianus thought. ‘The dance of defense and the dance of aggression. One could almost forget the violence of the scene.’

With a great laugh, Maya and Ihy ended their duel. The morning bells were ringing; chef would be serving breakfast, soon. The queue was already growing. Armin-arm, Maya, Ianus, and Ihy walked into the dining hall.

After breakfast, Ianus and Ihy went off into the temple to prepare for the day’s services. Ihy prepared the altar, while Ianus swept the floors.
“Father?” Ianus said, rubbing his thumb hard against the broomstick’s handle, “Do we really practice magic?” He sighed, casting his gaze to the floor. “I mean no disrespect to our ancestors, or to the tradition, but the periapt really does everything. All I’ve learned in my years with the order is science, math, programming, and meditation. I know nothing of magic.”
“We are not like the Mne Serephin, if that is what you mean. Our practice is not nearly as arcane as theirs. We summon no spirits, nor do we dominate the more subtle energies, but we have our own secrets.”
“Like the Periapts?” Ianus asked starring at his reflection in the jade stone embedded in the black leather, fingerless glove on his right hand.
“What is the periapt?” Ihy smiled, laying out the altar cloth.
“It is nothing but a piece of technology that connects to the implant in my hand. It is software and Nanotechnology.”
“What does it allow you to do?”
“I can use the liquid steel to make weapons— I can erect shields, project illusions, and float above the ground.” Ianus looked up, “There is no magic in it. It’s all physics.”
Ihy thought for a moment. His words had to be chosen carefully. “Does the periapt do all of these things for you?”
“Well, no,” Ianus sighed. He looked up into the maze of stone arches that crisscrossed the ceiling. “The machine has no mind. I have to control the effects of the periapt, but if I didn’t have these implants all over my body, I wouldn’t be able to do anything! I mean, what am I to the machine?”
“You are either its master or its slave,” said Ihy, brushing the altar cloth flat. “What makes you ask? I can see the tension in your neck. What’s bothering you?”
Ianus focused his attention on his sweeping. “Bad dreams. I know there’s nothing to it, but they left me feeling hollow. When I woke up yesterday, the world was full of magic. By this morning, I feel like I’ve lost everything.”
“Dreams are the most powerful magic,” Ihy opened the lectionary, and began search for today’s reading. “Angels and demons are real, no matter what you choose to call them. You say you had bad dreams, our ancestors would say that you were troubled by demons in the night. Two ways of saying the exact same thing. What were your dreams about?”
Ianus stopped, and stared blankly at the floor. “I’d rather not say. I just want to know that this isn’t the way life is going to be after the merging.”
“There comes a time in everyone’s life, my boy, when we loose our sense of wonder. All you can do is fight that feeling. Reclaim your life— don’t let anyone take that from you.”
“So magic is just an illusion? We choose to give it meaning or to see it for what it is?”
“Don’t you see?” Ihy said, as he stepped down from the dais. “Everything is magic! From the moment our species evolved from the early hominids to the time that our soul was born within us. It’s all magic, my boy, whether you are part of the machine or not.”
“How could our soul be born in a soulless animal?” Ianus felt hollow. He was asking about himself.
“What makes you think the animals don’t have souls? Everything has a soul or a consciousness if you like, unique to its type. Our soul evolved the moment we discovered superfluous beauty. Beauty is magic. Everything happens by chance, but it is fate at the same time. It’s all a matter of perspective.”
“Does the machine have a soul?”
Ihy’s face turned sallow, “You mean that you’ve never heard it whisper in your ear?”
“No?”
“Good,” the color slowly returned to Ihy’s face. “We need to get ready for services, people will be arriving soon.”

The two Sen brothers, Aashen and Tuun Fallon stood in the elevator, carefully controlling their breath. Aashen kept brushing his blond hair behind his elfish ears with his hands, annoyed that his Ceeri Azi Mandas kept blowing his hair over his long angular face. The small blue green, drake-like Ceeri held onto his shoulders and waist with his claws, holding his over-sized wings tightly behind Aashen’s back. Azi laughed silently, and looked over at the red and gold Ceeri that clung tightly to Tuun’s back. Tuun resembled his brother in most ways, save for the black hair and sickly white complexion.

Counting under his breath, Azi reached his long neck around and blew Aashen’s hair bac